Family interest and contribution to the programs applied in pre-school education institutions and the opinions of parents about the contribution of pre-school education institutions to the parents education

ABSTRACT FAMILY INTEREST AND CONTRIBUTION TO THE PROGRAMS APPLIED IN PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS AND THE OPINIONS OF PARENTS ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTION OF PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS TO THE PARENTS EDUCATION Özlem Melek KAYA Department of Primary Education Teacher Training Program in Pre-School Education Anadolu University, Graduate School of Educational Sciences, June 2002 Advisor: Ass. Prof. Mehmet GÜLTEKİN The two important education surroundings of 0-6 years old children are their family and the pre-school education institutions. Of these surroundings, the family's cultural level, their opinions about children education and their attitudes have a considerable effect on the future lives of the children. Therefore, parents having an education life about children development and education will play an important role in better development of children. Most of the countries solve this problem by well- planned formal and open pre-school education studies and by conveying a service required by both children and their parents. The support and contribution of the parents to the programs conducted in pre school education institutions results well for the family, children and the teacher. In this way, a direct education of the parents about their children's development and education and parent awareness about the children needs were succeeded. By the way, activities conducted by the pre-school education institutions directly for parent education is also useful in this manner. IVIn this study, parent contribution to the programs of pre-school education institutions and the support of the institution to the parent education were analysed by taking the comments of the parents. The research was conducted with 24 parents who are willing to contribute and whose children were attending to 6 different pre-school education institutions in Eskişehir. Four of these schools were working under the control of the Directorate of National Education, one under a University control and one under the control of General Directorate of Social Services. A semi-structured opinion survey form was prepared in order to take the opinions of parents about their attention and support to the programs conducted in pre school education institutions and the contributions of these institutions to the parent education. The interviews were conducted separately in different days, places and time suitable for the parents, and the interviews were recorded. The records were scripted and analyzed using descriptive techniques and the findings of the study were presented quantitatively. The results of the study indicated that the parents were open for a collaboration and support with pre-school education institutions. Although the majority of the parents in the study were willing, their participation was not realised. On the contrary, it was found that in none of the institutions, except one, no training activities for the parent education was recorded although the parents declared that they were ready for such a collaboration. Besides, the parents expressed their view and suggestions about the activities and support to the school programs for the parent education.