CHANGES IN TEACHERS’ PRACTICES OF BUILDING DEMOCRATIC VALUES IN PRESCHOOL SETTINGS THROUGH PEDAGOGICAL DOCUMENTATION A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SCIENCES OF MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY BY ELİF BULDU IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN THE DEPARTMENT OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION JULY 2018 Approval of the Graduate School of Social Sciences Prof. Dr. Tülin GENÇÖZ Director I certify that this thesis satisfies all the requirements as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Assist. Prof. Dr. H. Özlen DEMIRCAN Head of Department This is to certify that we have read this thesis and that in our opinion it is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Refika Olgan Supervisor Examining Committee Members Assist. Prof. Dr. Arif YILMAZ (Hacettepe, ECE) Assoc. Prof. Dr. Refika OLGAN (METU, ECE) Assoc. Prof. Dr. Feyza ERDEN (METU, ECE) Assoc. Prof. Dr. Çiğdem HASER (METU, ELE) Assist. Prof. Dr. Çağla ŞENDİL (TEDU, ECE) I hereby declare that all information in this document has been obtained and presented in accordance with academic rules and ethical conduct. I also declare that, as required by these rules and conduct, I have fully cited and referenced all material and results that are not original to this work. Name, Last Name: Elif BULDU Signature: v ABSTRACT CHANGES IN TEACHERS’ PRACTICES OF BUILDING DEMOCRATIC VALUES IN PRESCHOOL SETTINGS THROUGH PEDAGOGICAL DOCUMENTATION Buldu, Elif Ph.D., Department of Elementary and Early Childhood Education Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Refika OLGAN July 2018, 346 pages The aim of the current study was to investigate how pedagogical documentation implications support values of freedom, respect, collaboration, and empowerment in Turkish early childhood learning environments. To this end, qualitative case study research was conducted with two early childhood teachers from private and public preschool institutions. The data collection period lasted two semesters. In the first semester, the participant teachers did not interfere with their pedagogical documentation implementations. However, in the second semester, they were trained on pedagogical documentation and regularly received feedback. The data were collected through video-based observations, interviews, in-class activity photographs and field notes. In addition to these data collection tools, the Early Childhood Learning Environment Observation Form was applied to investigate and generate a profile for the research contexts prior to the collection of data. For the qualitative data analysis, the constant comparative data analysis method was utilized. The findings of the study revealed that both teachers’ learning environments were supported by pedagogical documentation implications in terms of values of freedom, respect, collaboration, and empowerment. For instance, the teacher started to vi implement small group activities more frequently, and provided an environment where children share and discuss their learning process with their peers. The findings of the study have important implications for teachers, school principals, government policies, and teacher education programs in universities. Keywords: Democratic values, pedagogical documentation, early childhood education, assessment, qualitative study vii ÖZ PEDAGOJIK DÖKÜMASYON UYGULAMALARININ ÖĞRETMENLERİN OKUL ÖNCESİ SINIFLARINDA DEMOKRATİK DEĞERLERLERİN GELİŞTİRİLMESİNE YÖNELİK UYGULAMALARINA ETKİSİ Buldu, Elif Doktora, Temel Eğitim Bölümü Tez Yöneticisi: Doç. Dr. Refika OLGAN Temmuz 2018, 346 sayfa Mevcut çalışmanın amacı, Türkiye’deki okul öncesi öğrenme ortamlarındaki, özgürlük, saygı, işbirliği ve güçlendirme değerlerinin pedagojik dokümantasyon aracılığıyla nasıl desteklendiğini araştırmaktır. Bu amaçla mevcut çalışma, devlet ve özel okulda çalışan iki okul öncesi öğretmeni ile yürütülerek, nitel vaka çalışması olrak yapılmıştır. İlk dönem öğretmenlere pedagojik dokümantasyon uygulamaları için müdahale edilmemiştir. Ancak, ikinci dönem, öğretmenler dokümantasyon uygulamalarına dair düzenli olarak geri dönüt ve eğitim almışlardır. Çalışmanın verileri, video-temelli sınıf gözlemleri, görüşmeler, sınıf içi etkinlik fotoğrafları ve alan notları aracılığıyla toplanmıştır. Bu veri toplama araçlarına ek olarak, veri toplanan ortam hakkında inceleme yapmak ve öğretmen profilleri oluşturmak amacıyla veri toplamaya başlamadan önce, Okul Öncesi Öğrenme Ortamları Gözlem Formu uygulanmıştır. Nitel veri analizi için, sürekli-karşılaştırma veri analizi yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Çalışma bulguları, iki öğretmenin öğrenme ortamlarının, özgürlük, saygı, işbirliği ve güçlendirme değerleri açısından pedagojik dokümentasyon aracılığıyla desteklendiğini ortaya çıkarmıştır. Örneğin, öğretmenler küçük grup etkinliklerini viii daha çok uygulamaya başlamış ve çocukların öğrenme süreçlerini sınıf arkadaşları ile paylaşıp tartışabildikleri gözlenmiştir. Çalışma bulguları öğretmenler, okul ilkeleri, hükümet politikaları ve üniversitelerdeki öğretmen yetiştirme programları açısından önemli uygulamalara sahiptir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Demokratik değerler, pedagojik dokümantasyon, erken çocukluk eğitimi, değerlendirme, nitel çalışma ix To my father Fevzi and mother Müzeyyen Kaya... To Fatih and Aymelek Kaya... To Metehan Buldu... To my little princes Ayşe Buse... x ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The completion of this dissertation has been a long process and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the people who have helped me on this path. First of all, I wish to thank my advisor, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Refika Olgan, for her helpful guidance and comments on different matters regarding my research and life. She also mentored me for many years and encouraged me both academically and psychologically throughout my academic life. Throughout my post-graduate education at METU, she has taught me so much and guided me towards becoming a good academician. I also would like to thank the examining committee members, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Çiğdem HASER, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Feyza TANTEKİN ERDEN, Assist. Prof. Dr. Arif Yılmaz, and Assist. Prof. Dr. Çağla ÖNEREN ŞENDİL, for their valuable comments, suggestions and contributions to the improvement of my study. I am also grateful to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Feyza TANTEKİN ERDEN for her endless support ever. For me, she is much more than an instructor. I am also deeply indebted to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Buldu and Assist. Prof. Dr. Arif Yılmaz owing to their assistance in the 113K560 TUBİTAK project, a longitudinal project from which this dissertation derived . I would like to thank my family because of their support, love, and encouragement. Thank you my dearest parents, Müzeyyen and Fevzi Kaya, as well as my brother, Fatih Kaya. You are a great and an ingenious man for me. I wish you all the best things in your life. Aymelek Kaya: thank you for your support in my life. You are my elder sister that I always want to have in my life. Moreover, I would like to express my special thanks to my parents-in law, Ali and Ayşe Buldu, because they have always supported my education and prayed for me. Also, I would like to thank Yasemin Dereli, Hatice Buldu, and Levent Buldu. You are a part of my dearest family. xi My special thanks to my dear friends, Çağla Öneren Şendil, Tuna Coşkun Tuncay, Fatma Yalçın, Seçil Cengizoğlu, Sema Sönmez, Şebnem Soylu and Ayça Alan. They endlessly encouraged me at all times of my life. Moreover, I feel very fortunate to have friends like my sisters, Çisel Bat and Gamze Cinoğlu.I am grateful to you for being a part of my life. I also feel very lucky to have Metehan Buldu beside me all the time. Your presence gives me courage. You stayed with me at every stage of this thesis and provided endless support and strong encouragement in the completion of this study. I thank you with all my heart... Lastly, Ayşe Buse Buldu, you are all I have in my life. I am so lucky to have a daughter like you. You, together with your father, are my sources of motivation. Being with you makes me feel more powerful and smart. I would like to emphasize my appreciation for The Scientific and Reseach Council of Turkey (TUBİTAK) project no: 113K560. The classrooms that I included the sample of my study was one of the participant classrooms of this longitudinal study. xii TABLE OF CONTENTS PLAGIARISM ......................................................................................................... v ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................vi ÖZ ........................................................................................................................ viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .....................................................................................xi TABLE OF CONTENTS ...................................................................................... xiii LIST OF TABLES................................................................................................. xvi LIST OF FIGURES ..............................................................................................xvii CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Purpose and Significance of the Study ............................................................. 7 1.2 Research Questions ....................................................................................... 12 1.3 My Motivation for the Study ........................................................................