Historical and Geographical Terms in Textbooks for the Lower Grades of Primary School – Foundation for the Localisation of Epic Poems

Zorica Cvetanović, Sanja Blagdanić*, Nikoleta Dobrosavljević

*Faculty of Education, University of Belgrade

*sanja.blagdanic@gmail.com

Education for personal and professional development

Abstract

The horizontal link between the contents of two school subjects, Serbian Language and Science and Social Studies, can be made by a broader localisation of literary works which places literary texts in social and historical contexts. The aim of this paper is to investigate whether the sets of Serbian Language textbooks and Science and Social Studies textbooks for the fourth grade of primary school are complementary in terms of providing students with a basis for understanding historical and geographical terms necessary for the localization and understanding of traditional epic poetry. Content analysis of textbooks published by nine publishing houses was carried out, using historical and geographical terms in the poem "Miloš u Latinima" аs a unit of the content analysis.

There are 53 historical and geographical terms in this poem and they were classified into three categories – historical terms (personalities, rulers' titles, other concepts from the past), geographical terms (settlements, rivers, mountains) and historical-geographical terms (nations, monasteries). The research results indicate that historical and geographical terms in the poem exist in the methodological apparatus of the textbooks and that there is a correlation in terms of the presence of these concepts in textbook sets of the same publisher for both school subjects. However, there is a level of inconsistency between the textbooks of the same publisher regarding the explanations of historical/geographical terms – some terms or concepts in the poem are either not explained in any of the textbooks or they are duplicated. It is necessary to find a way for harmonising the cross-curricular contents in the textbooks for a more successful localisation of traditional epic poems.

Key words

geographical terms; historical terms; literary text localisation; traditional epic poems

Kosanović, Luana

Juraj Dobrila University of Pula

lkosanovic@unipu.hr

Pedagogija, didaktika i inkluzija u odgoju i obrazovanju

Abstract

In 2020, the Ministry of Science and Education issued a Decision on the introduction of the curriculum for the subject Language and Culture of the Roma National Minority in primary and secondary schools in the Republic of Croatia (Ministry of Science and Education, NN 52/2020-1046). The purpose of this course is to develop communication, intercultural and civic competences that will help students of the Roma national minority to become aware of their own identity in a multicultural environment. The position of members of the Roma national minority in society is marginalized despite the fact that 291 members of the Roma national minority live in the city of Pula, which makes up 0.56% of the total population of the city of Pula, while a total of 515 of them live in the city of Rijeka, which makes up 0.48% of the total of the population of the city of Rijeka. Notably, Međimurje County has the highest concentration of Roma, with 6,954 members representing 6.61% of the total population. (State Statistical Office, 2021).

The aim of the research presented in this paper is to examine whether the subject Language and Culture of the Roma National Minority is taught in primary schools in the cities of Pula and Rijeka, and whether it is taught in primary schools in Međimurje County. An analysis of school curricula for the 2023/2024 school year was carried out. A total of 68 curricula were examined. The results indicate a poor implementation of model C (Language and Culture of the Roma National Minority). In Pula, one elementary school nurtures the minority language, in Rijeka, two schools do so, while in Međimurje County, the Language and culture of the Roma national minority is nurtured and successfully implemented in two elementary schools. Based on the results and consideration of the promotion of Roma culture, a recommendation is made to introduce the Language and Culture of the Roma National Minority subject according to model C in schools where Roma students are included.

Key words

curriculum for the subject Language and Culture of the Roma National Minority; qualitative analysis; school curricula of elementary and secondary schools; the Roma national minority