Teachers' opinions on the implementation process of elective religion courses: The Balikesir example

In the 2012/2013 Academic Year, elective religious courses began to be taught in middle schools and high schools in the province of Balıkesir. These courses are included under the title of Religion, Morality and Values ​​and are called Quran, Life of Our Prophet and Basic Religious Knowledge. In this study, teachers' views on the implementation process of elective courses were addressed in the context of program, method, material and measurement and evaluation. Qualitative research method was used in the study. The data in the study were obtained using semi-structured interview forms. The study was conducted in 32 different middle schools and high schools in 5 districts, namely Altıeylül, Bigadiç, Burhaniye, Dursunbey and Edremit. The sample of the study consisted of 41 teachers who taught elective religious courses. The curriculum of Basic Religious Knowledge, Life of Our Prophet and Quran courses was examined in terms of purpose, subject and achievement. The interview questions in the study were prepared by the researcher as a result of focus interviews conducted with field experts. The interviews were conducted face-to-face in the schools where the teachers worked. These places were sometimes held in different places outside the school in a way that would not disrupt the mutually agreed education and training activities. As a result of the research, some of the teachers' opinions are as follows: It was explained that the textbooks were generally tried to be improved by the teachers and that the visuals needed to be increased, and that the activities needed to be made interesting with games. They stated that the subjects of the Life of Our Prophet and Basic Religious Knowledge courses overlapped with some subjects of the DKAB course curriculum, and this caused disinterest in the students. During the implementation process regarding the Quran course; problems such as not achieving the targeted gains in the course, crowded classes, and the absence of the elif-ba zuzu at every grade level were detected. Based on these results, it is recommended that the textbooks and curricula of the elective religion courses should be updated in accordance with the present day, and that the teachers should be given the necessary in-service training to increase their general culture and improve themselves in their fields. Keywords: Elective Religious Courses, Education and Training, Quran Course, Life of Our Prophet Course, Basic Religious Knowledge Course