An ethnographic study on the role of village culture and family relations in the transition from home to preschool education

Abstract

ABSTRACT This ethnographic study aimed to investigate children’s transition from home to preschool education in a traditional village in Turkey. The data were collected through participant observation, interviews, document analysis and researcher diary. Descriptive and content analyses were used to analyze the data. The results revealed that physical conditions, sociocultural and religious structure, and family characteristics in the village created difficulties for children during the transition to school and reduced the frequency and quality of communication between families and school. It was concluded that joint efforts of families, schools, communities and policy-makers would provide an opportunity for children to make a successful transition from home to preschool education.