Examination of gender roles in the paintings of science and art center students

In the study, gender roles are seen as an important issue shaped by individuals' social and cultural interactions, affecting many areas of their lives. The impact of gender roles on children, in particular, is a significant research topic in the fields of social sciences and education. In this context, the study aims to examine the perceptions of gender roles among gifted students attending the Science and Art Center (BİLSEM). The phenomenology method, one of the qualitative research methods, was used for the evaluation of the study. The sample of the research consisted of 22 students from the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grades, aged 9-12, studying at a Science and Art Center in the Central Black Sea Region. The draw-and-tell technique was used as the data collection tool in the study. The theme of the drawing topic was determined as "the areas where the most time is spent with the family," and this main theme was divided into two parts: "indoors" and "outdoors." The theme of a family picnic was highlighted as an outdoor activity, while a time spent with the family constituted the theme for the indoor activity. During the telling part, interviews were conducted with the students who made the drawings, and the answers explaining what they intended to convey in their pictures were collected in writing. The analysis of the data in the research was explained by the content analysis method. The symbols in the drawings obtained in the research findings were coded and tabulated. Within the main theme of "the areas where the most time is spent with the family" in the research, the distribution of the drawings according to the indoor and outdoor themes was analyzed based on the examination of the children's drawings and the evaluation of the data obtained from the interviews with the children. The findings show how children reflect gender roles and their perceptions of these roles in their drawings, and how these perceptions vary according to age and gender. Based on the data, it was concluded that there are distinct patterns related to gender roles in children's drawings. It was observed that children's perceptions of gender roles are shaped by their educational processes and family environments, and these perceptions may change over time. Therefore, it is of great importance to correctly guide children's perceptions of gender roles and increase their awareness of this issue within the scope of art education. Keywords: Visual arts, art educatıons, gender roles