The Study of National Education Ideologies Reproduction Practices by Private Primary School Teachers in The Context of School Ethnography

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the re-production practices of national education ideologies of private primary school teachers. The study was designed qualitatively and field research was conducted with school ethnography. The field of the research was a private teaching institution in Ankara, Turkey. Data was obtained from detailed interviews with eight primary school teachers; their observations and documents related to their classes and coterie meetings. Data obtained were analysed with descriptive and content analysis techniques. The findings of the study were given within the frame of themes, categories and codes which were determined based on the problem statement. The results found at the end of the study are: While the primary teachers produce the ideology concept in terms of Kemalism, nationalism and conservatism directly, they produce the ideologies of liberalism and neoliberalism indirectly in the category of political thought. As upper structure, ministry and institution play a significant role in re-production process of teaching practices of primary teachers. Teaching practices include Kemalism, which the institution presents via the expectations in educational philosophy, in the hidden curriculum of school climate. In terms of school climate, teaching practices include elements related to liberalism based on constructivism. Ideological reflections of informal practices are evaluated in two dimensions as teacher and student. Priorities for the teacher focused on competition, collaboration, accountability and confidence within the framework of neo-liberalism, Students indicated priorities of Kemalism, nationalism and conservatism in their ideological reflections.