Proposed Model for Social and Cultural Heritage in Early Grade Social Education Textbooks in Jordan

Background/purpose. This study aimed to develop a Proposed Model for Social and Cultural Heritage in Early Grade Social Education Textbooks in Jordan.

Materials/methods. The study adopted a qualitative methodology, involving content analysis of the textbooks for grades one, two, four, and five, along with interviews conducted with 35 experts in social studies, heritage, and curriculum design. The analysis was based on multiple sources, including textbooks, educational documents, academic references, and the perspectives of educators.

Results. The results showed that the social dimension ranked first (37.65%), followed by the national (28.95%), historical (22.38%), and cultural (10.97%) dimensions. Heritage representation varied by grade level: the social dimension predominated in grades one and two, while national and historical aspects became more pronounced in grades four and five. The cultural dimension showed notable inconsistency across all grades. Accordingly, this study developed a proposed model comprised of four main dimensions: social, cultural, historical, and national. The model includes specific learning objectives, coherent content, effective teaching strategies, alternative assessment tools, and diverse learning resources. It is characterized by its developmental progression, the integration of dimensions, and vertical alignment across grade levels, thereby enhancing students' awareness of heritage within their lived context.

Conclusion. The study highlights the imbalance in the treatment of heritage in early-grade textbooks, with the cultural aspect being marginalized. It recommends adopting the proposed model to ensure a balanced representation of the curriculum. However, the findings are limited to a selected sample of textbooks and qualitative analysis, indicating the need for future research to validate the model empirically. Therefore, the study recommends the systematic integration of social and cultural heritage concepts into these texts to strengthen national identity among Jordanian students.

Keywords: Social and cultural heritage, early grade education, textbooks analysis, social studies curriculum

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