Social Studies Education Graduate Students’ Tendencies of Thesis Topic Determination

Abstract

In current study, it is aimed to explore the thesis topic determination tendencies of social studies education graduate students. In line with this purpose, answers were sought to the questions of what are the opinions of social studies graduate students about the target group, method and the type of subject they want to work on in order to determine the thesis topic. The research was carried out using the basic qualitative research design, which is one of the qualitative research types. Convenience sampling method was used to determine the study group. Convenience sampling method is determined according to the convenience of opportunities such as time, place, and budget in reaching the study group. Data collected by semi-structed interview form which was developed by researchers. The data were collected face-to-face and online from postgraduate social studies students studying at different state universities. Content analysis was used in the analysis of the data. While determining the thesis topic, the participants will determine the characteristics of the sample, the characteristics of the research method they will use, the purpose of the research, the characteristics of the methods and techniques they will use in their research, and the research method. He selected and took into account the studies in the field by making use of similar studies in the literature from the acquisition skills and values in the social studies curriculum. It was concluded that they determined the best method they could serve and determined them according to the target audience they chose. In addition, when the thesis topics that the participants are working on are related to innovations in the field, they are usually related to digital issues and technology-based teaching; When the factors that are effective in determining the subject of the thesis, they are working on are examined, it is concluded that the interests and abilities of the participants and the influence of the consultant are more intense than the other factors.