Teachers' opinions on the status of foreign national secondary school students in music classes (The case of Çankırı province)

Turkey has hosted foreign-national students from various countries in recent years, particularly due to reasons such as internal conflict, socio-economic conditions, and war. These students face various problems during their educational processes, including language and communication difficulties, economic hardship, and lack of materials, all of which directly affect the conduct of lessons. In the teaching-learning process, music teachers help foreign-national students adapt to the school climate, and music lessons contribute to students' individual, social, and societal development. In this context, the aim of the present study is to examine the views of teachers regarding the situation of foreign-national middle school students in music lessons in the province of Çankırı. The study group consists of eight music teachers working in middle schools affiliated with the Çankırı Provincial Directorate of National Education during the 2024–2025 academic year. The research was conducted using a qualitative research method within the framework of a case study design. Data were collected through a semi-structured interview form and analyzed using descriptive and content analysis techniques. The findings indicate that music teachers reported that foreign-national students with low Turkish language proficiency are unable to actively participate in lessons, which negatively affects the flow of instruction. Additionally, teachers stated that these students cannot obtain music lesson materials due to economic difficulties. The results of the study also reveal that foreign-national students do not participate in extracurricular activities such as choir rehearsals, and that parental support for their education is weak. Teachers emphasized that because music is a common means of expression, communication problems among students do not turn into major issues in the classroom; however, they noted that foreign-national students become bored during topics related to national values and may disrupt the order of the lesson for this reason.