SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHERS' PERSPECTIVES ON INCLUSIVE EDUCATION: THE EXAMPLE OF KARS PROVINCE

Abstract

Inclusive education is one of the fundamental building blocks of
contemporary education systems. Due to the impact of globalization,
social structures, cultural interactions, and economic dynamics are rapidly
changing, and this has direct impacts on education systems. It emerges
as a holistic educational approach that recognizes individual differences,
allows each individual to discover their potential, and prepares individuals
for active participation in social life. Social studies stand out as one of the
most important disciplines serving inclusive education, with the goals of
developing social awareness, internalizing democratic values, and growing
up as active and responsible citizens. This study, in particular, examines
social studies teachers’ perspectives and perceptions of inclusive education.
A qualitative method was used in the study. The study group consisted
of 18 social studies teachers working in public secondary schools in the
central district of Kars province during the 2024-2025 academic year. The
obtained data from the interviews was analyzed through content analysis,
categorized into key themes, categories, and illustrative case examples,
and then transformed into readable narrative descriptions. The results
indicated that while Social Studies teachers are generally aware of inclusive
education, they also face some challenges stemming from insufficient time,
large class sizes, language barriers, and inadequate planning.