Evaluation of the field of reading Turkish language teaching curriculum for 6th grade of elementary school according to teacher' views

The aim of this research is to evaluate the Turkish Language Teaching Curriculum (TLTC) -which has been valid since 2006-2007 academic years for the 6th grade of elementary schools - according to teachers? views.The research is a descriptive survey study. The population of the research is the teachers who teach in state and private elementary schools in central districts (Seyhan and Yüreğir) of Adana. The data of the study was collected through quantitative and qualitative data collection tools. Therefore, the sampling was performed in two phases. The sampling for the quantitative data was determined via random stratified sampling. Each school in the population was regarded as a group and 214 teachers who teach Turkish to the 6th grade were selected with purposeful sampling out of 129 schools which are determined through random stratified sampling. The 17 Turkish teachers, which constitutes the sampling for qualitative data was determined through convenience sampling.The quantitative data of the study were collected through ?The Questionnaire to Evaluate the Field of Reading in Turkish Language Teaching Curriculum for 6th Grade of Elementary School? which was developed by the researcher and the qualitative data was collected through ?teacher interview form?. The data of the questionnaire which was applied to teachers was analyzed with the techniques of descriptive statistics, namely frequencies and percentages. The qualitative data which was obtained from the interviews was analyzed with the techniques of content analysis.As the result of the study, teachers? views were gathered on purposes and attainments, themes, activities, the methods and techniques, materials and tools, measurement and evaluation elements for the field of reading in the 6th grade Turkish Language Teaching Curriculum and the field of reading in the program was evaluated. While all of the teachers who have participated in the study find the purposes for the field of reading was complying with the needs and expectations of the society, almost all of them found it appropriate for the needs of 6th graders for their reading skills. In addition, teachers mentioned that the purposes and attainments were clearly stated; the purposes of applying reading rules, comprehending and analyzing a text, and enriching the vocabulary were achieved in various levels. On the other hand, a few teachers thought that the purpose of evaluating a text and gaining a habit of reading were not achieved at all. All of the teachers found the purposes for the field of reading sufficient and most of the teachers thought that themes were sufficient. The teachers who were not agree that themes are not sufficient suggest some additional themes such as; moral values, national values, benevolence, scientific developments, the products of Turkish folk culture, the love for family, friendship and respect. The majority of teachers thought that the suggested activities, methods, and techniques in the curriculum for the field of reading had a positive effect on reading studies. The frequently used materials of teachers were; the teachers? guidance book, the course book and the students? activity book. More than half of the teachers did not use sufficient materials for the field of reading and it was stated that the main reason for this situation was the lack of materials in schools. Written exams, performance and project assignments were the most frequently used evaluation by all of the teachers in the study. The teachers thought that the evaluation tools which were suggested by the curriculum had positive effects on the evaluation of the field of reading but these tools also caused additional burden for teachers and complicate evaluation process.Consequently, all of the teachers in the research found the changes positive and they stated that the field of reading was applicable. However, in order to apply it more efficiently, they suggested requirements like decreasing the number of the students in the classrooms, decreasing the number of the forms in the evaluation process, and developing the technological facilities in the schools.