Comparison of preschool education programs in Turkey and Germany

This is a comparative education study which aims to define the similarities and differences between Preschool Education Programs in Turkey and Germany. In this study, it was aimed to compare one to one the purpose, content, application and program requirements of Preschool Education Programs in Turkey and Germany and makes some suggestions. The study has been done with qualitative research methodology and is used, in some parts the historical analyses and a horizontal approach to be able to make the comparisons, a frequently used method in education studies. The data of the study is obtained from written sources such as articles and theses and the official records of the concerned countries and interview, observation and document analysis techniques. A comparison of preschool education programs in the two countries examined in this study proves that despite some similarities, differences are more visible such as rate of preschool education, elementary school ages and criteria and targets of preschool education. Key Words: Germany, kindergarten, preschool education programs, Turkey