Evaluation of alienation and self status of foreign primary school students in Turkey

This research aimed to examine the alienation and self-concept of foreign primary school students in Turkey. In line with this aim, a case study research design was preferred. The study group consisted of four primary school children selected from each of the 3rd and 4th grades of foreign nationality studying in Ankara during the 2022-2023 academic year. Data were obtained through focus group interview questions to interpret the alienation status of the participants; Socratic inquiry questions to interpret their self-concepts; and stories created by the children based on objects they identified with, to interpret both their alienation and self-concepts. Focus group interview questions were designed according to the content of the storybooks "Eric, The Lost Thing, Welcome, and Wild", while Socratic inquiry questions were formulated based on texts constructed around the concepts of suitcase and shoes. Data were collected through audio recordings with the participants' consent and subsequently transcribed. The obtained data were analyzed using Gilles Deleuze's rhizome analysis, Ruth Wodak's historical discourse approach analysis, and descriptive analysis. As a result of the research, it was concluded that foreign primary school students in the 3rd and 4th grades were not experiencing alienation, and no negative situation was identified regarding their self-realization.