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A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of PhD at the University of Warwick Permanent WRAP URL: http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/81989 Copyright and reuse: This thesis is made available online and is protected by original copyright. Please scroll down to view the document itself. Please refer to the repository record for this item for information to help you to cite it. Our policy information is available from the repository home page. For more information, please contact the WRAP Team at: [email protected] warwick.ac.uk/lib-publications Children's Construction of Gender and National Identities with respect to Preschool Policy and Practice: A Case Study of Two Preschool Classrooms in Turkey By Nehir Gündoğdu Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education. University of Warwick, Department of Education August 2016 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................................ i List of Illustrations............................................................................................................ v Acknowledgments............................................................................................................vi Declaration ....................................................................................................................... vii Abstract ............................................................................................................................ viii Abbreviations .................................................................................................................... ix Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 1 Personal Interest in the Research ........................................................................................ 4 Outlining the Structure of Thesis.......................................................................................... 6 Chapter 1 .............................................................................................................................. 9 Literature Review ............................................................................................................. 9 1.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 9 1.2 Children’s Identities in Early Childhood Education ............................................. 10 1.2.1 Fixed Identities in Dominant Approaches .................................................................... 14 1.2.2 Challenging Dominant Approaches ................................................................................. 17 1.3 Gender and National Identities in Early Childhood Education ........................ 22 1.3.1 Gender Identity ........................................................................................................................ 22 1.3.1.1 Early Years Policies and Curriculum ....................................................................................... 23 1.3.1.2 Teachers ............................................................................................................................................... 24 1.3.1.3 Materials ............................................................................................................................................... 29 1.3.2 Children’s construction of gender identities ............................................................... 31 1.3.3 National Identity ..................................................................................................................... 37 1.3.3.1 Raising the Nation ............................................................................................................................ 38 1.3.4 Children’s construction of national identities ............................................................. 44 1.4 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 47 Chapter 2 ........................................................................................................................... 50 Gender, Nationalism and Early Childhood Education in Turkey ................... 50 2.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 50 2.2 The Structure of Early Childhood Education in Turkey ..................................... 51 2.3 Nationalism and Gender in the Turkish Education System .............................. 57 i 2.3.1 Centralised ‘Kemalist’ Education and Nationalism ................................................... 59 2.3.1.1 Curriculum and Textbooks........................................................................................................... 60 2.2.1.2 School Settings ................................................................................................................................... 66 2.3.2 ‘Westernised’ Education and Gender ............................................................................. 69 2.3.2.1 Increasing Girls’ Schooling Rates and ‘Become Western’ ............................................... 70 2.3.2.2 Still Gender Stereotypes in ‘Textbooks’ .................................................................................. 74 2.4 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 76 Chapter 3 ........................................................................................................................... 78 Methodology .................................................................................................................... 78 3.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 78 3.2 Case Study ........................................................................................................................... 78 3.3 Being or becoming? ......................................................................................................... 80 3.4 Research Design ............................................................................................................... 86 3.5 Research schools: Nar and Mavi ................................................................................. 89 3.6 Access and Consent .......................................................................................................... 94 3.7 Research Methods ............................................................................................................ 99 3.7.1 Participant Observation ....................................................................................................... 99 3.7.1.1 Researcher Role ............................................................................................................................. 100 3.7.1.2 Me in the Hierarchy ...................................................................................................................... 103 3.7.2 Interviews ............................................................................................................................... 106 3.7.2.1 Interviews with Schools’ Staff .................................................................................................. 109 3.7.2.2 Interviews with the Children ................................................................................................... 110 3.7.3 Document Analysis .............................................................................................................. 112 3.8 Data Gathering Period ..................................................................................................113 3.9 Analysis of Data ...............................................................................................................114 3.10 Reflexivity ......................................................................................................................116 3.11 Ethical Consideration .................................................................................................119 3.12 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................123 Chapter 4 ........................................................................................................................ 125 Gender Identities ......................................................................................................... 125 4.1 Introduction .....................................................................................................................125 4.2 Constructing gender identities in Nar and Mavi .................................................126 4.2.1 The head teachers and assistant of head teachers ................................................. 129 4.2.2 Teachers .................................................................................................................................. 132 4.2.3 The Assistants of Teachers .............................................................................................. 145 ii 4.2.4 Preschool Programme, Settings and Materials ........................................................ 147 4.3 Children .............................................................................................................................151