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Journals / Ege Eğitim Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 27 Sayı: 2

Social Judgment Processes in Primary School Students: An Investigation of Fundamental Attribution Error in the Context of Life Studies Course

İlkokul Öğrencilerinde Sosyal Yargı Süreçleri: Hayat Bilgisi Dersi Bağlamında Temel Yükleme Hatasının İncelenmesi

Ogün Çakır(İSTANBUL SABAHATTİN ZAİM ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0003-4423-4821
Pages
265–286
Publication Date
2026-09-26
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Results indicate a descriptive increase in students’ tendency to attribute behaviors to internal characteristics and to produce labeling explanations as grade level increases; however, this difference was not statistically significant.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:This study aims to examine elementary school students’ tendency toward the Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE) when interpreting social conflict situations and to explore how this tendency relates to the 2024 Life Studies Curriculum (LSC).
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Key Findings & Data:The study group consisted of 30 students from the first, second, and third grade levels.
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Conclusion & Impact:Results indicate a descriptive increase in students’ tendency to attribute behaviors to internal characteristics and to produce labeling explanations as grade level increases; however, this difference was not statistically significant.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:2024 Verileri
⚙️Variables:Temel Yükleme Hatası · Sosyal Yargı · Hayat Bilgisi

Abstract

This study aims to examine elementary school students’ tendency toward the Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE) when interpreting social conflict situations and to explore how this tendency relates to the 2024 Life Studies Curriculum (LSC). The research was conducted in a public primary school in Istanbul using a convergent mixed-methods design with a purposively selected sample. The study group consisted of 30 students from the first, second, and third grade levels. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected simultaneously through students’ closed- and open-ended responses to illustrated vignettes; in addition, a document analysis of the LSC was carried out. Quantitative data were analyzed using Chi-square and Fisher–Freeman–Halton tests, while qualitative data were examined through thematic analysis, and findings were integrated during the interpretation phase. Results indicate a descriptive increase in students’ tendency to attribute behaviors to internal characteristics and to produce labeling explanations as grade level increases; however, this difference was not statistically significant. No significant differences were found with respect to gender. Qualitative findings revealed that dispositional, personality-based justifications became more pronounced at higher grade levels. The document analysis demonstrated that the LSC adopts a process-oriented and context-sensitive perspective that provides a pedagogical counterbalance to this tendency. Overall, the study highlights a pedagogical tension between the developmentally strengthening labeling tendency and the curriculum’s emphasis on contextual understanding.

Özet

Bu çalışma, ilkokul öğrencilerinin sosyal çatışma durumlarını yorumlarken sergiledikleri Temel Yükleme Hatası (TYH) eğilimini ve bu eğilimin 2024 Hayat Bilgisi Dersi Öğretim Programı (HBÖP) ile ilişkisini incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Araştırma, İstanbul’daki bir devlet ilkokulunda amaçlı örnekleme ile belirlenen çalışma grubuyla yakınsak karma desen çerçevesinde yürütülmüştür. Çalışma grubu birinci, ikinci ve üçüncü sınıf düzeylerinden 30 öğrenciden oluşmuştur. Nicel ve nitel veriler eşzamanlı olarak resimli vinyetlere verilen kapalı ve açık uçlu yanıtlar yoluyla toplanmış; ayrıca HBÖP doküman analizi gerçekleştirilmiştir. Nicel veriler Ki-Kare ve Fisher–Freeman–Halton testleriyle; nitel veriler tematik analizle çözümlenmiş ve bulgular yorumlama aşamasında bütünleştirilmiştir. Bulgular, sınıf düzeyi yükseldikçe öğrencilerin davranışları daha sık içsel özelliklere atfetme ve etiketleyici açıklamalar yapma yönünde betimsel bir artış gösterdiğini; ancak bu farklılaşmanın istatistiksel olarak anlamlı olmadığını ortaya koymuştur. Cinsiyete göre anlamlı bir farklılaşma saptanmamıştır. Nitel bulgular, üst sınıf düzeylerinde kalıcı kişilik temelli gerekçelerin belirginleştiğini göstermiştir. Doküman analizi ise HBÖP’nin süreç ve durumsal farkındalık vurgusuyla bu eğilime karşı pedagojik bir karşılık sunduğunu ortaya koymuştur. Sonuç olarak çalışma, gelişimsel olarak güçlenen etiketleme eğilimi ile programın bağlamsal anlama hedefleri arasındaki pedagojik gerilime işaret etmektedir.

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Cite This Article

Çakır, O. (2026). Social Judgment Processes in Primary School Students: An Investigation of Fundamental Attribution Error in the Context of Life Studies Course. Ege Eğitim Dergisi, Cilt: 27 Sayı: 2, 265–286. https://doi.org/10.12984/egeefd.1845274

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