The Examination of the Views of Primary School Teachers and Preservice Primary Teachers on European Union Citizenship from the point of Different Variables: A Qualitative Study

The aim of this study is to determine the view of primary school teachers and pre-service primary teachers on European Union citizenship. This study is a descriptive and qualitative research. The data of the research was collected from 25 primary school teachers in the city center of Kırşehir and 33 pre-service primary teachers studying in Ahi Evran University, Faculty of Education, Department of Primary Education. As the data collection tool, Interview Form was used. The data collected from teachers and preservice teachers were ranged and compared according to their values of frequency and percent by classifying under themes. At the end of the research, it was understood that primary school teachers and preservice primary teachers saw EU as an interest group and EU citizens as individuals living for their interests. Also they thought that EU citizens live well. On the other hand, according to primary school teachers and preservice primary teachers EU citizens thought that Turkey and Turkish citizens were underdeveloped and threat and carried an opposing culture. Besides, primary school teachers thought that full membership in EU would do more harm than good for Turkey, while preservice primary teachers thought vice versa.

___

  • Akşit, S., Şenyuva, Ö. & Üstün, Ç. (2009). The view of European Union states on the membership of Turkey [Avrupa Birliği ülkelerinden Türkiye’nin üyeliğine bakış]. METU Center for European Studies, Ankara.
  • Alkan, M. N. (2013). European Union perception of university students in Turkey [Türkiye’deki üniversite öğrencilerinin Avrupa Birliği algısı]. Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, Ankara, Turkey.
  • Altunay, E. (2012). Investigation of predictor variables of European Union identity in education institutions. Unpublished dissertation. Ege University Social Sciences Institute, İzmir, Turkey.
  • Başbay, A. & Doğan, N. (2004). Conceptions of teachers related to effect of European Union membership adaptation process on our education system. Ege Educational Journal [Ege Eğitim Dergisi], 5(2), 35-52.
  • Boğaziçi University European Studies Research Center (2009). The view of Europeans on Turkey as a prospective member of Europe and Europeanization problems of Turkey [Avrupalıların Müstakbel Bir Avrupa Üyesi Olarak Türkiye’ye Bakışları ve Türkiye’nin Avrupalılaşma Sorunları]. http://hakanyilmaz.info/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/BUCES-AID-UAM-OpinionPoll-Sunus-Turkce-v03.356161957.pdf (Access: 04.05.2014).
  • Çubukçu, Z. & Gültekin, M. (2006). Social skills that need to be gained by primary school students. Journal of Social Sciences of the Turkish World [Bilig Türk Dünyası Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi], 37: 155-174.
  • Dinç, E. (2009). The view of preservice teachers on Europe and European citizenship. I. International European Union, Democracy, Citizenship and Citizenship Education Symposium, Uşak University European Union Education Application and Research Center: 201-207.
  • Doğan, İ. (2012). Educational sociology [Eğitim sosyolojisi]. Ankara: Nobel Publishing.
  • Erden, M. (2007). Introduction to educational sciences [Eğitim bilimlerine giriş]. Ankara: Arkadaş Press.
  • Erginer, A. (2006). European Union education systems [Avrupa birliği eğitim sistemleri]. Ankara: Pegem Akademi Publishing.
  • Eurobarometer 74 (2010). Public opinion in the European Union: Turkey. http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/eb/eb74/eb74_tr_tr_nat.pdf (Access: 07.05.2014).
  • Güven, S. & Şahin, İ.F. (2003). Qualities and the problems of teachers of citizenship and human rights course: Erzincan city sample. Eastern Geographical Review [Doğu Coğrafya Dergisi], 8(10): 213-226.
  • İbrahimoğlu, Z. (2009). Active citizenship definitions of preservice primary teachers and the role providing social studies course to raise active citizen. I. International European Union, Democracy, Citizenship and Citizenship Education Symposium, Uşak University European Union Education Application and Research Center: 437-443.
  • İnaç, H. (2005). Identity problems of Turkey during the European Union integration process [AB’ye entegrasyon sürecinde Türkiye’nin kimlik problemleri]. Ankara: Adres Publishing,
  • Karaman-Kepenekçi, Y. (2008). Human rights and citizenship for educators [Eğitimciler için insan hakları ve vatandaşlık]. Ankara: Ekinoks Press.
  • Kaya, A. (2013). European Union citizenship. (Editor: A. Kaya et al). Introduction to European Union: History, institutions, policies [Avrupa Birliği’ne giriş: Tarih, kurumlar, politikalar] (p.133-148). İstanbul: İstanbul Bilgi University Publishing.
  • Kırşehir National Education Directorate (2014). 2012-2013 Academic Year National Education Statistics, http://kirsehir.meb.gov.tr/arge/upl/dokumanlar/haber/istatistik2013/index.html (Access: 07.04.2014).
  • Ortaylı, İ. (2008). Europe and us [Avrupa ve biz]. İstanbul: Turkey İş Bank Culture Publications.
  • Özuğurlu, M. B. (2009). Perception of university students about European Union and European citizenship concepts [Üniversite gençliğinin Avrupa Birliği’ni ve Avrupa vatandaşlığı fikrini algılaması]. I. International European Union, Democracy, Citizenship and Citizenship Education Symposium, Uşak University European Union Education Application and Research Center: 320-324.
  • Potter, J. (2002). The challenge of education for active citizenship. Education and Training, 44(2), 57-66.
  • Sağlam, H. İ. (2012). An investigation on primary school teachers’ perceptions of effective citizenship proficiency by certain variables. Journal of Social Studies Education Research, 3(2): 71-85.
  • Standard Eurobarometer 77 (Spring, 2012). TNS Opinion & Social http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/eb/eb77/eb77_value_en.pdf
  • Tezcan, M. (2012). Educational sociology [Eğitim sosyolojisi]. Ankara: Anı Publishing.
  • The German Marshall Fund of United States. (2011). Transatlantic trends 11. http://www.gmfus.org/archives/transatlantic-trends-2011/ (Access: 06.05.2014).
  • The Nobel Foundation (2014). The Nobel Peace Prize 2012. http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2012/ (Access: 18.05.2014).
  • Yeşil, R. (2002). Human rights and democracy education in school and family [Okul ve ailede insan hakları ve demokrasi eğitimi]. Ankara: Nobel Press.