Determination of the attitudes of Syrian (Refugee) students towards science courses

The purpose of this study is to examine the attitudes of Syrian refugee students in grades 5, 6, 7, and 8 attending middle school in Turkey toward science classes and to determine whether these attitudes differ in terms of various socio-demographic variables. Within the scope of the research, data were collected to determine students' attitudes towards science classes using the "Attitude Scale Towards Primary Education Science and Technology Classes." The population of the research consisted of Syrian students in public schools in the Şehitkâmil and Şahinbey districts of Gaziantep province, while the sample group consisted of 600 Syrian students studying in these schools. The research data were analyzed using quantitative methods, and frequency analysis, reliability analysis, normality test, Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis H tests were applied using the SPSS 23 program. According to the findings, it was determined that the attitudes of Syrian refugee students towards science lessons were generally positive. However, it was determined that attitude levels differed according to certain socio-demographic factors. For example, the students' gender, grade level, and their families' economic status were among the important factors affecting their attitudes towards science classes. In addition, it was observed that attitudes towards science classes were related to the students' educational background, length of school attendance, and level of adaptation to the Turkish education system.