Perception of higher religious education of imam hatip high schools students (The case of İstanbul)

The main purpose of this thesis is to evaluate the views, opinions, and perceptions of Imam Hatip High Schools (IHHS) students on the theology faculties. This evaluation will rest on the theoretical basis that built on the discussions related to IHHS schools and theology faculties' historical background, reflections of educational policies on these institutions, and their aims and functions. So, the main axes around which the study revolves are; the place of the faculty of theology within the IHHS students' university preferences, students' thoughts on the human resources raised by these faculties, and how these faculties are perceived in the context of theology-society relationship. The screening method based on a questionnaire has been applied to evaluate IHHS Students' perceptions about higher religious education. This thesis consists of three chapters. The first chapter covers the aims and functions of IHHS and theology faculties throughout the years, the second chapter deals with the methodology of the study, and in the third chapter, the findings and interpretations are discussed. Key Words: Imam Hatip High School, Theology Faculty, Higher Religious Education, Perception of Higher Religious Education, IHHS students' University Preferences.