Perceptions of primary school fourth grade students towards to problems of their refugee peers: sample of Burdur

In this research, the awareness levels of the students in the fourth grade of primary school towards the problems of their refugee peers were tried to be revealed. The research was conducted within the scope of phenomenological pattern which is one of the qualitative research methods. The study group consists of 50 primary school fourth grade students, 21 female and 29 male, who are refugees peers in their class in four different primary schools, two of them are thought to be high socioeconomic status and two of them are thought to be low socioeconomic status, in the 2018-2019 academic year in the central district of Burdur province. The data were collected in two stages using semi-structured questionnaires consisting of three questions and using drawings of students. Content analysis was used for data analysis. As a result of the analyzes conducted on the questionnaire forms, the fourth grade students stated that their refugee peers who in their classroom had various problems such as, communication, reading, understanding, speaking, adaptation, exclusion, bullying, prejudice, nutrition, shelter, clothes, money, crowded family, learning disabilities, deprivation of education, fear, war, migration. They stated that class teachers, guidance counselors, school administration, government, charities, psychologists, translators, themselves, classmates, the refugee child itself and the family of the refugee child could solve these problems. They stated that they could help their refugee peers financially and morally, as well as help them in their lessons and literacy. As a result of the analyzes made on the pictures of the students, it was seen that pictures were mostly drawn on war and migration. Generally refugees are portrayed as having prosperity in their countries of refuge, as well as adaptation problems.