Research Article

The Explanatory Power of Space in History: Historical Narrative and Geographical Causality in Social Studies Textbooks

Volume: 15 Number: 1 October 23, 2026
TR EN

The Explanatory Power of Space in History: Historical Narrative and Geographical Causality in Social Studies Textbooks

Abstract

This study examines how historical events, facts, and processes in the Common Heritage learning domain of 5th-, 6th-, and 7th-grade social studies textbooks are presented in terms of geographical causality. Designed as a qualitative document analysis, the study analyzes the relevant sections of textbooks published by the Turkish Ministry of National Education using a Geographical Context Coding Scheme. The analysis focused on the geographical elements associated with historical content, levels of geographical explanation, and history-geography integration. Findings indicate that geographical causality is visible at all three grade levels but varies by theme. In Grade 5, it is strongest in early settlements, environment-life relations, production, and natural resources; in Grade 6, in Turkistan, nomadic life, military organization, migration, settlement, and trade routes; and in Grade 7, in the foundation and expansion of the Ottoman State, the conquest of Istanbul, geographical discoveries, and economic structure. Across grades, the explanatory role of space also shifts from environment-life relations toward more complex geopolitical and economic networks. Geography remains largely descriptive or supportive in cultural and intellectual topics. More systematic integration of geographical context into historical content could strengthen students’ historical and spatial thinking.

Keywords

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Social Studies Education

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

October 23, 2026

Submission Date

April 15, 2026

Acceptance Date

July 2, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 15 Number: 1

APA
Eskici, E., & Kılıç, F. (2026). The Explanatory Power of Space in History: Historical Narrative and Geographical Causality in Social Studies Textbooks. Cumhuriyet Uluslararası Eğitim Dergisi, 15(1), 974-1003. https://doi.org/10.30703/cije.1930763
AMA
1.Eskici E, Kılıç F. The Explanatory Power of Space in History: Historical Narrative and Geographical Causality in Social Studies Textbooks. CIJE. 2026;15(1):974-1003. doi:10.30703/cije.1930763
Chicago
Eskici, Ebru, and Fahri Kılıç. 2026. “The Explanatory Power of Space in History: Historical Narrative and Geographical Causality in Social Studies Textbooks”. Cumhuriyet Uluslararası Eğitim Dergisi 15 (1): 974-1003. https://doi.org/10.30703/cije.1930763.
EndNote
Eskici E, Kılıç F (October 1, 2026) The Explanatory Power of Space in History: Historical Narrative and Geographical Causality in Social Studies Textbooks. Cumhuriyet Uluslararası Eğitim Dergisi 15 1 974–1003.
IEEE
[1]E. Eskici and F. Kılıç, “The Explanatory Power of Space in History: Historical Narrative and Geographical Causality in Social Studies Textbooks”, CIJE, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 974–1003, Oct. 2026, doi: 10.30703/cije.1930763.
ISNAD
Eskici, Ebru - Kılıç, Fahri. “The Explanatory Power of Space in History: Historical Narrative and Geographical Causality in Social Studies Textbooks”. Cumhuriyet Uluslararası Eğitim Dergisi 15/1 (October 1, 2026): 974-1003. https://doi.org/10.30703/cije.1930763.
JAMA
1.Eskici E, Kılıç F. The Explanatory Power of Space in History: Historical Narrative and Geographical Causality in Social Studies Textbooks. CIJE. 2026;15:974–1003.
MLA
Eskici, Ebru, and Fahri Kılıç. “The Explanatory Power of Space in History: Historical Narrative and Geographical Causality in Social Studies Textbooks”. Cumhuriyet Uluslararası Eğitim Dergisi, vol. 15, no. 1, Oct. 2026, pp. 974-1003, doi:10.30703/cije.1930763.
Vancouver
1.Ebru Eskici, Fahri Kılıç. The Explanatory Power of Space in History: Historical Narrative and Geographical Causality in Social Studies Textbooks. CIJE. 2026 Oct. 1;15(1):974-1003. doi:10.30703/cije.1930763

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