When the Minister of National Education, Mr. Yusuf Tekin, visited our school (GHV İnal Aydınoğlu Primary School-Gaziantep) in April-2024, one of the questions we asked him was what his opinion was on whether branch teachers should teach courses that require special knowledge, skills and abilities, and if his opinion was positive, whether there was a study in the Ministry on this issue.
In response to this question, Mr. Yusuf Tekin stated that they looked at this issue positively, that it would be right for branch teachers to teach courses that require special knowledge, skills and abilities, and that there was a study in this direction in the Ministry, although not in the short term.
In order to examine this issue in depth, it is useful to first describe the current situation. In public primary schools affiliated to the Ministry of National Education, English and Religious Culture and Moral Knowledge classes are taught by subject teachers, while other classes are taught by classroom teachers. In private primary schools, in addition to these two subjects, subject teachers teach music, physical education, visual arts and information technology.
We have no scientific data on which system is more efficient. However, we do have scientific research on the views of classroom teachers working in public primary schools on music, physical education and visual arts classes, which require special knowledge, skills and abilities. We can now move on to the content of these studies and what these teachers recommend as a result of the research.
The first research is the research conducted by Altun and Uzuneri (2018) with the title ‘Examining the views of classroom teachers on music teaching’. This research was conducted with ten classroom teachers working in different schools. In the study, the music education that classroom teachers received at the university was examined, the music teaching process in service was emphasized, and the problems and solution suggestions they encountered during this process were tried to be revealed.
According to the findings obtained in the study, it was concluded that classroom teachers received music education at university, but the education they received was not sufficient. As a reason for this, it was seen that music education appropriate to the level of children was not given at the university, theoretical knowledge was more predominant (especially note education), applied music education was not included and playing any instrument other than flute was not taught. In addition, as a result of the classroom teachers' evaluation of the music curriculum, it was determined that the music curriculum was filled with information that was not suitable for children's level, was deficient in terms of materials, was not suitable for interaction in the learning process, and the interdisciplinary association dimension was weak.
The second research is the research conducted by Bozdemir and othersii (2015) in the province of Tokat with the title ‘Problems faced by classroom teachers in physical education and sports lessons’. In this study, it was determined that classroom teachers had some professional problems in terms of implementation, physical conditions, formation dimensions and caring about physical education lessons. Inadequate and incomplete facilities, tools and equipment related to the physical education course in schools, classroom teachers' knowledge and formation competencies related to the physical education course creating problems in terms of the processing and efficiency of the course, implementation and caring problems arising from these situations were among some of the problems identified.
The third research is based on A. Derya Kahraman'siii master's thesis titled ‘Classroom teachers’ opinions on the problems encountered in the implementation of the visual arts curriculum and suggestions for solutions'. According to this study, teachers stated that the visual arts course enables children to express themselves and develops their creativity and imagination. Teachers' views on the learning areas of the curriculum are that the learning areas are difficult and detailed, but that the learning areas are suitable for developing imagination and are sufficient to comprehend the subjects related to colors. Regarding the activities carried out in the learning-teaching process, the teachers stated that they included paint activities and color studies, and the teachers who expressed their opinions on this issue also stated that they did not know the activities related to lavi, printing, ink, gouache paint, still life and stained glass. The teachers whose opinions were taken about the activities carried out during the evaluation process stated that they carried out the evaluation based on the process. Regarding the problems encountered in the visual arts course, the teachers stated that the course was not given importance and that the course hours were insufficient, and in their suggestions for solutions, they emphasized that the course hours should be increased and that branch teachers should teach this course.
The fourth research is the research based on the master's thesis conducted by Hale Tarıiv with the title ‘Evaluation of the visual arts course applied in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd grades of primary schools based on teachers’ opinions'. According to the results of this research; it is seen that classroom teachers and branch teachers who are classroom teachers have difficulties in recognizing new methods applied in visual arts education course, developing children's creativity and imagination, making them do three-dimensional works in the course, getting administrative support, participating in in-service training programs, following museums and exhibitions opened during the year, taking students to art exhibitions and museums during the academic year, following the researches, books and magazines published on visual arts education.
It was also observed that classroom teachers, visual arts education teachers and branch teachers who teach in the classroom had difficulties in providing materials (drawing paper, crayons, watercolors, ceramic clay...) suitable for the subject matter covered in the Visual Arts Education course and in evaluating the course activities.
As a result of these studies, the following recommendations emerged;
- Classroom teachers should be provided with pre-service music training appropriate to the level of primary school children.
- Classroom teachers should be given in-service trainings on music teaching.
- Each class teacher should be able to play a different instrument other than the flute.
-According to classroom teachers, branch teachers should teach music lessons in primary school.
- It is thought that classroom teachers have problems because they cannot teach this course sufficiently due to the curriculum program and course intensity, although they know that field teachers should teach physical education courses and that physical education and sports courses have positive physical, mental and social effects on children.
- In-service training seminars can be organized for teachers on the scope and content of the visual arts course.
- Theoretical and practical arrangements can be made for pre-service teachers to acquire visual arts course competencies before service.
- In the 1st, 2nd, 3rd grades of the first level of primary schools, visual arts classes are taught by classroom teachers instead of branch teachers. While hundreds of Visual Arts teacher candidates graduate from the relevant departments of the Faculties of Education and Fine Arts of different universities in our country every year, it is very interesting that classroom teachers teach the visual arts courses in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd grades of primary schools. It is very important for the personal and artistic development of the students that teachers who have received training in the field of visual arts teach during the period when children's creativity is at the highest level.
As can be seen, the results of these studies we have shared suggest that even classroom teachers working in primary schools are unable to teach music, visual arts and physical education lessons, which require knowledge, skills and abilities, efficiently for various reasons and that these lessons should be taught by subject teachers.
In this context, one of the most important reasons why music, visual arts and physical education courses, which require knowledge, skills and abilities, cannot be taught efficiently by classroom teachers is that educational administrators working in primary schools focus on academic success and force classroom teachers to work in this direction. Due to this compulsion, many classroom teachers spend time on activities such as test solving and taking mock exams instead of teaching these subjects as they should.
Our experience in the field shows that in order to see students who can meet various instruments in the music class, who can work on level-appropriate activities in the visual arts workshop, who can engage in different branches of sports in the sports hall or in the garden, these lessons should be taught by subject teachers. Undoubtedly, classroom teachers can also teach these subjects, but it should be remembered that these subject teachers must have passed exams proving their abilities in their respective fields.
Many of our colleagues suggest, albeit ironically, that if subject teachers are to teach these subjects, then subject teachers should also teach Turkish, science and other subjects. At this point, it is important not to confuse subjects that require knowledge with subjects that require skills. Classroom teaching is a very important stage of education and training, where children between the ages of 7 and 11 are processed like a needle, where they get to know themselves and their environment, where they are taught the first steps of language and science, where they learn to love education and people, where they gain the habit of working and playing together, and where the first steps in the socialization of children are taken. The introduction of branch teachers in talent classes does not diminish the function and importance of classroom teaching; moreover, there are enough free activities classes in each class in the primary school curriculum and classroom teachers can use these class hours in the areas they are talented in within the framework of the curriculum.
If our aim is to fully prepare primary school children for their future education in line with their knowledge, abilities and interests, then we should make arrangements to ensure that children's talents emerge and that course schedules and teacher assignments are made accordingly. In this sense, the Ministry of National Education's efforts to have branch teachers teach physical education, music and visual arts classes should be finalized and put into effect as soon as possible.