Hacı Bektaş Veli teachings in the context of values education and the recognition of these teachings in secondary education age groups

Values education is highly important for educational systems both in our country and around the world. Teaching fundamental values such as respect, love, and honesty to children at an early age positively influences their personality development and social adaptation. For this reason, many countries give special importance to values education in their educational policies. As in many other countries, our education policy also prefers to teach values not just as abstract concepts, but by drawing from historical and cultural figures who conveyed these values to all segments of society through a language of love and helped create a tolerant and united society. One such figure is Hacı Bektaş Veli, who left a significant mark on his era and whose ideas and teachings still resonate today. His human-centered approach and value-based teachings serve as a powerful source that should be taken as an example in conveying values education to the youth. Therefore, the first aim of our study is to examine six works attributed to Hacı Bektaş Veli within the framework of values education and to identify which values are emphasized in these texts. In this context, the study also aims to determine which values are highlighted more frequently and to what extent each value is addressed. The second objective of the study is to determine the extent to which Hacı Bektaş Veli's life and teachings are included and emphasized in secondary school textbooks prepared by the Ministry of National Education (MEB), specifically in History, Turkish Language and Literature, and Religious Culture and Ethics courses. The third part of our research consists of interviews conducted with students studying at a secondary school affiliated with the Ministry of National Education. Through these interviews, we attempted to determine how much students know about Hacı Bektaş Veli and to what extent they are aware of his works and teachings. In this study, a qualitative research approach was adopted to understand individuals' experiences and perceptions. In order to systematically analyze the data, the content analysis method was employed. Interviews were conducted with a total of 15 male and female students aged between 15 and 17, studying at a secondary school affiliated with the Ministry of National Education in the province of Nevşehir. A semi-structured interview technique was preferred in order to obtain more in-depth and high-quality data on the subject and to collect answers within a specific framework. The data were collected using a semi-structured interview form prepared for this purpose. The responses obtained were systematically analyzed using the content analysis method and evaluated under thematic categories. The research revealed that the six works of Hacı Bektaş Veli frequently reference 26 different values that are prominent in today's education system and offer advice to individuals based on these values. It was observed that these values largely align with the core values targeted by the national education system. However, it was also determined that these values are not sufficiently addressed in textbooks in the context of Hacı Bektaş Veli. As a result, students possess limited knowledge both about this historical figure and his intellectual legacy.