Abstract
The purpose of this study was to identify how secondary education students define the concept of justice, based on which criteria they define their experiences as just/unjust, what they see as the source of injustice, how they feel and how they behave when they face injustice.This study was designed as a qualitative research study. Open-ended questions were asked to the students and they were asked to give detailed answers. Descriptive analysis was used in analysing the collected data. The study group consisted of students studying at 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grades in different types of high schools (Anatolian High School, Vocational School for Girls, Science High School). A total number of 268 high school students participated in the study. We used convenience sampling to choose the study group.The results of the study indicated that students defined the concept of justice with the “equality, equity non-discrimination, respect, rights and freedoms, conscience, rights, deciding the right, being fair and needs” concepts. The students see grades, school rules and non-communication they experience with their teachers and principals as unjust, so they point the school principals as the source of injustice. Besides, the students indicated that they had negative feelings when they experienced something that is not just but preferred to stay silent.
Highlights
In one of the best known definitions, education is the process of purposefully forming desirable changes in one’s behaviours through their own experiences (Ertürk, 1994)
A total number of 268 high school students participated in the study
Open-ended survey technique was used in order to identify how high school students define the concept of justice, based on which criteria they define their experiences as just/unjust, what they see as the source of injustice, how they feel and how they behave when they face injustice
Summary
In one of the best known definitions, education is the process of purposefully forming desirable changes in one’s behaviours through their own experiences (Ertürk, 1994). These desired changes involve academic knowledge and attitudes, behaviours, skills, moral values and philosophy of life. One of the major values that individuals should be equipped with throughout the process of education, which starts in the family and continues at school and in the social system, is justice. The behaviour that shows justice is “being fair.”. Kayaoglu (1986) makes a direct connecting between the concepts of justice and being moral, and indicates that if someone is fair, they are moral. The major values like life, freedom, possession or equality cannot come true (cited in Guriz., 1994)
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