QUALIFICATIONS OF 4-6 YEARS OLD QURAN COURSE TUTORS AFFILIATED WITH THE PRESIDENCY OF RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS (ISTANBUL EXAMPLE)

The Presidency of Religious Affairs, which carries out non-formal religious education activities in our country, has initiated the "Quran courses, pre-school religious education" project since 2011. In this context, Quran courses for 4-6 age groups were opened in 10 pilot regions at first, and then throughout the country. Although many factors are important in achieving the desired goal, the most important factor is the competence of the instructor. In our research, the competence of Quran course instructors in the 4-6 age group was checked. 316 instructors working in Quran courses for 4–6-year-olds in Esenyurt, Küçükçekmece, Büyükçekmece, Çatalca, Silivri, Beylikdüzü, Avcılar, Bakırköy, Kağıthane and Bağcılar districts on the European side of Istanbul province participated in the research. The survey model was used in the research and data was collected from the instructors using the survey technique. The collected data were analyzed in the SPSS 27 program and the findings were interpreted. The proficiency rates of the majority of the instructors participating in the research are generally sufficient. xiii The majority of the Quran Course Instructors in question perceive themselves as sufficient in terms of competencies in the dimensions of "Education Appropriate for Student Development", "Application of Religious Teaching Method", "Developing and Using Material", "Effective Communication", "Classroom Management", "Ensuring Family Participation". The Qur'an course teaching competencies of the participants vary depending on their child status, marital status, and pedagogical formation. Again, sub-dimensions related to competence often differ according to child status, marital status and pedagogical formation status. Some sub-dimensions do not differ according to some independent variables. For example; The sub-dimension appropriate to student development and the sub-dimension of effective communication do not differ according to the child's status; again, the Quran course instructor proficiency does not differ according to age, the education sub-dimension suitable for student development does not differ according to the educational level, the effective communication sub-dimension does not differ according to age, the classroom management sub-dimension does not differ according to the educational level and the type of child development education, and the sub-dimension of ensuring family participation does not differ according to age and the type of child development education. The effects of the child development section on proficiency have been observed in many parts of our research. In most of the tests conducted according to child development status, the proficiency score average of child development graduates is higher than the average score of instructors trained in continuing education centers and public education centers. In this sense, the effect of the child development department on proficiency has been determined. Again, when the pedagogical formation situation is observed, it is observed that most of the participants are deficient in this sense. Keywords: Religious Education, Preschool Religious Education, Quran Course for 4-6 Year Olds, Quran Course Instructor, Instructor Competence