An investigation of peer relationships of Syrian children attending primary school in Turkey

The aim of this study is to examine peer relationships of Syrian children attending primary school in Turkey. In this qualitative study, the peer relationships of Syrian children attending 3rd and 4th grades of primary school with their classmates were examined. The research was conducted in an primary school in Osmangazi district of Bursa. The application was carried out in the 2016-2017 academic year and the techniques of sociometry and interviewing were followed and used in two-stage respectively. In the first stage, the sociometry, which was formed according to the preference of "playing games" was applied to 18 classes, 526 students, 33 of which were Syrian students. In the second stage, a total of 100 students were interviewed, 69 of whom were Turkish and the rest were Syrian students. As a result of the study, it was found that all of the students regardless of gender and nationality (boys, girls, Syrian, Turkish students) mostly preferred their peers from their own gender. It was concluded that Syrian and Turkish students do not prefer each other very much and female students are more likely to 'exclude'. Both Turkish and Syrian students cited the rude behaviours of their friends as an example of not preferring each other. It was determined that most of the Syrian students who were not preferred by their Turkish classmates were not preferred by their Syrian classmates either.