Professional paper
https://doi.org/10.15516/cje.v25i1.4591
Representations of National Identity in the Methodological Apparatus/Structure of Science & Social Studies Textbooks in the Lower Grades of Primary School
Danijela Vasilijević
; University of Kragujevac, Faculty of Education in Užice
Marina Semiz
orcid.org/0000-0003-3917-0114
; University of Kragujevac, Faculty of Education in Užice
Abstract
This paper presents the results of the research conducted with the aim of examining the frequency and development of the components of national identity in the methodological instrumentation of Science & Social Studies textbooks in the first cycle of primary education in Serbia. Starting from the assumptions of the integrative developmental-contextual theory of Bar-Tal and Teichmann, Barrett’s societal-social-cognitive-motivational theory, as well as previous research, national identity is operationalized within 12 categories: family, religion, tradition and customs, national sentiment, language, symbols and emblems, solidarity and comradeship, cultural heritage, distinguished individuals, historical topics, geographical concepts, and general information. We used the methods of theoretical analysis and content analysis to observe the basic units of analysis: a) sentences with additional informative content; b) questions and tasks; and c) pictorial content. The study comprised approved textbooks for 2020/21 of three renowned Serbian publishers (N=12). The results indicate that the methodological instrumentation insufficiently contribute to the formation and strengthening of junior students’ national identity, especially in the domain of didactic apparatus and pictorial content. There is a noticeable developmental trend of the content aimed at strengthening students’ national identity in junior grades of primary school, but the intensity and extent of this content, as well as the dynamics and continuity of its representation are problematic.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
302998
URI
Publication date:
29.3.2023.
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