Seventh-Grade Students’ Perspective on Non-Governmental Organization

Abstract

Individuals can encounter non-governmental organizations (NGOs), one of the most significant experiences of citizenship, during the early stages of their education. Individuals with foundational experiences at the primary school level, as they reach the middle school level, gain the opportunity to better understand the meaning and importance of NGOs through social studies and equivalent courses. Determining how students perceive NGOs at the end of this educational period is crucial in shaping education about NGOs and citizenship education. This study aimed to reveal the middle school 7th-grade students’ point of view on the NGO and NGO-citizen relationship. The study was carried out as a qualitative study. The qualitative study sample consisted of 39 (20 females, 19 males) 7th-grade students selected with purposive sampling methods. The data collected with open-ended questions were analyzed with content analysis. As a result of the study, it was determined that the students considered NGOs in terms of helping people and volunteerism. On the other hand, it was also seen that the students did not mention the political characteristics of the NGOs. It was found that students have a perspective of looking out for mutual benefit in the relationship between the NGO and the citizenship. In addition, all the students emphasized the responsibility to support the NGOs. Nevertheless, this mentioned support was more financial, and there was not enough emphasis on the support provided by social and political participation