Research article    |    Open Access
International Journal of Research in Teacher Education 2025, Vol. 16(2) 1-14

Pre-service Teachers’ Perceptions of and Reading Responses to Biographical Books

Mustafa Ulusoy, Fitnat Gürgil

pp. 1 - 14   |  DOI: https://doi.org/ijrte.2025.1323.01

Publish Date: June 30, 2025  |   Single/Total View: 0/0   |   Single/Total Download: 0/0


Abstract

This study aims to investigate the perceptions and reader responses of pre-service teachers from the Department of Elementary Education towards biographical books. Twenty-eight senior pre-service teachers participated in this study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the pre-service teachers and their reading responses to biographical books were received in writing. In this study, the pre-service teachers stated that biographical books should reflect the lives of the characters realistically, should be written in chronological order, and should be written using reliable sources. In addition, they stated that primary school students should read biographies of scientists the most and that social studies was the most appropriate course for using biographies. According to the pre-service teachers, reading biographies improved primary school students’ reading and comprehension skills, historical and cultural awareness, and empathy skills. It was also observed that most pre-service teachers’ written responses were reader-centered. This study recommends further research on elementary and secondary school students and teachers’ perceptions and reading responses to biographies.

Keywords: Reading responses, perceptions, biographical books, pre-service teachers.


How to Cite this Article?

APA 7th edition
Ulusoy, M., & Gurgil, F. (2025). Pre-service Teachers’ Perceptions of and Reading Responses to Biographical Books. International Journal of Research in Teacher Education, 16(2), 1-14. https://doi.org/ijrte.2025.1323.01

Harvard
Ulusoy, M. and Gurgil, F. (2025). Pre-service Teachers’ Perceptions of and Reading Responses to Biographical Books. International Journal of Research in Teacher Education, 16(2), pp. 1-14.

Chicago 16th edition
Ulusoy, Mustafa and Fitnat Gurgil (2025). "Pre-service Teachers’ Perceptions of and Reading Responses to Biographical Books". International Journal of Research in Teacher Education 16 (2):1-14. https://doi.org/ijrte.2025.1323.01

References

    Anderson, N. A. (2013). Elementary children’s literature: Infancy through age 13 (4th ed.). Pearson.

    Aydın, E., & Kaya, M. (2022). Evaluation of the effect of biography works on the development of self-confidence of secondary school students. International Journal of Turkish Literature Culture Education, 11(2), 777–792.

    Barone, D. M. (2011). Children’s literature in the classroom. Engaging lifelong readers. The Guilford Press.

    Creswell, J. W. (2003). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (2nd ed.). Sage.

    Er, H., & Şahin, M. (2012). The students’ opinions about using “biography” in social studies course. The Journal of Turkish Educational Sciences, 10(1), 75–96.

    Güney, G. (2023). Sosyal bilgiler öğretiminde biyografi kullanımının akademik başarıya etkisi [The effect of practices of using biography on academic achievement in social studies teaching, Unpublished master’s thesis]. Hatay Mustafa Kemal Üniversitesi.

    Hancock, M. R. (2008). A celebration of literature and response: Children, books, and teachers in K-8 classrooms (3rd ed.). Pearson.

    Huck, C. S., Kiefer, B. Z., Hepler, S., & Hickman, J. (2004). Children’s literature in the elementary school (8th ed.). McGraw-Hill.

    Johnson, B., & Christensen, L. (2004). Educational research: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed approaches (2nd ed.). Pearson.

    Karagöz, B. (2018). A study on the responses of secondary school students to illustrated children's books. Journal of Mother Tongue Education, 6(4), 1198–1218.

    Kaymakcı, S., & Er, H. (2013). The usage of biography in social studies curricula and textbooks. Mehmet Akif Ersoy University Journal of Education Faculty, 13(25), 198–224.

    Kemiksiz, Ö. (2018). The use of biography genre in secondary school Turkish lessons. RumeliDE Journal of Language and Literature Studies, 12, 84–105.

    Lynch-Brown, C. G., Tomlinson, C. M., & Short, K. G. (2014). Essentials of children’s literature (Pearson new international ed.). Pearson.

    Merriam, S. B. (2018). Nitel Araştırma: Desen ve uygulama için bir rehber. [Qualitative Research: A guide to design and implementation (3rd Ed.)]. (S. Turan Çev. Ed.). Nobel. (Original work published 2009)

    Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook (2nd ed.). Sage.

    Oruç, Ş., & Erdem, R. (2010). The effect of the use of biography in social studies teaching on students attitude towards social studies. Selçuk University Journal of Ahmet Kelesoglu Education Faculty, 30, 215–229.

    Öztürk, M., & Kardaş, M. N. (2018). Methods of expecting biography and teacher candidates views on the application of methods. The Journal of Social Sciences Institute, 42, 35–64.

    Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research & evaluation methods (3rd ed.). Sage.

    Rosenblatt, L. M. (1994). The reader, the text, the poem: The transactional theory of the literary work. Southern Illinois University Press.

    Rosenblatt, L. M. (1999). Literature as exploration (5th ed.). The Modern Language Association of America.

    Shimek, C., & Dawes, E. T. (2023). Investigate, explore, create: Incorporating biographies into the K–8 classroom using the Biography Clearinghouse. The Reading Teacher, 77(2), 250–255.

    Temple, C., Martinez, M., & Yokota, J. (2006). Children’s books in children’s hands: An introduction to their literature (3rd ed.). Pearson.

    Tokmak, A., & Ginesar, Ö. (2023). The place of biographical texts in social studies textbooks and the use of biographical writings in social studies education. RumeliDE Journal of Language and Literature Studies, 34, 434–456.

    Ulusoy, M. (2016). Picturebooks and reading response theory. Elementary Education Online, 15(2), 487–497.

    Wollman-Bonilla, J., & Werchadlo, B. (1995). Literature response journals in a first-grade classroom. Language Arts, 72, 562–570.

    Yarım, M. A. (2022). Analysis of biography-based activities in values education. Journa of Family, Counseling and Education, 7(1), 49–62.

    Yekeler, A. D., & Ulusoy, M. (2017). Elementary school students' responses to informative picture books. Journal of Anatolian Cultural Research, 1(2), 20–39.

    Yıldız, A. (2018). Pre-service teachers’ views regarding the effect of learning scientists’ biographies on students’ motivation. European Journal of Education Studies, 5(2), 133–143.

    Yiğittir, S., & Er, H. (2013). The use of biography for values education in social studies course. Milli Eğitim, 200, 200–219.