The views of Vocational High School students of Gazi University on social values

The purpose of present research is to explore the views of vocational school of higher education students on social values and to determine whether there is a differentiation in their views on social values with respect to selected variables.Designed in descriptive method, current research is in survey model. Survey model is a research method aiming to describe the characteristic and form of a certain situation. The population of research consists of six vocational schools of higher education affiliated to Gazi University operating within the borders of Ankara province. The sampling is composed of two-year vocational programs of 2010-2011 academic year offering associate degree under the research population; Gazi University Vocational Schools of Higher Education. Amongst these programs, random classes have been selected from the first and second years and normal and evening education classes out of total 23 programs that can truly represent the research population and by reaching to 1522 students, Multi Dimensional Scale of Social Values (MDSSV) has been applied.Data have been compiled via data gathering tool ? ?Multi Dimensional Scale of Social Values (MDSSV)? developed by the researcher within the scope of research. Data gathering tool utilized throughout the research consists of two parts. In the first part, students? personal information is collected whereas in the second part statements on social values are directed to vocational school of higher education students. In this measuring tool which prepared as 5 Likert type scale, there are 42 statements of social values. In this scale of social values, 6 dimensions of social values are present.In the analysis of quantitative data obtained from research, factor analysis, correlation, reliability, t-test, variance, frequency, standard deviation, Bartlett Test for Sphericity and Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin analyses have been used as well as analyzing descriptive statisticsAccording to findings collected from MDSSV, it has been detected that vocational school of higher education students possess ?high level? of social values. It has been found out that the general views of vocational school of higher education students on social values are stated as ?quite agree?. It has been seen that the highest significance attached by vocational school of higher education students is to the social value named ?religious values?. It has been determined that the views of vocational school of higher education students relating to this social value dimension are in ?quite high? level. The social value dimension that given minimum importance by vocational school of higher education students is ?political values?.Regarding value dimensions within the social values dimension of vocational school of higher education students, it has been ascertained that there are three dimensions of values in ?quite high? level which are ?family values?, ?religious values? and ?traditional values?. It has been concluded that, with respect to average scores, the order of importance attached by vocational school of higher education students on social values is respectively 1. Religious Values, 2. Traditional Values, 3. Family Values, 4. Scientific Values, 5. Work- Profession Values and 6. Political Values.It has also been determined that there are differences with respect to views of vocational school of higher education students on sub-value dimensions of social values dimensions. The most noticeable findings obtained are that vocational school of higher education students ?attach utmost importance to family?, ?have a sense of responsibility?, ?have great levels of religious and traditional values? and ?trust the State?. Besides, within the light of obtained findings there are some other results manifested; vocational school of higher education students are not ?competitive? and do not care much about ?money?. Parallel to these findings, certain suggestions have been presented to improve further the social values of vocational school of higher education students and the future researches relevant of this topic.Key Words: Values, Value Education, Social Values, Vocational Education, Vocational High Schools, Multi Dimensional Scale of Social Values (MDSSV))