Theology education according to graduates

The study was conducted to evaluate the education provided by theology faculties, which are the source of religious services and religious education in our country, by theology faculty graduates. The study group consisted of 22 participants, including religious officials, DKAB (Religious Services Quality Assessment) personnel, vocational course instructors, and theology faculty academics working in the province of Amasya. The case study design, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the study. Themes and codes were compiled into a report based on the processing of the data obtained from the interviews. The informal title 'theologian' given to theology graduates is considered as an identity possessing certain characteristics. The theologian identity is characterized as an individual with religious knowledge and competence, serving as a role model with their ethics and behavior, and exhibiting harmony between knowledge and behavior. The effectiveness of Quranic studies and Arabic language courses is said to be negatively affected by large class sizes and the lack of infrastructure among graduates from different high schools. The increase in quantity in theology faculties has been stated by the majority of participants to have led to a decrease in the quality of education. Limited cooperation between theology faculties and the Ministry of National Education (MEB) and the Presidency of Religious Affairs (DİB) is mentioned. Current theology faculties are also chosen for professional expectations, family pressure, and to continue the imam-hatip (religious vocational high school) education. The graduates of theology faculties are employed as personnel of the Presidency of Religious Affairs, vocational course instructors, and academics. It seems impractical to produce professionals with competence in all employment areas with a single curriculum. The inadequacy of the current curriculum has further increased with the diversification of employment areas and changing needs of our time. Adding practical courses related to religious ceremonies for religious service personnel to the curriculum of theology faculties and supporting fields with elective courses, even if there is no specific field selection, will make the curriculum more functional. Implementing quota restrictions and introducing a threshold score for university preferences score will also elevate the academic level of students. With the improvement of student and education quality, the future of theology faculties will be brighter.