How Do Different Ethnicities Approach to the Education System and Differences in Turkey?

Abstract

The aim of this study is to find out what members of different ethnicities living in Turkey as Turkish citizens think about how the Turkish education system addresses cultural differences in schools. This qualitative study utilized a descriptive analysis method to collect data through five focus groups based ethnic diversity: Turks, Kurds, Arabs, Balkan refugees and Caucasian refugees. Each focus group consisted of four participants and interviews were tape-recorded and then analyzed by using the qualitative research analysis program, NVivo 10. The results show that most of the participants think that the current education system in Turkey does not represent the ethnic and cultural differences in Turkey since it is developed based on a certain ideology. Another finding of the study is that teachers are not aware of the cultural differences in their classrooms and they do not have adequate training to meet the expectations of students from those cultures. The participants have stated that in order to get the values and beliefs of different cultures living in Turkey represented in educational institutions, certain reforms should be implemented effectively, including teacher training programs.