An examination of pre-marital family education programs implemented in public institutions according to the views of participants and trainers: the case of Istanbul province

This research aims to evaluate the premarital education programs implemented by public institutions (municipalities and other institutions) in Istanbul based on the opinions of participants and educators. The research was conducted using the survey model, one of the quantitative methods, and a survey was used as a data collection tool. The survey consists of 15 questions for participants and 10 questions for educators. The survey form was prepared using the literature and applied to 392 premarital education participants and 50 educators. The sample of the research consists of 442 people in total and the data collection process was carried out online. SPPS program was used to analyze the data. When the age and education levels of the participants, their working hours and the methods of becoming aware of the program were examined, it was seen that the majority of the participants were in the middle age group and had a bachelor's degree, they had been working for seven years or more and they were informed about the program through an acquaintance or friend. Participants generally evaluated the premarital education programs positively and found these programs useful and necessary. In the content of the education, the most importance was given to communication within the family, while social and legal rights were the least interesting subject. It has been determined that the majority of educators are affiliated with the Ministry of Family and Social Services and have been working in this field for seven years or more. Educators think that family education programs are suitable for the social structure, but state that the programs need to be improved. Educators emphasize that programs need to be improved in various aspects such as curriculum and content, accessibility, technology and social media use. Both participants and educators think that premarital education programs are important and necessary, but they state that these programs need to be developed to be more effective and useful.