Course Information
SemesterCourse Unit CodeCourse Unit TitleT+P+LCreditNumber of ECTS CreditsLast Updated Date
3ESN050Children and Education in Turkish Culture2+0+02420.10.2026
Course Details
Language of Instruction Turkish
Level of Course Unit Bachelor's Degree
Department / Program Primary Education Teaching
Type of Program Formal Education
Type of Course Unit Elective
Course Delivery Method Face To Face
Objectives of the Course The purpose of this course is to enable prospective teachers to comprehend the historical development of childhood and education in Turkish culture, its relationship with family and social structure, and modes of cultural transmission; to examine oral and written cultural products alongside traditional childhood practices from an educational perspective; to identify continuity and change from past to present; and to critically evaluate traditional practices in line with contemporary child rights, developmental appropriateness, and modern educational approaches.
Course Content .The Childhood and Education in Turkish Culture course examines the concepts of culture, education, childhood, and family within the historical and social development of Turkish culture. Within the scope of the course, the place of the child in family and society from ancient Turkic communities to the present, the value attributed to children, child-rearing practices, educational traditions, representations of childhood and education in oral and written cultural products, children ` s games, toys, ceremonies, and everyday life practices are explored. Traditional practices are critically evaluated within the contexts of contemporary childhood, child rights, cultural transmission, regional differences, cultural diversity, and inclusivity in education.
Course Methods and Techniques The course is conducted through interactive lectures, historical document and visual analysis, oral and written cultural product analysis, case studies, comparative discussions, small group work, local culture research, oral history interview samples with family elders, and student presentations. Prospective teachers are expected not merely to define cultural practices, but to evaluate them in terms of historical context, child development, child rights, and contemporary educational principles.
Prerequisites and co-requisities None
Course Coordinator None
Name of Lecturers Asist Prof.Dr. Sakine HAKKOYMAZ sakine.hakkoymaz@hku.edu.tr
Assistants None
Work Placement(s) No

Recommended or Required Reading
Resources • Millî Eğitim Bakanlığı. (2024). Türkiye Yüzyılı Maarif Modeli Ortak Metni ve ilgili ilkokul öğretim programları. • UNICEF. Çocuk hakları, çocuk katılımı ve kültürel bağlamlarda çocukluk üzerine güncel raporlar. • Türk kültüründe çocuk, aile, çocuk yetiştirme, sözlü kültür, geleneksel oyunlar ve kültürel aktarım konularında 2022-2026 yıllarında yayımlanmış güncel hakemli makaleler.
Course Notes • Turan, Ş. Türk Kültür Tarihi. Bilgi Yayınevi.
• Güvenç, B. Türk Kimliği: Kültür Tarihinin Kaynakları. Boyut Yayınları.
• Onur, B. Türkiye ` de Çocukluğun Tarihi. İmge Kitabevi.
• Ögel, B. Türk Kültür Tarihine Giriş. Kültür Bakanlığı Yayınları.
• Millî Eğitim Bakanlığı. (2024). Türkiye Yüzyılı Maarif Modeli Ortak Metni ve ilgili ilkokul öğretim programları.
• UNICEF. Çocuk hakları, çocuk katılımı ve kültürel bağlamlarda çocukluk üzerine güncel raporlar.
• Türk kültüründe çocuk, aile, çocuk yetiştirme, sözlü kültür, geleneksel oyunlar ve kültürel aktarım konularında 2022-2026 yıllarında yayımlanmış güncel hakemli makaleler.

Course Category
Field %100

Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods
Activities are given in detail in the section of "Assessment Methods and Criteria" and "Workload Calculation"

Assessment Methods and Criteria
In-Term Studies Quantity Percentage
Mid-terms 1 % 40
Final examination 1 % 60
Total
2
% 100

 
ECTS Allocated Based on Student Workload
Activities Quantity Duration Total Work Load
Course Duration 14 2 28
Hours for off-the-c.r.stud 14 6 84
Mid-terms 1 1 1
Final examination 1 1 1
Total Work Load   Number of ECTS Credits 4 114

 
Course Learning Outcomes: Upon the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
NoLearning Outcomes
1 CLO 1: Explains the concepts of culture, education, childhood, family, cultural transmission, and socialization within the context of Turkish culture.
2 Analyzes the position of the child in family and society, as well as the value attributed to children, throughout the historical development of Turkish culture.
3 Compares continuities and changes in child-rearing and educational approaches in Turkish culture from past to present.
4 CLO 4: Evaluates the impacts of Turkish family structure and intra-family dynamics on children ` s development, socialization, and education.
5 CLO 5: Examines messages regarding children and education embedded in epics, folktales, lullabies, proverbs, idioms, folk songs, and other oral/written cultural products.
6 CLO 6: Explains the educational and cultural functions of traditional children ` s games, toys, rites of passage, and daily childhood practices.
7 CLO 7: Compares child education practices across different regions and Turkic communities in terms of similarities and differences.
8 CLO 8: Critically evaluates traditional child-rearing practices from the perspectives of contemporary child development, child rights, gender dynamics, inclusivity, and ethics.
9 CLO 9: Transforms cultural heritage and local childhood experiences into developmentally and pedagogically appropriate learning activities for primary education.
10 CLO 10: Follows scientific and cultural literature regarding childhood and education in Turkish culture; substantiates views logically and effectively in Turkish.
11 Regional Differences and the Child in Turkic Communities Regional childhood experiences in Anatolia; comparison of child-rearing and educational practices among different Turkic communities.
12 Cultural Change and Contemporary Childhood The impacts of urbanization, migration, technology, media, transformations in family structure, and intergenerational change on childhood and education.
13 Child Rights and Critical Evaluation of Traditional Practices The best interest of the child, participation, non-discrimination; analysis of traditional practices in terms of developmental appropriateness, gender, inclusiveness, and ethics.
14 The Use of Cultural Heritage in Education Designing activities for primary school based on oral culture, local games, childhood artifacts, museums/local history, and family narratives.
15 Good Practices and General Synthesis Regarding Children and Education in Turkish Culture Educational examples that preserve cultural heritage while integrating it with contemporary understandings of childhood; overall evaluation of the course.

 
Weekly Detailed Course Contents
WeekTopicsStudy MaterialsMaterials
1 Concepts of culture, civilization, education, childhood, socialization, and cultural transmission; the cultural and historical nature of childhood.
2 Historical Framework of Turkish Culture and the Child Cultural continuity and change from ancient Turkic communities to the present; the position of the child in society.
3 Turkish Family Structure and the Place of the Child Family structure, kinship relations, extended/nuclear family; the place, value, and responsibilities of the child in the family, and adult-child relationships.
4 Birth and Early Childhood in Turkish Culture Birth, naming, "kırklama" (forty-day ritual), protection against the evil eye (nazar), cradle traditions, and other traditional practices related to early childhood; their cultural meanings.
5 Child Education in the History of Turkish Education Child education in the family, society, and educational institutions; educational philosophies, approaches, and practices across historical periods.
6 Children and Education in Oral Culture I The child image, values, and educational messages in epics, fairy tales, legends, lullabies, and folk songs.
7 Children and Education in Oral Culture II Children, family, work, learning, discipline, and societal expectations in proverbs, idioms, riddles, and tongue twisters.
8 MIDTERM EXAM Midterm exam covering weeks 1–7, weighted at 40%.
9 Traditional Children ` s Games and Toys The functions of games and toys in cultural transmission, socialization, language development, movement, and learning; examples of local games.
10 Traditional Child-Rearing Practices Discipline, responsibility, work, respect for elders, solidarity, and social roles; evaluation of these practices within their historical context.
11 Regional Differences and the Child in Turkic Communities Regional childhood experiences in Anatolia; comparison of child-rearing and educational practices among different Turkic communities.
12 Regional Differences and the Child in Turkic Communities Regional childhood experiences in Anatolia; comparison of child-rearing and educational practices among different Turkic communities.

 
Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes
P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7 P8 P9 P10 P11 P12 P13 P14 P15 P16 P17 P18 P19 P20 P21 P22 P23 P24
All 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 4 3 3 4 3 4 3 4 4 3 2 2 4 1 1 4
C1 3 1 4 4 5 4 3 2 3 4 1 2 4 2 1 4 1 4 2 2 3 1 1 3
C2 4 4 4 4 5 3 3 2 4 1 1 3 5 3 1 4 1 4 2 2 3 1 1 3
C3 5 3 4 4 5 3 4 2 4 3 3 3 4 3 4 4 1 4 2 2 3 1 1 3
C4 3 3 2 4 5 4 1 1 4 4 3 4 5 4 3 4 5 5 2 2 3 1 1 3
C5 3 3 3 4 5 3 2 3 4 4 3 4 4 3 1 5 4 4 2 2 3 1 1 3
C6 3 4 3 5 5 4 3 3 4 5 3 4 5 4 3 5 4 5 2 2 3 1 1 3
C7 5 3 3 5 5 4 3 3 4 5 3 4 5 4 4 4 4 5 2 2 3 1 1 4
C8 4 4 3 4 5 4 5 5 4 5 4 5 4 4 3 5 4 5 2 2 3 1 1 4
C9 3 5 3 4 4 5 3 4 3 3 3 4 5 4 4 4 5 4 2 2 4 1 1 4
C10 3 4 4 4 4 4 5 4 4 3 3 3 5 4 3 4 5 5 2 2 5 1 1 5
C11 3 5 3 4 4 5 4 4 5 3 3 4 5 4 4 5 4 5 2 2 4 1 1 4
C12 3 4 4 4 5 4 4 4 5 4 3 4 5 4 4 4 5 5 2 2 4 1 1 4
C13 3 5 3 4 5 4 4 5 5 4 4 4 5 5 4 5 5 5 2 2 4 1 1 5
C14 5 4 3 4 4 4 3 3 5 5 4 5 5 5 5 5 4 4 2 2 4 1 1 4
C15 5 4 4 4 4 5 5 4 5 5 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 2 2 4 1 1 5

  Contribution: 1: Very Slight 2:Slight 3:Moderate 4:Significant 5:Very Significant