Opinions of Secondary School Students about Socio-cultural Change and Education in Turkey: Findings from a Survey in May-June 2011

摘要

A questionnaire consisting of 89 questions was administered to 2584 students in 38 high schools from five different types of high schools in ten districts/municipalities on the Asian side of Istanbul. These five types of schools were cross-tabulated with parents’ educational background and occupational statuses: Anatolian High School and Private High Schools students’ fathers and mothers had been mostly professionals and high level administrators from upper-middle strata, while Vocational High Schools, semi-religious Imam-Hatip High Schools and General High School students’ fathers and mothers were mostly craftsmen, small traders and workers from lower social strata. Students’ knowledge of what is happening globally is fed by TV and Internet while social media was also one of the vehicles through which they get connected with each other and with the world. Students’ experience of going abroad was rather low while the percentage of wanting to live abroad was rather high. Students’ attitudes towards mathematics were not very positive.