Investigation of free activities course based on the opinions of the class teachers

The purpose of the research is to investigate the free activities course as per the opinions of the teachers. It is also intended to determine whether there exists a difference in the opinions of the teachers for the free activities course as per their gender, professional seniority, and the class size, level of class, graduated school and postgraduate degree status. The research is in the form of mixed model in which qualitative and quantitative models are used depending on the screening model. Two-stage pattern has been followed in the collection of data. In the first phase, scale from among quantitative data collection techniques has been used in order to collect data for determining whether there exists a significant difference in the opinions of class teachers regarding the free activities course. The target population of the qualitative research is the class teachers working at central schools at provinces of Elazig and Tunceli. The sample of the research-that is determined as per the sampling method of easy accessibility status- consists of 460 class teachers working at the centers of provinces of Elazig and Tunceli in the spring term of the academic year of 2012-2013. The qualitative data has been collected from 42 class teachers through semi-structures interview form. Single factor MANOVA from among descriptive statistics- has been used in the analysis of quantitative data, and descriptive analysis has been used in the analysis of qualitative data. The quantitative data of the research has been examined under five dimensions as being planning, implementation, activities, problems and recommendations. And the qualitative data of the research has been examined around four headings as being the opinions of teachers regarding the contributions of the free activities course-being implemented in elementary schools to the learning of students and teaching, opinions of the teachers regarding the problems encountered in free activities course being implemented in elementary schools, opinions and recommendations of the teachers for the free activities course-being implemented in elementary schools to be more effective and efficient, and opinions of the teachers for the removal of free activities course being implemented at elementary schools. As the result of the research, it has been determined that there is a significant difference in the dimension of activities. While implementation and recommendations sub-dimension relevant to free activities course is not showing a significant difference in respect of professional seniority, it is being understood that the planning, activities and problems sub-dimensions show a significant difference. While the sub-dimensions of planning, implementation, activities and recommendations of the teachers for the free activities course is not showing a significant difference in respect of class size, it has been observed that the problems sub-dimension shows a significant difference in respect of class size. By the findings of the research, it has been determined that the teachers think that the free activities course contribute to the socialization of students, that the devotion of students to school increases due to the activities in that course, that their individual and group study skills change positively, and that the activities determined for this course are compatible with the levels of the students. The teachers have specified that the activities are being performed as limited due to lack of guidebook, deficiency of equipments, intensity of the content of other courses, problems of class management and lack of space (activity areas). In the direction of these results, recommendations such as removal of physical impossibilities and deficiencies, carrying out the operations in free activities course in an orderly and planned manner within the frame of a specific program, and preparation of the guidebook of free activities course by the Ministry of National Education just like the other courses have been provided.