A study on teaching Turkish as a second language to foreign students in primary schools in terms of inclusive education

This study has been conducted to examine the teaching of Turkish as a second language to foreign national students in primary school from the perspective of inclusive education. The study was conducted in a public school located in the Karatay district of Konya province, involving 10 classroom teachers who had foreign national students in their classes, as well as 10 foreign national students enrolled in the same school. The study was conducted using a qualitative research design known as a case study, and the data was collected through interviews. The interviews were conducted in relaxed environments, where the participants felt comfortable, and the discussions were carried out in a conversational manner. During the interviews, a semi-structured interview guide was used, and the data was also supported by recording the conversations using an audio recording device. The collected data was then analyzed by creating codes, and the data was organized under these codes for analysis. Through content analysis, the data collected was analyzed. Based on the findings, it was concluded that there is a lack of systematic implementation for teaching Turkish as a second language to foreign national students at the beginning of their educational journey. It was also observed that students learn Turkish by being exposed to it in the classrooms, and there is a language barrier issue among the students and their parents at the school level. Based on the observations, it was observed that the majority of students struggled with tasks that required reading comprehension, and the teachers made efforts to include all students in the process without singling out anyone. Upon evaluating the results, it has been concluded that the teaching of Turkish as a second language is being conducted in two ways. In schools where the PİKTES project is implemented, a separate class is formed, which is not in line with inclusive education principles. On the other hand, in schools where there is no project, an assistant teacher can be given to the classes where there are more foreign national students, whom they learn through teacher and peer interaction in the classroom, and teachers can be supported to ensure the active participation of each student in the classroom. Additionally, instead of segregating children who do not speak the language into separate classes under the PIKTES project, a program can be developed where these children receive gradual support outside of regular class hours through additional remedial education. In addition to those points, in order to enhance the active involvement of parents, a language education program or courses can be offered specifically for parents. This can help achieve the desired goals in a more sustainable and efficient manner by enabling parents to actively participate in the process.