An Evaluation on the Change of the Basic Principles of Turkish National Education in the Context of Sociopolitical Paradigms

Abstract

Various variables in social, economic and political dimensions affect the administration of education systems of countries. Turkish education system is fundamentally based on the principles manifested in the Basic Law of National Education. In Turkey, education has always been under the influence of such social and political movements as socialist, liberal, social-democratic groups and Kemalism, conservative and political Islamic groups and Turkish nationalism. The main purpose of this study is to reveal how and under which principles of the basic principles of national education have changed in the historical developmental process. The study is a document review type of research. Thematic analysis was used combined with interpretivist approach in the process of analyzing and interpreting data obtained from the document review. As a result, these findings have been reached: The change in the basic principles generally happens during the social, economic and political turbulent periods of the country. The academic and scientific view on educational problems remains weak compared to the philosophical, political and belief-based views. The principles have been interpreted based on philosophical, belief, ethnic and political views increasing in Turkish society. It is recommended to investigate the basic principles and the researches and the articles which have been written on basic principles from different perspectives at historical, social, economic and politic dimensions. Also, it is recommended to compare the basic laws and principles of education in other countries to Turkish equivalents.