TO READ OR NOT TO READ: THE ANALYSIS OF FACTORS AFFECTING ATTITUDES TOWARDS READING

OKU-MA: OKUL ÖNCESİ ÖĞRETMEN ADAYLARININ KİTAP OKUMAYA YÖNELİK TUTUMLARINI ETKİLEYEN ETMENLER

Abstract

Brain research, conducted in nowadays, highlighted the critical impact of early childhood years, in other words “magic years”, on human development. The education in those years is a reference of being or becoming human. Therefore, qualifications of the people who have relation with the child are of utmost importance. Early childhood teachers are the first teachers of children. Thus, for early childhood teachers, as well as others, being qualified is an important aspect. The review of both general teacher qualifications and special qualifications for early childhood teachers showed that loving to read is essential for becoming a teacher. Attitudes of teacher candidates who are studying early childhood teacher education in a university towards reading were examined. The university is located at the east part of Turkey and has a thirty years history. The data was collected from 58 sophomore teacher candidates by using qualitative research techniques. The semistructured interviews were analyzed with their writings related to the topic. After analysis, two categories, namely reading and education were emerged. Each category had also related sub-categories. Reading had sub-categories development, environmental factors and time. Education had three subcategories which were qualified education, unqualified education and environmental factors According to Constructivist Approach, reading is a process during which pre and textual knowledge are integrated and rephrased. While reading, both physical and cognitive processes, such as, vision, articulation, understanding, construction in mind, etc. are became parties. During understanding period, on the other hand, interest, motivation, reading aim, skills and liberal education are influential (Güneş, 2013). Not all people get same enthusiasm from reading. There are environmental and individual factors that affect this process (Akyol, 2010). Factors which have positive effects on school readiness of the child are confronted as parents, environment, context and education in early years in general. During early years, children gain some behavioral codes by taking their parents as role-models. Therefore, it is suggested for parents both reading books, magazines, and newspapers at home and visiting libraries. Second factor that has effect on child’s reading habit is environmental. Parents where the child grows up and libraries where many activities take place are accepted as to be environmental. Another factor is education at early childhood institutions. Teachers are accepted as role-models who take place of parents in education. Quality of education and the context is of utmost importance in supporting children to gain reading habit (Çakmak&Yılmaz, 2009). The primary sources in an individual’s life are first parents and second teachers. For gaining reading habit, the activities planned and guided by teachers may have great effect. Teachers should follow this process, support this skill and monitor the development of students (Karatay, 2013). Many nationwide studies have been done concerning reading habit of pre-service teachers who are also future teachers (Arı &Demir, 2013; Biçer&Ercan, 2017; Durmuş&Baş, 2015; Özbay, Bağcı&Uyar, 2008, Yılmaz&Benli, 2010). When these studies were examined, gender was found to be an important factor on reading habit. However other factors, such as educational levels and income of parents, e.g. were not be detected as having any effect. In addition to these findings, the studies reached about this topic had quantitative methodology. Based on related literature the aim of current study is that to reach information about the development of reading habit of teacher candidates who had their B.S education at a 30 year-old university at Eastern part of Turkey. Current study was designed in light of qualitative methodology. Based on the main feature of this methodology which is the production of perceptions and cases in a real and holistic way in their natural context, obtaining natural data and examining them were provided (Yıldırım&Şimşek, 2011). During study, document analysis was used. In this context, in order to reach their reader adventure an essay which had a heading of “My Development as a Reader: My Reader Autobiography” was requested from teacher candidates. Data were obtained from 58 preschool teacher candidates who were studying in a preschool teacher training program at a university in Eastern Anatolia by using qualitative research techniques. In order to reach participants, purposeful sampling technique was used. The predefined purpose was to have taken Children’s Literature course. Additionally, all participants were sophomore college students. Before collecting data, all students were informed about the study and data were collected from volunteer students. Pseudonyms were used to define participants. Contents analysis was used in order to analyze data. Data were analyzed by both researchers in three phases. These phases were development of categories and codes, independent analysis of researchers according to those categories and codes, and identification of consistency between coders (Miles & Huberman, 1994). Reliability was found to be .95. after reliability analysis, frequencies and sample phrases of categories and codes were given. Two main categories were emerged by data analysis: Reading and Education. Additionally, related sub-categories, codes and sub-codes were formed. Findings were presented in a table including frequencies and then explained. The table of this category is as following. Category Sub-categories Codes F READING Obstacles Environmental 28 Individual 23 Encouragement Teacher 88 Parents 85 Library 82 School administrator 25 Human development Self-expression 43 World-view 26 Ego 20 Personality 19 World of fantasy 7 Creativity 6 Scope 5 Cognition 4 Environmental factors Teacher 81 Parents 79 Culture 71 Television 43 School 26 Important persons 19 System 9 Time Periodic readings 18 Compulsory

Özet

Son yıllarda, beyin üzerinde yapılan araştırmalar okul öncesi dönemin, bir diğer tabirle "sihirli yıllar"ın, insanın gelişiminde kritik bir öneme sahip olduğunu göstermiştir. Bu yıllarda çocuğa verilecek eğitim, onun ileriki yıllarda nasıl bir yetişkin olacağının sinyallerini vermektedir. Bu nedenle, okul öncesi dönemde başta öğretmenler olmak üzere çocuklarla vakit geçirecek personelin yeterlilikleri önem arz etmektedir. Gerek genel öğretmen yeterlilikleri gerek okul öncesi öğretmenleri ve aday öğretmenleri için belirlenmiş özel yeterlilikler incelendiğinde ve değerlendirildiğinde göze çarpan en önemli özellik okul öncesi öğretmeninin iyi bir okur-yazar olmasıdır. İyi bir okur-yazar olabilmek ise bir serüvendir. Bu araştırmada, Doğu Anadolu bölgesinde bulunan bir üniversitenin okul öncesi öğretmen yetiştirme programında öğrenim görmekte olan öğretmen adaylarının okumayla ilgili tutumlarının gelişimi incelenmiştir. Çalışmada, okul öncesi öğretmen yetiştirme programında öğrenim görmekte olan ve ikinci sınıfa devam eden 58 okul öncesi öğretmen adayından nitel araştırma teknikleri kullanılarak veri elde edilmiştir. Öğrencilerle açık uçlu sorularla yapılmış olan görüşmeler, konuyla ilgili yazılarıyla birlikte analiz edilmiştir. Yapılan analizler sonucunda elde edilen bulgular okuma ve eğitim kategorileri altında toplanmıştır. Okuma kategorisinin, engeller, teşvik, insan gelişimi, çevresel faktörler ve zaman alt kategorileri; eğitim ana kategorisinin ise nitelikli eğitim, niteliksiz eğitim ve çevresel faktörler olarak üç farklı alt kategorisi oluşmuştur