Evaluation of the practice of becoming a middle school student in the 5th grade in compulsory education

The education process helps people make sense of life, gain different perspectives and discover themselves. Being open to development and innovations and adapting to the changes brought about by them can be realised through education. Starting from the 2012-2013 academic year, 12-year compulsory education model was introduced in Turkey. With the new model, primary school students start middle school after a 4-year education. As it is known, some changes are being made in the education system models according to the changing times. With the new model, primary school students are subjected to a 4-year education and then start middle school. In previous years, a 5th grade student was still a primary school student, but with this new model, he/she is now a middle school student. While the new changes may have positive consequences, they may also have negative consequences. While the education model is changing, an evaluation of the system should be made by evaluating students' level of knowledge, development, academic achievement, attitudes and behaviors, interests and abilities. Obtaining the opinions of stakeholders who are directly involved in the education system about the changing education system models can provide important feedback on the functioning of the system. The aim of this study is to reveal the status of 5th grade students as middle school students and what they experience in middle school with the changing compulsory education model in Turkey with different perspectives. In the research, a case study method, one of the qualitative research approaches, was followed. While determining the study group, maximum diversity and criterion sampling methods, which are among the purposeful sampling methods, were used. A semi-structured interview form developed by the researchers was used as a data collection tool. While collecting the data, face-to-face interviews were conducted with the school administrators, teachers, parents and students in the study group, and with their permission, the data collected by voice recording was later transcribed in a computer environment. Descriptive analysis method was used to analyze the data obtained. Quotations from the participant opinions were included to increase the reliability of the findings obtained in the research. According to the results of the research, it was concluded that school administrators and teachers do not find it appropriate for 5th grade students to be educated at the middle school level and that they do not have sufficient readiness for middle school. School administrators and teachers stated that 5th grade students have problems in social relations, their academic achievement decreases with the increase in the number of courses, they have difficulty in focusing on the lesson and understanding the course content, and they exhibit behaviors at the primary school level. All of the parents emphasized that they were worried about their children's transition to the 5th grade and expressed negative opinions about the adaptation process. Parents expressed that they were worried about how their friends, teachers and children would behave, whether their children would be successful, whether they would get along with their teachers, and whether they would be able to successfully complete their homework and duties. It was concluded that the majority of the students found it appropriate to study the 5th grade in middle school instead of primary school and that they were happier this way.