Perceptions of High School Students about University

Fahriye Hayırsever

doi:10.11114/jets.v7i9.4383

Abstract

This study aims to determine the perceptions of the high school students about the university and the underlying reasons for these perceptions. The model of this study is descriptive, and it is designed based on qualitative research methodology. The sample of the study consists of 70 students from different high schools located in the city center of Duzce, in Turkey. Maximum variation sampling method, one of the purposive sampling methods, was used to determine the sample of the study. The sample consists of 11th grade students from the selected high schools. The data of the research was collected by interview method. The data of the research was analyzed by content analysis method. According to results of this study, students' perceptions about the university were categorized under two main themes. These themes are “Future and Career” and “Freedom and Autonomy”. Within the first main theme, “Future and Career”, the sub-theme with the highest frequency is “future”. This sub-theme is also important in terms of having the highest frequency among all other sub-themes. Students perceive the university as a turning point in their future lives and think that their future lives will be changed and shaped only by the university. Within the second main theme, two sub-themes with the highest frequency are “being free” and “having an independent life”. According to the students, it is also important to be free, socially and personally empowered, and to have the ability to live their own lives during and after university education.

Highlights

Over the past forty years, universities have faced major challenges, and undergone major transformations, in their nature and scope, their governance structures, the nature and value of knowledge, and their relationship with the economy and society (Robertson, 2010)
This study aims to determine the perceptions of the high school students about the university and the underlying reasons for these perceptions
The study is designed according to qualitative research methodology

Summary

Introduction

Over the past forty years, universities have faced major challenges, and undergone major transformations, in their nature and scope, their governance structures, the nature and value of knowledge, and their relationship with the economy and society (Robertson, 2010). University has taken a main responsibility since its foundation- to educate individuals. To Billington (2002), education has two different Latin roots “educare” which means to train or to mould, and “educere” meaning to lead out. The other understanding, “educere” sees education as preparing a new generation for the changes that are to get ready them to create solutions to unknown problems, “Educare” calls for education as “mere” training in discrete repeatable skills, and behaviour, giving more importance to such activities as rote memorization and reliable workers for work that requires more rule-bound behaviour and less creativity and critical thought. This applies to both the student as creative thinker at work and to the arts of self-development and responsible citizenship. As Randall & Good (2004) proposed and in widely accepted, there should be a balance between educare and educere in the educational systems

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Conclusion