Eğitim Paydaşlarının Okul Öncesi Eğitimin Zorunlu Olmasına İlişkin Görüşleri

This qualitative study examines the views of 25 preschool teachers, 14 parents and 15 school administrators about compulsory preschool education in Turkey. All 54 participants were affiliated with the same 15 schools, either as employees or because their children were attending them. The data was collected through a semi-structured interview protocol, and analyzed through the word repetition and the cutting and sorting techniques. After data analysis, five main themes emerged. These consisted of (1) views about whether preschool education should be compulsory; (2) views regarding the ages of children for whom such education should be compulsory; and predictions of compulsory education’s likely effects on (3) children; (4) parents; and (5) teachers. Most of the participants (n=50) expressed the belief that preschool education should be compulsory, usually (n=29) from the age of 48 months, though they conceded that it would have some negative as well as positive effects on children, parents and preschool teachers.