Descriptive Analysis of the Recommendations in Dissertations on Parental Involvement in Early Childhood Education in Türkiye

Year 2025, Volume: 12 Issue: 1, 243 - 263

Ümit Ünsal Kaya , Özgün Uyanık Aktulun

https://doi.org/10.17275/per.25.13.12.1

Abstract

The aim of this study is to descriptively analyze the recommendations sections of doctoral dissertations focused on parental involvement in early childhood education in Türkiye. The study examined a total of seven doctoral dissertations conducted at various universities in Türkiye and published in the Thesis Center of the Turkish Higher Education Council. The recommendations sections of these dissertations were evaluated using content analysis, identifying the stakeholders (parents, teachers, Ministry of Education, researchers, NGOs) to whom the recommendations were directed and the themes around which they concentrated (development of parental involvement processes, teacher training, policy development, etc.). The findings indicate that the majority of the recommendations are aimed at teachers and parents, with a strong focus on the development of parental involvement processes and teacher training. Additionally, a significant portion of the recommendations was found to be feasible in the short term, providing practical insights for immediate implementation. The analysis further revealed that recommendations targeting policymakers emphasize the importance of long-term strategies, including policy development and legal regulations. These results suggest that efforts to increase parental involvement in early childhood education in Türkiye require both short-term practical implementations and long-term strategic planning. The study underscores the critical role of parental involvement in early childhood education and highlights the need for further interdisciplinary research to explore its multifaceted nature and its implications for diverse socioeconomic and cultural contexts.

Keywords

parental involvement, early childhood education, doctoral dissertations, educational policies

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