Education for All: Teachers’ and School Counselors’ Experiences Educating Syrian Refugee Students in Turkish Public Schools

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study is to examine teachers’ and school counselors’ experiences educating Syrian refugee students in Turkish public middle schools. Accordingly, this investigation has explored the opinions of 20 teachers and nine school counselors in Istanbul. The data were collected in 2019 using the semi-structured interview method. The research findings have revealed Syrian students in Turkish schools to experience the following common hardships: language barrier, curriculum, cultural differences, lack of prior education, socio-economic factors, behavioral problems, community pressure, and parental indifference. Supporting a multicultural school climate with high expectations for all has become a central point in educating students with different backgrounds.