Curricula religious vocational of imam hatip middle schools and conceptions impacting curricula (1924-1930)

In this study, conceptual frameworks used in preparing curricula for İmam Hatip Middle Schools were evaluated by using a historical method on the data revealed by the field of curriculum development. Departing from this point, related literature were collected first, and then the data obtained were evaluated. Our findings showed that a curriculum titled "Curriculum for İmam Hatip Middle Schools" was developed in 1924. This is a significant curriculum as it was the first religious vocational program of a newly founded country. With the foundation of the new country, many innovations took place in various fields and this was reflected on the curriculum developed for the religios vocational schools as well. The purpose for İmam Hatip Middle Schools was to train contemporary İmam Hatip's (preachers) in the Early Republic Period. It can be said that the curriculum developed for İmam Hatip Middle Schools was influenced both by the Dȃru'l Hilȃfe Medresa curriculum which constitutes its historical foundation, and the concept of education of the current period. It was found that the curriculum developed for İmam Hatip Middle schools were content-centered -as in other curricula in that period-. While the influence of pragmatist philosophy is seen in terms of providing information that would benefit individuals in personal and societal viii lives, it is also seen that the curriculum includes certain characteristics of essentialism and perennialism based on idealist and realist philosophies. When we examined the curriculum from a Religious Education lens, we found that is does not adopt an understanding focusing on one religion which is referred as "Confessional Approch" in the literature. From an educational perspective, it is difficult to state that the developments in the field impact the curriculum.