An Evaluation of Architecture of Pre-school Education Buildings in Turkey
Author(s):
Zeynep Akdağ (presenting / submitting)
Conference:
ECER 2015
Network:
Emerging Researchers' Group (for presentation at Emerging Researchers' Conference)
Format:
Paper

Session Information

ERG SES C 13, Childhood and Education

Paper Session

Time:
2015-09-07
11:00-12:30
Room:
391. [Main]
Chair:
Jonas Almqvist

Contribution

There has not been a long tradition of pre-school education in Turkey due to historical, economic and cultural background. Schooling rate used to be 10% around in 90s. After many attempts of Ministry of National Education (MONE) and non-governmental organizations schooling rate increased 28% for 3-5 years old children, 37% for 4-5 years old children and 43% for 5 years old children in 2014 (MONE, 2014). Ministry of National Education is the governing body of pre-school education in Turkey and pre-school education is offered in two types of public schools: Independent pre-schools and elementary schools. The former have their own separate building and garden, yet the latter is only a classroom in primary schools in which first to eight grades are trained. Pre-school classes located in primary schools and is formed by turning primary education classes into pre-school classes. Independent schools ensure better educational environment for young children as they are ruled by principles who have pre-school education background. They generally have 5 classes thus maintaining both curricular and care tasks are much easier compared to primary schools. Some of the primary schools have more than 2 thousand students hence pre-school classes are neglected in those schools. MONE has been trying to increase schooling rate of pre-school education for two decades it is also trying to increase number of independent schools. MONE have two independent pre-school education building projects and construct same project all over the country. This is the cheapest way to establish a school. Yet, independent schools have their own problems and the current study focused on problems originated from architectural structure.

It has been long known that the physical environment in education building plays a part in shaping children’s behavior. Children not only interact with people around them they also interact with the physical environment that surround them in their daily life (Maxwell, 2007). Even in Reggio Emilia approach the environment is seen as ‘the third educator’. In order to fulfill its educator role, the environment needs to be flexible, responsive to children and teachers’ needs, help to construct children’s knowledge. Environment is not a passive element rather it is an element that conditioned and are conditioned by the actions of children and adults who are active in it. Smart environment provides changes, offers choices, and promotes effective social interaction. In short, well designed environment contributes to a sense of well-being and safety for children. Malaguzzi further stated that environment is a kind of aquarium that reflects the ideas, values, attitudes and cultures of the people who lives in it (Edwards, Gandini, & Forman, 1998).

 

Pre-school education has both short and long term positive effects on children and society since early childhood development is viewed as a key to social development. The quality of the physical and social environment plays a pivotal role to contribute child development in this process (Şahin & Türkün-Dostoğlu, 2012). Physical condition could be improved by getting principle’s ideas since principles are responsible everything about schools. They have to carry out all paperwork, manage budget, deal with structural problems including heating, lighting, recondition, and cleaning. For this reason it is believed that principles would provide the most comprehensive information about physical environment in pre-schools, so that designers can try to reach best design solutions. This study seek to answer following questions.

 

1) What is the biggest architectural problem in independent schools?

2) How principles solve those problems?

3) What is the principles suggestions for improving structural quality of school building considering the culture, climate and SES of region they lived in?

 

Method

Seventeen Independent Pre-school principles participated in this study. Fourteen schools have same building projects which is called as ‘star building’. Three schools have different building structures. Star building is the most common independent school building type in Turkey since it is the cheapest one to construct. Star building is single-storey with 5 classes, 1 principle and 1 assistant principle room, a kitchen, a dining hall, a lady restroom, a gentlemen restroom, and entrance hall. There is also play room but it functions more like a big corridor because all five classes get open to this play room. Three schools out of 17 are two-storey and their structural conditions are better that star building schools. Seventeen principles were asked to draw a sketch showing shortcoming of their schools in terms of architectural structure. They were also asked to make amendment on their school’s structure to make school building more efficient to meet young children’s and staffs’ needs. In order to set standards for data collection all the principles were given A3 size papers. Some of the principles draw their schools’ sketch some of them add their schools’ structural plan and make changes and take notes on those plans. Although it was not in the scope of this study principles add their comments on ideal school buildings. After collecting all sketches document analysis was utilized for the current study. It is “a technique that enables researchers to study human behavior in an indirect way through analysis of their communication” (Fraenkel &Wallen, 2006, p.483). Open coding was used because there is no existing codes both in national and international literature about independent schools’ structural quality. Researcher first read all the documents several times. Then created tentative labels for pieces of data. Open coding is not based on existing theory rather it is based on the meaning that emerges from data. And then, categories and themes were formed to reflect essence of study.

Expected Outcomes

Findings of this study revealed that principles have been experiencing several problems because of architectural structure of school buildings. The problems that creates inconvenience in pre-school education could be removed with minor intervention. MONE insists building same star project school for years without reviewing and modifying project plans. There is a dramatic climate change between the coastal areas of Turkey and eastern part of Turkey where snow may lie on the ground for months and temperature might drop -20 °C degree (DMG, 2015). Still MONE apply sole school structure project all over the country Van’s altitude is 1725 m thus winter is long and harsh in this region (VOG, 2015). All of the principles complaint about heating school building. Isolating buildings is not common in Turkey and school buildings are not an exception. Van ranked second in Turkey for receiving sunshine; however, misplacement of school building facade hinders schools benefit from sun. Another problems in school structure is that there is no elevator or stairs for children with special needs although pre-school education curriculum emphasize importance of including children with special needs into pre-school education. Besides, several studies have been suggesting that children with special needs can benefit from inclusive preschool setting as they get chance to observe more complex behavior of their typically developed peers (Buysse, Goldman, & Skinner, 2002). Pre-school children do not read or write hence they could not use written materials. For this reason, ECE teachers needed more materials than upper grade teachers; and therefore, education should be carried out with visual equipment, several toys and art materials. Principles also in trouble to store all those materials since there is no storage in schools. Lack of play areas, atelier, teachers’ lounge, safe floor, spacious classes are additional problems in independent schools’ architectural structure.

References

Buysse, V., Goldman, B. D., & Skinner, M. L. (2002). Setting effects on friendship formation among young children with and without disabilities. Exceptional Children, 68(4), 503-517. Çevre ve Orman Bakanlığı Devlet Meteoroloji İşleri Genel Müdürlüğü (2015). Klimatoloji-II. Retrieved January, 10, 2015, from http://www.mgm.gov.tr/FILES/iklim/klimatoloji2.pdf Edwards, C., Gandini, L., Forman, G. (1998). The Hundred Languages of Children: The Reggio Emilia Approach (2nd edt.). Ablex Publishing: London Frankel, J., & Wallen, N. (2006). How to design and evaluate research in education. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Higher Education Ministry of National Education Statistics (2014). Retrieved January, 10, 2015, from http://sgb.meb.gov.tr/www/milli-egitim-istatistikleri-orgun-egitim-2013-2014/icerik/95 Şahin, B. E., & Türkün-Dostoğlu, N. (2012). The importance of preschoolers’ experiences in kindergarten design. METU Journal of the Faculty of Architecture, 29 (1), 302-320. Van Office of Governor (2015). Geography. Retrieved January, 10, 2015, from http://www.van.gov.tr/index.php?icerik=146&goster=146

Author Information

Zeynep Akdağ (presenting / submitting)
yuzuncu yil university
VAN

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