Research Article

Time Spent at School is Never a Waste of Time: A Comparison Study

Number: 2 June 30, 2025
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Time Spent at School is Never a Waste of Time: A Comparison Study

Abstract

Given the social, geographical and economic differences between countries, it is inevitable that the planning and evaluation processes of education systems, and therefore the education policies adopted by countries, will vary. These social, geographical and economic differences are also an important factor influencing the organisation of countries' academic calendars. In this context, each country shapes its educational processes according to its own conditions. The aim of this study is to examine the duration of education by comparing the academic calendar in Türkiye with that of OECD countries. Qualitative research methods, specifically document analysis, were used to collect data. The study began with an analysis of the duration of education and holidays in the selected countries. Then, the differences in class hours and holiday periods were revealed in detail, and the impact of these differences on education quality was discussed. After that, Türkiye's 180-day academic calendar was examined, and the advantages and disadvantages of the mid-term holiday system were evaluated. The findings have revealed that Türkiye has longer summer holidays and shorter class hours compared to OECD countries. In conclusion, it has been stated that the academic calendar in Türkiye can be made compatible with OECD standards. In this regard, it has been emphasised that increasing the duration of education, shortening long holidays, increasing social activities, and improving performance evaluations can be beneficial. This research presents an optimisation proposal aimed at increasing the effectiveness of education policies in Türkiye and strengthening competitiveness.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

There is no statement of support for the article.

Ethical Statement

The article titled “Time Spent at School is Never a Waste of Time: A Comparison Study” is original research; we as the authors of the article have acted according to scientific ethics, principles, and rules at all stages of the research (preparation, literature review, data collection, data analysis, presentation); we have included all of the works used in this study in the references; we have not made any changes to the data while using the data; the research does not contain plagiarism; we state that we have complied with ethical duties and responsibilities by accepting all the terms and conditions of the Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Directive of Higher Education Institutions and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Principles; we state to accept all moral and legal consequences in case any situation contrary to our statement regarding our research is detected.

Thanks

The authors have thanked Dr. Ceyda Durmus for her support, collaboration, and guidance.

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Education Management , Education Policy

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

June 30, 2025

Submission Date

February 4, 2025

Acceptance Date

May 10, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Number: 2

APA
Yilmaz, S., & Öztürk, A. (2025). Time Spent at School is Never a Waste of Time: A Comparison Study. İstanbul Eğitim Dergisi, 2, 1-27. https://doi.org/10.71270/istanbulegitim.istj.1619949

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