Opinions of social studies teachers on the social adaptation and academic success of immigrant students

This study aims to identify the opinions of social studies teachers working in middle schools in Altındağ, one of the districts in Ankara with the highest concentration of immigrant students, regarding the social adaptation and academic success of immigrant students, and to propose solutions based on these opinions. To this end, the study was conducted in 41 schools in the Altındağ district of Ankara, with immigrant students representing between 10% and 92% of the school population. A semi-structured interview form was used to obtain research data. The research findings were generated based on the opinions of 54 volunteer Social Studies teachers. The data obtained were subjected to content analysis, and the findings were then organized, presented, and evaluated within categories and subcategories established in line with the research sub-problems. The research determined that language and communication problems are the primary reasons for the adaptation problems and low academic achievement experienced by immigrant students. The low socioeconomic conditions, language deficiencies, and cultural differences often limit the social interactions of immigrant students. This situation leads immigrant students to communicate mostly with other immigrant students and reduces their interaction with Turkish students. However, this limited interaction poses a significant obstacle to the integration process. Immigrant students who cannot communicate adequately with Turkish students struggle to understand the customs and traditions of Turkish society, learn the language, and develop a sense of belonging. These and similar factors have also been found to negatively impact immigrant students' academic success. The research demonstrates that in order to strengthen immigrant students' integration into the Turkish education system, language skills should be improved, socioeconomic support should be increased, cultural adaptation programs should be expanded, and inclusive school practices should be supported. Furthermore, it was concluded that the active participation of school administrations, teachers, and families in this process will significantly strengthen both the academic success and social integration of immigrant students.