Investigation of the family participation process in preschool education in Kosovo and Turkey based on teachers and family opinions

The aim of this study is to evaluate and compare family participation studies implemented in preschool education institutions in Kosovo and Turkey based on the opinions of teachers and parents. The research was designed as a basic qualitative research. Data were collected through semi-structured interview forms and analyzed with inductive and deductive analysis methods. The working group consists of a total of 21 teachers and 23 parents working in 7 kindergartens selected from among the official independent kindergartens affiliated with the Ministry of National Education in Eskişehir in the 2022–2023 academic year, and a total of 14 teachers and 8 parents working in 7 kindergartens affiliated with Institucionet Parashkollore IP (Preschool Institutions) in each region of 7 regions in Kosovo. The research results showed that teachers and families believe that family involvement supports children's development, positively affects their attitudes towards school, allows teachers to know children better and strengthens the family-teacher relationship. Although both countries emphasize the strengthening of family-teacher relationships and their role in children's education, approaches in Turkey and Kosovo differ according to cultural and educational contexts. It has been observed that teachers in Turkey organize activities similar to those organized by teachers in Kosovo, such as story reading, career introductions, trips, experiments, art activities, playing games, painting, etc. It has been concluded that there are parents in Kosovo and Turkey who have problems with attending pre-school education, as well as those who do not have problems. It has been determined that parents in Kosovo have problems in terms of drawing children's attention, ensuring their participation and starting the activity while participating in the activities. It has been observed that parents in Turkey have problems in providing classroom management, communicating with children, preparing activities and finding a common time period for participation in the activities. Families in Kosovo and Turkey have made several suggestions for an effective family involvement process. Keywords: Preschool Education, Family Participation, Family Participation Activities