Examining the opinions of the primary school teachers about the free activities lesson in line with the educational philosophy tendencies

In this study, it is aimed to examine classroom teachers' views on the Free Activities course in line with their educational philosophy tendencies. The convergent parallel design of the mixed method, which combines quantitative and qualitative methods, was used in the study. The data of the research were collected with the participation of volunteer teachers from Uşak city center and Manyas district of Balıkesir. The study group was selected using the convenience sampling technique. The sample for the quantitative data of the research consists of 324 teachers, while the study group for the qualitative data consists of 40 teachers. The quantitative data of the study were obtained using the Educational Beliefs Scale and the Free Activities Course Evaluation Scale. The qualitative data were obtained using a semi-structured interview form. The analysis of the quantitative data was performed using t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, correlation, and linear regression analyses, while the qualitative data were analyzed using descriptive analysis methods. According to the findings, teachers' adherence to the philosophy of essentialism significantly differs in terms of their educational status; their opinions on the problems encountered in the Free Activities lesson significantly differ in terms of gender. Their opinions on suggestions significantly differ in terms of professional seniority, educational status, the department they graduated from, and class size. No significant relationship was found between the levels of participation in the sub-dimensions of teachers' educational beliefs and their participation in the dimensions of the Free Activities lesson. According to the findings from the analysis of the qualitative interview questions, which were formed after the analysis of the quantitative data, it was determined that teachers were most familiar with the philosophy of constructionism, saw educational philosophy as the foundation of education, and believed that these philosophies influenced their practices in the Free Activities lesson. Teachers stated that their tendencies in educational philosophy ensured that students were at the forefront during activities. However, regarding the problems experienced, they complained about the inadequacies in the physical environment and most frequently suggested addressing the lack of materials to improve the efficiency of the Free Activities lesson.