What are the perceptions of 12th grade students towards formal education and open education high schools during the preparation process for the university exam?

The purpose of this research is to reveal the perceptions of 12th grade students towards formal education and open education high school. It was conducted using the qualitative research method. The research was conducted in the 2023-2024 academic year with the participation of 12th grade students of open education high school, vocational and technical Anatolian high school, science high school and Anatolian high school in Aksaray. Research data was collected using "semi-structured interview tool". Content analysis was applied to the data. Codes, sub-themes and themes were created from the data obtained during the analysis process and these were shown in tables. Results were obtained by interpreting the tables. According to the research results, the main reasons why students attain to open education include saving time to well-prepare for the university exam and the convenience of the course environment. The negative environment of the school and the negative influence of friends are also among the reasons why students attain to open education high school. It has been observed that students transfer to open education high school for social and individual reasons as well as academic reasons. Students want to socialize outside of school and spend time on their hobbies. Students stated that they firstly needed time to prepare for the university exam and then for cultural and social activities. Students think that some courses at school are unnecessary because there are no questions about these courses in the university exam. Based on the findings, it has been revealed that the primary desire of almost all students in the types of schools where the research has been conducted is to enter university. It was concluded that students could not spare enough time for themselves because they spent too much time at school. Based on the research results, the following recommendations have been developed for the application area and research area. With effective guidance, students can be admitted to formal secondary education institutions (science high schools, Anatolian high schools, vocational high schools) by making predictions about the workforce that will be needed in the future. This can enable students to spend their time, energy and resources for individual and social benefit through social, cultural, academic and professional studies rather than just knowledge-based learning. Through effective guidance, students can be directed to secondary education institutions that fit to their interests, needs and expectations. Knowledge, skills and attitudes towards the profession can be developed and students can be helped to get started in life. Vocational high school students should be prevented from putting the education they need to receive from school into the background due to their anxiety about university exams. For this purpose, students and parents should constantly cooperate with guidance services throughout the education process, and students should be directed to areas where they will use the professional knowledge they have acquired at school. Future planning should be drawn for students, taking into account their interests and abilities, professional employment status, expectations from life and the professional knowledge they receive from school. As a result, it should be negotiated whether it is appropriate to lead students to university. Since the aim of science high school students is to receive high-level academic education, study environments can be provided to science high school students in line with their demands. Clarifying the aims of Anatolian high schools can end the confusion experienced by both students, teachers and administrators. The number of social activities that will detect and develop students' interests and talents, thus making them love school and make them happy, can be increased. Professional studies can be conducted to guide teachers on this issue. In addition, school curriculum can be arranged according to student needs and development.