Turkish social studies teachers’ opinions about performance tasks in elementary education

Abstract

This study aims to reveal how Turkish social studies teachers regard performance projects in elementary education, to determine problems experienced and to find out their recommendations for them. The study is based on phenomenology, a qualitative study design. The population of the study is comprised of 20 social studies teachers working for schools located in the city of Sakarya. They were provided with the interview form designed by the researchers. The interview form consists of six questions designed in a way that will reveal how social studies teachers regard performance projects. The data were analyzed through descriptive analysis. The study concluded that the great majority of the teachers use performance projects for evaluation purposes. However, they do not believe that performance projects serve their purpose. They also stated that both teachers and students experience a number of problems during implementation and evaluation. According to the participants, both students and parents have a negative attitude towards performance projects.