Opinions of Teachers Regarding the Turkish Education of Bilingual Turkish Children in Greece

Abstract

Turks living in Greece are able to receive education in their mother tongue within the framework of minority rights. The mother tongue education of bilingual children has a significant effect on the development of the other language. The greatest responsibility in this regard lies with teachers. The experiences of the teachers who teach the mother tongue of the Turkish minority in Greece, their in-class activities, identifying problems related to curriculum and the students and finding solutions to these problems are important for the education and future of Turkish children in the region. The aim of this study is to determine the problems encountered in mother tongue education and to offer solutions by seeking the opinions of the teachers who teach Turkish in Greece about the lessons, students, in-class practices, curriculums and textbooks. “Phenomenological design”, a qualitative research method, was used in this study. The sample group consisted of 23 teachers who teach Turkish to Turkish students between the ages of 6-15 in Greece. A semi-structured interview form was used. Descriptive analysis was applied to the data obtained from the interviews.The theme, codes and categories were identified.For this study, the theme was determined as “Turkish Teaching in Greece” and the categories were identified as “Language Skills”, Reflections of Bilingualism”, “Materials – Tools and Instruments for Lessons”, “Classroom Activities which Students Enjoy” and “Problems Related to the Education System”. Findings of the research discussed general problems regarding the education of Turkish students in Greece, the impact of bilingualism, teacher proficiency, lack of materials and minority status.