Exploring of middle school students? democracy perceptions according to different variables

In this research, it was aimed to investigate middle school students? democracy perceptions and factors affecting these perceptions. What is more, the results obtained from this study were compared with democracy indexes obtained from national and international researches. This research was carried out in 2011-2012 education years around Turkey, including 26 cities. A total of 1667 sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students constituted the research sample. For this research, ?Democracy Perception Inventory? was used to collect the data. For analyzing the data, independent samples t-test, percentage, frequency, correlation, one way ANOVA, and regression analysis were used.The research findings showed that the middle school students had misconceptions about democracy perceptions. The students had low democracy perceptions concerning positive items in the inventory. The students have not discussed national and international issues with their families, teachers, and peers. The students? democracy perceptions varied according to their gender, grade level, parents? education, socio-economic level, places where they live. The students? democracy perceptions did not differ in accordance with whether they bought daily newspaper for their homes and they undertook a task in any social club in the school. The students though that the schools to some extent provided democratic rights to them. Although the thoughts of the students in relation to democratic opportunities for particular items in the inventory were below the average of international indexes, their thoughts for particular items in the inventory were above the average of international indexes.