Abstract

This study aims to identify the problems encountered during the resource-based teaching implementations carried out with pre-service history teachers along with their reasons and suggest solutions.  The study was a qualitative study using a case study design.  The population of the study consisted of 5th grade pre-service history teachers continuing their studies in History Teaching Department of Kazım Karabekir Faculty of Education in Atatürk University during the fall term of 2013 to 2014 academic year. Open-ended questionnaire, unstructured observations, semi-structured interviews, and worksheets developed by the pre-service teachers were used as data collection tools in the research study. The research data were analysed with content analysis.  Regarding the findings obtained, the pre-service teachers considered that primary sources would provide important benefits for secondary school history courses and students.  It was determined in the study that pre-service teachers had some problems in the implementations based on resources.  The most frequently encountered problems were that the questions in the worksheets were not designed well enough and there was failure in promoting class participation during the presentations. The other problems can be listed as follows: using materials which did not serve for resource analysis and examination, using superficial opinions in the worksheets and taking sides in presentations. The most important reason for these problems is that pre-service teachers did not have any experiences about using sources in their educational life both in the past and in the current situation at the university. The pre-service teachers offered some suggestions regarding teaching these subjects better. Firstly they stated that more teaching practices should be involved,  they should take responsibility for their learning, examples of primary sources should be introduced, and primary source subjects should be emphasized more and in detail.   

Key words:  History education, pre-service history teacher, teacher training, material use, primary source.