An analysis of middle school students' preferences for fine arts high schools

The primary objective of this study is to investigate the factors influencing the preferences of 8th-grade students, who voluntarily participated from secondary schools affiliated with the Ministry of National Education (MEB) in the city center of Tunceli, regarding their decision to apply to or refrain from applying to the Tunceli Fine Arts High School and other fine arts high schools located in different provinces. Furthermore, the study aims to explore the underlying causes of several issues observed in this context, including the tendency of fine arts high schools to be predominantly preferred by students with lower academic performance, parents' reluctance to enroll their children in these schools despite the students' success in the entrance examinations, the number of applicants being lower than the available quotas, students withdrawing their registration due to reconsideration of their school choice, and the necessity to conduct additional entrance examinations for intermediate grades as a result of quota deficiencies. The study is designed using a survey model and employs quantitative research methods. It is a descriptive study that includes information on demographic structure, awareness of Fine Arts High Schools, preferences regarding music education as a profession, family attitudes toward vocational music education, sociocultural attitudes, and school choice in relation to socioeconomic status. Data were collected through document analysis and a structured questionnaire administered to 150 voluntary students selected from a total of 347 students in five different middle schools. The questionnaire included closed-ended questions, and the data were analyzed using descriptive analysis methods. The study population consists of 8th-grade students in five middle schools located in Tunceli city center, and the sample comprises students who volunteered to participate in the research. As a result, based on the opinions of the participating students, the study found that: female students showed a higher tendency to prefer Fine Arts High Schools; the schools' promotion on social media was perceived as insufficient; while families supported vocational music education within the province, they were less supportive of such education outside the province; as parents' educational levels increased, students' awareness of Fine Arts High Schools also increased; family influence was identified as a significant factor in the decision to prefer Fine Arts High Schools.