Evaluation of parental opinions on 4-6 year-old Qur'an course education opinions (Çorum case)

The 4-6 year old Qur'an Courses, which are part of widespread religious education activities and opened by the Presidency of Religious Affairs (DİB), are official institutions providing education. As the requirement to complete primary education was removed by the Decree Law No. 633, published in the Official Gazette No. 28057 on 17.09.2011, DİB opened 4-6 year old Qur'an Courses in 2012 to provide children with moral and religious education suitable to their developmental characteristics, aiming to raise them as good Muslims for the future. To achieve this goal, programs were prepared, and planned, systematic education was organized to instill the desired target behaviors. Evaluations were also conducted to determine whether the objectives were met. Children go through various developmental stages. The age of 4-6 is a crucial period for acquiring religious attitudes and skills, as well as shaping an individual's personality. Therefore, when providing religious education, the developmental characteristics of the individual should be taken into account. Children are born with an innate sense of faith that forms the basis of religious feeling, and this sense should be nurtured and transformed into lasting behavioral changes. The moral and religious education received in the 4-6 year old Qur'an Courses will significantly influence the child's adult religiosity. Parents often feel inadequate in providing religious education themselves and seek institutions that can deliver quality and accurate information to their children. As an institution that supports the moral and religious development of children, the 4-6 year old Qur'an Courses are preferred by parents. In these courses, Qur'an education and values education are provided. Thanks to scientifically-based religious education received in early childhood, a healthy development of faith occurs in the individual. However, religious education that is not appropriate for the developmental level can lead to the individual's alienation from and distancing from religion. The materials used in moral and religious education for children aged 4-6, which are appropriate for their developmental characteristics, are also important. Therefore, videos, games, and toys containing value judgments and religious themes that contribute to the moral and religious development of children should be available in the courses. This research aims to evaluate parents' opinions about the 4-6 year old Qur'an Course education. By considering parents' opinions about all aspects of the 4-6 year old Qur'an Course education, this study aims to provide a more efficient and high-quality moral and religious education opportunity. The qualitative research method was preferred to observe the different evaluations of the research topic by the targeted individuals. Initially, extensive information was gathered through a literature review, followed by the creation of relevant questions for use in interviews. Our prepared interview questions consist of two parts. The first part includes personal information such as the parents' age, gender, educational status, economic status, and sociocultural status in terms of religion and belief. The second part contains questions about the evaluation of the 4-6 year old Qur'an Course education (curriculum, program, physical structure, etc.) and this education. No special criteria were sought in selecting participants; only parents who sent their children to the 4-6 year old Qur'an Course were preferred. The research population consists of 18 Qur'an Courses for 4-6 year olds in the city center of Çorum during the 2022-2023 academic year, while the sample comprises 70 parents of students attending these courses. Since the interview reflects the parents' views on the 4-6 year old Qur'an Course education, it was conducted at the end of the second semester of the 2022-2023 academic year. The findings obtained from the interviews have been evaluated. According to these findings, the 4-6 year old Qur'an Course has been deemed sufficient by parents for providing religious education suitable for the developmental characteristics of children, in terms of the curriculum, materials, physical structure, and teacher competence. The curriculum and program were prepared to support the children's spiritual development and according to their developmental characteristics; the materials and classroom structure were designed to achieve this goal. The 4-6 year old Qur'an Course is seen as a reliable institution that fulfills its function and is considered by families as a place that complements their deficiencies in providing religious education to their children.