Sibel KAHRAMAN

“Almost 40 out 100 students don’t recognize the evolution theory. In terms of worldview, the closest schools to Imam Hatip High Schools are Anatolian Teacher High Schools. Only 43% of the students didn’t agree with the argument ‘Religious knowledge is more necessary than science to understand the world and the universe’” says Prof. Eþme who conducted the research.

The education research entitled “The Approaches of High School Students to the Education of Science and Mathematics”, carried out by the former YÖK Vice President and Maltepe University Lecturer, Prof. Dr. Isa Eþme, revealed that the high school youth look at science from a conservative perspective.

According to the research, only 43% of the students didn’t agree with the argument ‘Religious knowledge is more necessary than science to understand the world and the universe’.

66% of the students agreed with the argument “Humanity reached to its current level as a result of millions of years of evolution”. “Almost 40 out 100 students don’t recognize the evolution theory. Furthermore, the income and education level of these students is higher than the average of Turkey. The rate would be much higher when we take into consideration the population that left education after primary education. This result is the most optimistic approach” says Prof. Eþme who summarized the results of the research and who pointed out that the new generation is being raised conservative.

“Another interesting point of the research is that, in terms of worldview, the closest schools to Imam Hatip High Schools are Anatolian Teacher High Schools…This might arise from the worldview of the teachers working in these schools and from the fact that these schools are boarding schools. When the perspectives on positive sciences of students educating in different kinds of schools are compared, students of science high schools show their difference” said Prof. Eþme.

 ‘Religion is necessary’

The results of the research are as follows:

• Only 66% of the students agreed with the argument “Humanity reached to its current level as a result of millions of years of evolution” (adopting the evolution theory). While 19% of the students didn’t agree with this argument, 15% said that they have no idea. Among schools that didn’t agree with this argument, in the distribution by type of schools, Imam Hatip High Schools rank in the first place.

• Only 43% of the students didn’t agree with the argument ‘Religious knowledge is more necessary than science to understand the world and the universe’. While 30% of the students agreed with this argument, 27% said that they have no idea. Among schools that believe that religious knowledge is necessary, in the distribution by type of schools, the highest rate is in Imam Hatip High Schools. Vocational High Schools are in the second rank and Anatolian Teacher High Schools in the third rank.

• 60% of the students believe that basic science education is a barrier towards superstitions. 17% of the students didn’t agree with this idea and 23% of the students have no idea about it.

• Only 49% of the students associated the supremacy of Western civilization to science. 31% of the students didn’t agree with the argument “The fact that Western countries are more advanced than Eastern countries is because of the fact that Western countries put more emphasis on science and mathematics” and 23% of the students have no idea about it.

‘Mathematics teachers leave negative impact’

Mathematics and Turkish teachers leave the most positive impact on students. On the other side, among teachers leaving the most negative impact, Mathematics teachers are also on the top.

Approximately three out of four students consider the current education system and the science-mathematics education insufficient. Three out of four students try to learn the science courses by listening to the teacher and by writing down the information on the board to their books. Four out of five students never or rarely carry out experiments. Only one out of three students stated that demonstrative experiments are carried out during courses. Only 16% of the students stated that computer aided education are carried out during courses. The rate of watching documentaries during courses is only 15%.

 ‘The memorization-listening method is wrong’

The students list the reasons of failing in science and mathematics as follows:

• The methods of the teachers,
• The lessons covering unnecessary information for actual life,
• The subjects, which are taught, not being associated to life,
• Excluding learning by practicing or by experiencing,
• Exam-focused lessons,
• Teaching subjects by just answering the questions and not making them understand
• Implementing the memorization-listening method only,
• Excluding technology,
• Excluding project and laboratory works,
• The share of the students on failure

 ‘Computers are used to listen to music’

• Among the media preferences of the students, Posta newspaper rank in the first place, Hürriyet newspaper in the second place and Milliyet newspaper in the third place. The preferences of TV channels are as follows: Kanal D, Show TV and ATV.

• 38 of the students never allocate time for computers during their daily activities. The youth use the computer mostly to listen to music. E-mails rank in the second place and chats in the third place.

• 37.8% of the students never allocate time for sports and social activities, 18.4% for listening to music and 16.5% for watching television
  

Genel Lise  : General High School
Anadolu Lisesi : Anatolian High School
Meslek Lisesi  : Vocational High School
Fen Lisesi  : Science High School
A. Öðretmen Lisesi : Anatolian Teacher High School
I. Hatip Lisesi  : Imam Hatip High School

(milliyet.com.tr, May 5th, 2009)