Investigating the Current and Future Functions of Primary Schools Based on Primary School Teachers’ Opinions

Abstract

Serving to seed decency in children’s manners in society, to help them adopt new habits and to expand their social skills and emotional features, the functions of primary schools are of great importance in building the society. Thus, the purpose of this study is to describe the goals and functions of 21^st century primary schools based on the opinions of primary schools teachers. The study is conducted as part of an international research project. The research is designed as a qualitative study in order to describe the functions of primary schools from the perspectives of primary school teachers. In the study, the data is collected through semi-structured interviews from 20 volunteer primary school teachers working at different levels of primary schools located in Eskisehir, Turkey. Criterion and convenience sampling which are both categorized under purposeful sampling are used in determining the participants. The data obtained from the interviews is analysed through content analysis and the findings are presented under each research question. The findings of the research reveal that participant teachers emphasize three functions of primary schools as socialization, instruction and qualification. Nevertheless, socialization is perceived as the primary function of the primary schools, and functions of instruction and qualification follows it respectively. As for the findings related to role of families, teachers care about the cooperating with families especially in socialization issues.

Keywords

• Primary education,functions of schools,socialization,instruction,qualification

İlkokulların Günümüz ve Gelecekteki İşlevlerinin Sınıf Öğretmenlerinin Görüşlerine Dayalı Olarak İncelenmesi

Öz

Çocukların topluma uyumuna hizmet etmeye, yeni davranışlar benimsemelerine, sosyal ve duyuşsal becerilerini geliştirmeye yardımcı olan ilkokulların işlevleri, toplumun oluşturulmasında büyük öneme sahiptir. Bu çalışmada, 21. yüzyıl ilkokullarının amaç ve işlevlerinin sınıf öğretmenlerinin görüşlerine dayalı olarak betimlenmesi amaçlanmıştır.  Çalışma, uluslararası bir araştırma projesinin parçasıdır. İlkokulların işlevlerini betimlemeye yönelik araştırmada nitel araştırma deseni kullanılmıştır. Veriler Eskişehir ilindeki ilkokullarda farklı sınıf düzeylerinde görev yapan 20 gönüllü sınıf öğretmeninden yarı yapılandırılmış bireysel görüşmeler yoluyla elde edilmiştir. Katılımcıların amaçlı katılımcı yöntemlerinden ölçüte dayalı ve kolay ulaşılabilir durum yoluyla belirlenmiştir. Görüşmelerden elde edilen veriler içerik analizi kullanılarak çözümlenmiş ve bulgular araştırma sorularına dayalı olarak sunulmuştur. Araştırma bulguları, katılımcıların ilkokulların üç temel işlevini toplumsallaştırma, bilgi öğretimi ve yaşam becerileri kazandırma olarak vurguladıklarını göstermiştir. Ancak çalışmada elde edilen bulgular genel olarak değerlendirildiğinde, öğretmenlerin öncelikli olarak ilkokulların toplumsallaştırma işlevine odaklandıkları daha sonra sırasıyla bilgi öğretimi ve yaşam becerileri kazandırma işlevlerini vurguladıkları bulgusuna ulaşılmıştır. Ailelerin rollerine ilişkin bulgular ise öğretmenlerin özellikle toplumsallaştırma işlevi boyutunda ailelerle işbirliğine önem verdiğini göstermiştir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• İlkokullar,ilkokulların işlevleri,toplumsallaştırma,bilgi öğretmen,yaşam becerileri kazandırma

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