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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL of ACADEMIC RESEARCH Vol. 5. No. 5. September, 2013

M. Okutan. Democracy in classroom management in Turkish education system. International Journal of Academic Research Part B; 2013; 5(5), 463-467. DOI: 10.7813/2075-4124.2013/5-5/B.72

DEMOCRACY IN CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

IN TURKISH EDUCATION SYSTEM*

Dr. Mehmet Okutan

Karadeniz Technical University Fatih Faculty of Education, Trabzon (TURKEY) [email protected]

DOI: 10.7813/2075-4124.2013/5-5/B.72

ABSTRACT Classroom management appears to be one of the most difficult areas for teachers. Because classroom

management necessitates adaptation with new discipline understandings brought by changing social life. So it makes difficult to adapt new situations for teachers who grown up with traditional understanding of morality and discipline. Therefore being informed of teachers about new classroom management approaches is evaluated as an important need. If “democratic culture” which is the basic need of social life invigorates on the basis of education, it will be easier for social life to meet face to face with democratic culture. At this meeting, it will be tried to discuss over tips for establishing democracy culture in the classroom, after discussing new approaches emerging in classroom management. For being able to implement “student-centered education” emerged recently, it is obligatory to make democracy as a life way in the classroom. The emergence of democracy culture in the classroom also depends on dominance of democracy in the classroom, as well as depending on establishment of leadership in the classroom. Becoming of democracy culture as a way of life in the classroom depends on internalization of democracy culture by the teacher. Being known of theoretical basis of new discipline understanding and new approaches emerging in classroom management, may contribute to appearance of democracy in the classroom in a more effective way. But at the same time, good classroom management applications seen in practice can also shed light on how democracy culture will be implemented in the classroom. This study is neither a field study entirely, nor a theoretical study entirely. This study is for being discussed of how theory and practice will be effective in emergence of democracy culture in the classroom management. Due to democracy in classroom management will be the key of democracy in education, it is being discussed that how some examples of education applications can contribute to the democracy culture. This study envisages discussion of the thesis “Presence of democracy in the classroom, is an indispensable condition of the democracy in social cultures” after being tested with examples from theory and practice.

Key words: Democracy, Classroom Management, Democracy in Classroom Management 1. INTRODUCTION

Management means the knowledge and ability to use available human and material resources in the most

effective way. Classroom management which is the basic step of management science means effective and functional usage of classroom’s financial possibilities with the students in the class. Success in the classrooms not being at desired level depends largely on the management in classrooms are not well. Emergence of success in organizations lack of good-management is impossible. Here the question comes to mind; “what is good management” Good management is democracy (Yilman 1992:18) which is firstly with social content, brainchild, values and principles integrity of a human group, the latest management type could be found by humanity, and this management type is a management approach taken the human in the center. Democracy which envisages human centered management type instead of organization centered management understanding, has begun to reflect on school managements in the light of contemporary developments and hence to classroom managements. It can be said that, as long as management type in classrooms democratized, management type in societies will also change. Democracy is not just a form of government, but it is also considered as a life philosophy and life style (Erturk 1981:170). It is obvious that democracy which is a life style can only be obtained through education. Yet, democratic life style can be learned with democratic way of living (Erturk 1981: 183). The most important places for teaching democracy are the schools. Consequently, the classrooms. Because classrooms are the places where growing teens or children have to live for a long time. Democracy culture to be learned in these places, will form the seeds of democracy culture in the society. However, although democracy is a life style that can be learned, it is a system of values difficult to be gained with pure learning. Also it is not only something which can be achieved through setting lessons concerning democracy and human rights in schools. Because setting lessons related to

* This article, is a notification text presented to the “3. International Conference On New Trends In Education And Their Implications” conference held in Antalya on the dates of 26-28 April 2012.

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democracy in schools, makes sense to a certain extent (Cafoglu 1997: 595). It can be said that democratic culture can’t be gained to growing individuals by making democratic value and behaviours as lesson subjects in schools (Kuzgun 2000: 15). It has been understood finally that to consider as a remedy of setting a lesson right away in the schools for any behaviour lacking in the society is no longer true.

In fact, having set a lesson bearing this name in the curriculum for moral instruction, couldn’t be sufficient for growing up our people as individuals who are respectful to each other (Kuzgun 2000: 15). The school may be an example of democratic culture, by turning into environments wherein a student learns democratic life by living it. Becoming of the school as an organization which democratic life is being lived depends on realization of democratic life in classrooms one by one. Teachers, who adopt a democratic management style, prefer to share power with them, rather than exert power over students (Schmuck & Schmuck, 2001). Moreover, teacher who adopt democratic attitude take into consideration of emotional needs of students while arranging classroom environment in order to facilitate learning (Balson, 1982; & Brophy, 2000; Woolfolk Hoy and Weinstein, 2006). Students don’t feel the same need in order not to obey or to oppose the rules, in democratic classroom environments where teachers share power with students (Carey, 2002). They are more likely to comply with the rules and instructions because of feeling a kind of sense of ownership. This situation contributes to the democracy becoming a life style in classrooms. Today schools’ becoming democratic schools, depends on democracy culture becomes a life style in classrooms. Now schools are expected to be a “democratic school” and to achieve this individuals in schools have been left to learn by oneself, to communicate, to make mistakes, to correct them, to be dedicated and to love (Harrison 2003: 82). Being able to reach this structure by schools depends on classrooms becoming an example of democratic life. Individuals are raised in democratic education that respectful to traditions, but can criticize without being its slave, can think to improve better ones (Karasar 1985: 100). At classroom management, the most important examples of democratic education can be realized. Democratic education requires an approach suitable for attributing values of democratic culture to individuals being grown. The most important environment for revealing this is the classroom. Management type to be exhibited in the classroom, bears the signs that how will the students, who will be raised up from that class, identify with democratic life in the future. Facts are regarded very important in a democratic school and hence in the classroom; confidence has taken the place of fear in these environments where humans are accepted more important than rules (Dewey 1965: 10). Becoming a life style of democratic life, can be possible by affiliation of school with society. Affiliation of schools with the society depends on democratization of life in classrooms. And it is compulsory for schools and classrooms to reach democratic structure in order to achieve this. Generating democratic schools seems possible through bringing social life to school and belonging school to the society, and society to the school (Turan and Guler 2009). It is possible for the school to affect the society and the society being affected by the school due to contemporary school has to bear open system attribute. Student-centeredness is fundamental in the democratic school of democratic society which prioritizes the human. Some of the basic characteristics of the human equipped with such a culture are below (Dewey 1965: 8).

 Respects other people’s opinions.  Has ability to study in groups.  Tolerant.  Easy to get along with.  Conscious of the mission.  Fulfills responsibilities.  Shows initiative to make recommendations.  Complies with the decision of majority.

It is required to think together with education in order to raise individuals have these characteristics.

Therefore we as teachers, have to adopt an interrogative approach opposing settled beliefs, traditions and institutions, appreciating natural sciences overly and being developed carefully (Chomsky 2007: 186). It seems compulsory that education has to be a process perpetuating democracy culture for the formation of a democratic culture. This only can be realized in organized systems called as school and in classrooms which are the sub- system of these systems. Becoming democracy education as a life style in classrooms is the essential condition for becoming democracy a life style in the society. Democracy concept in Turkish education system takes place under the title of “democracy principle” in the legislation. This principle enumerates the necessities for “establishment of a free and democratic society order in this country”: Says that “during all kind of education studies, it should be struggled to improve after gaining students with democracy awareness, knowledge on country government, understandings and behaviours together with sense of responsibility and respect to spiritual values which required to be possessed by compatriots for realization and continuation of a strong, stable, free and democratic society order…” and continues with “however”: “however it should not be allowed in no circumstances to instill politically or ideologically contrary to Ataturk nationalism embodied in the Constitution and to be involved in daily political events and discussions of this nature at educational institutions”. In this expression, the description after the term of “however”, in fact sets forth the reason why democratic culture hasn’t emerged in classroom. It is being dwelled on that “ideocracy education” can occur, not “democracy” with this expression taking place in National Education Basic Law (Bumin 2001). Indeed, form of taking part in the legislation of “democracy principle” which is one of the fundamental principles of educational system, seems to be too far from serving emergence of democracy in classrooms. Because due to the possibility of a question being asked by a student in classrooms, teachers may behave prudently on account of the expression after “however”. Moreover there is always a risk that questions and thoughts of each student may be taken to daily political events and discussions. It can be said that schools are far

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from democracy education in practice, although Turkish Education System has adopted democracy education as a philosophy. Falling behind of democracy education in Turkish Education System compared to contemporary democratic countries, first of all may be related to written format of “democracy principle”. However it is obvious that it wouldn’t be a scientific approach to affiliate all problems related to the democratic level of the system with this article. Some results related to the situation of democracy education of Turkish Education System in the following paragraphs will be tried to be discussed. 80% of teachers try to manage the class by “shouting-hollering” in the classrooms, 43% of them apply frequently to punishment and almost all of them performs the job of teaching with an understanding of “I know, what I say is always correct” (Tufekci and Okutan: 2000). Students who spend great times of education in classrooms, try to shape their personalities with attitudes and behaviours like shouting- hollering, continuously commanding, insulting because of improving personalities according to speech types and behavioural patterns heard from teachers in classrooms. It is evident that the personality to reveal with this growing style can’t make democracy culture as a life style. These conclusions give negative hints about the status of democracy in classrooms. How far could it be possible for students to express themselves freely in the classrooms wherein teachers trying to perform teaching with a logic of “one-man”? The “one-man” philosophy incompatible with “management all together” philosophy indicates that serious problems related to the democracy are present in classrooms. Because it is clear that it is impossible to raise humans compatible with contemporary world, by carrying on the classical management style. And according to university students; university teaching staff is not sufficient in terms of “democratic classroom management” (Demirtas 2004). This situation may be considered as an indication of courses are not conducted democratically even in universities. How can democratic classroom culture, which can’t be realized even in universities, be implemented in other stages of education? Having democratic attitude and behaviours of teaching staff of Education Faculty at lower levels (Duman and Koc 2004), is an important issue necessitates focusing on where we are about democracy in education. Elementary school teachers’ finding democracy as inadequate in Turkey (Akpinar and Turan 2004), as well as being democracy inadequate in schools, brings to mind that teachers are in an expectation for a democracy coming from top to bottom, not a democracy beginning at the school. This also demonstrates that democracy education in our country encounters with a very hard situation. The following determination is important that democracy education of Turkish Education System is not at desired level: The education has an understanding of amassing as of its essence, an education with teacher-centered is maintained. In this educational understanding, teacher represents the subject of education and sovereign authority in the society (Simsek 2000: 47). In this understanding, student doesn’t know anything, the student coming to school for learning complies strictly with rules and decisions of the omniscient teacher. This judgment matches up with research findings given above.

2. DEMOCRATIC MANAGEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM IN TURKIS EDUCATION SYSTEM The most basic point of new approaches emerging in science of management is prioritizing the human

(Okutan 2009:213). This too means that a democratic approach is putting forth in the management. Emergence of “student centered education” in classroom management can be deemed as first step of emergence of democratic management in the class. This step has revealed the fact that teacher was not “one-man” in the class, but everybody in the class was “man”. This approach has provided the opportunity to the student to utter all opinions freely, while revealing the student was “man”. It is tried to set forth another aspect of democracy by determining the rules in this classroom where everybody is man. Another aspect of democratic management in the class is the presence of obedience based on mutual respect and love, not an “absolute obedience” in this class. If democracy is present in the class, students and teacher altogether are worthy of love and respect. Teacher’s role has changed in the class where democratic management is dominant; the role of being the source of teaching and knowledge has disappeared for this teacher. Teacher is just “the leader teacher” in this classroom. Today’s teacher, who can’t manage its class as a leader, will continue to hinder freedoms of students by continuing to adopt classic management. Yet, revealing of neither democracy nor teacher is impossible in a class where freedom doesn’t exist. The students who have attributes knowing what teacher knows, thinking, asking questions in the class where democracy is present, strives to make democracy culture as a life style. Teacher knows that “to ask a question is half way of the science” in the class and with this belief provides the opportunity to all students for asking questions freely. Students in the class where democracy exists, wants to do what teacher does, not what teacher say. Therefore it is important that teachers should demonstrate examples of democratic life with their behaviours and life styles, not with advices. Another condition for democracy becoming a life style in the class, is to arrange the class as a sample of actual life. Arrangement of the class as an artificial environment, prevents emergence of democracy in classroom management. Let’s try to see how democratic management can become in the class with an example which can be an indication of democracy in the class (Okutan 2009: 216): “They were at 8th class. Turkish teacher was behaving caressingly to all students. He was listening every student, giving a fair chance to all of them; showing respect to all kind of ideas of them. This teacher, who was struggling to interest with all problems of students, was striving in order to make “love” sovereign in the class. There was a student in the class doesn’t have mother-father. This student was successful academically, and was a “good” student behaviorally. This student didn’t come to school for a few days. Then he started to come to school after a few weeks. The Turkish teacher saw this student at recess and hugged him ingenuously. He asked how he was without asking why he didn’t come to school. The student was so much happy that, said to the teacher: “My teacher, you embraced me so sincerely, for the first time in my life I felt I am an individual and being loved by somebody”. This example is an example giving hints of democracy in the classroom management. It is possible to see easily the answer that how democracy will reveal in classroom management basing on this example. Demonstration of following attitudes by teachers, who have some democratic behaviour characteristics in this example, may become the assurance of

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them being able to sustain democratic culture in classroom management. Some attitudes of teachers who aim to perform democratic management in the class may be listed as below (Okutan 2007:212): Teacher causes all students in its class to perceive he care them.

 Teacher respect the ideas of all students while managing the class.  Teacher’s way of class management gives confidence feeling to all students.  Teacher demonstrates democratic behaviours enabling students trust him.  In the style of democratic class management, student-teacher dialogue is within the framework of

“friend relation”.  Teacher displaying democratic class management, shares problems of all students and make

contributions in management of these problems.  Relations of the teacher, who tries to make democracy sovereign in the class, with students are not

only limited with official format; informal relations are more at the forefront in these relations.  Relation style of the teacher with students has quality as to increase motivation of students.  It is very important for the teacher to create “a good atmosphere” for realization of democratic

management in the class; the atmosphere is always positive in democratic classroom management.  Teacher tries to exhibit democracy management in the class by behaving equally to everybody.  Teacher doesn’t force the limits of opinion and conscience of any student.  A limitless tolerance is essential in democracy at the classroom.  Teacher never behave as having “unlimited authority”, while establishing democracy in the

classroom.  Teacher is expected to have a strong self-confidence in order to set forth democracy management in

the class.  Teacher respects to all students.  Teacher knows how to behave emphatically.  Teacher doesn’t manage the class by standing on the rostrum; but manages the class being present

among all students.  Teacher believes and applies that the class can be managed with an approach of “governance”,

beyond the requirement of being a leader in classroom management. Doesn’t oppress any student due to their attributes (belief, thought, ethnic origin, etc). Offers alternatives to the student.

 Doesn’t only impose duties and liabilities to the students; but at the same time reminds them their rights and performs the applications accordingly.

 Teacher, who tries to exhibit democratic management in the classroom, keeps alive the signs that he esteems them by “thinking as a scholar, speaking as a child”. Teacher, who tries to exhibit democratic management in the classroom, brings the “human” at the forefront in teacher-student relations, not its duty.

 Teacher, who tries to exhibit democratic management in the classroom, considers that the students are “human” before anything else while evaluating them.

 Teacher, who tries to exhibit democratic management in the classroom, takes pains to be highly- motivated all the time with the concern of keeping students’ motivation at high. Teacher, who tries to exhibit democratic management in the classroom, determines the decisions for management of students by always taking their opinions.

3. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS It is seen that democratic education or democracy education in Turkish Education System could not reach to

desired level in practice, in spite of the system being included in judiciary texts. This too is considered as a clear indication that democracy has not revealed yet in the classroom. Because no thought makes sense without being implemented actually. It is not resulted such from only one reason. One of the most important reasons about non- realization of desired democracy is to regard democracy education within the scope of pure curriculum. Of course learning should be realized in order to gain behaviour. However it is nearly impossible to internalize via pure learning the democracy which is a life style. Democracy applications up to today, taking place of democracy mostly in legal texts and focusing on teaching democracy as a lesson, has caused the conclusion that democracy education in Turkish Education System has not become functional. By demonstration of classical teacher behaviours in classes, democracy in the class which is the fundamental of democracy in school couldn’t reach at desired levels. The most second important problem in democracy education is the belief that democracy should come from top to bottom. Formation of democratic management structure at top is required for revealing democracy in schools according to this belief. But the situation is just the contrary. So democracy education has to start from school and class. We know that democracy culture of countries is improved as depending on the quality of democracy education in schools. For a democratic society, primarily it is obligatory to generate a democratic school culture and a democratic classroom environment. For being able to generate such an environment, growing in number of teachers adopted democracy culture is required. To wait improvement of democracy consciousness in the countries which couldn’t become the places where schools perpetuate democracy culture, is just a fancy. Managers’ and teachers’ internalization of democracy culture is the essential requirement for the schools being managed with a democratic approach. As long as we continue to count the school principal as “one-man” of the school, the teacher as “one-man” of the class, it is all but impossible to make democracy culture “life style” in the schools possessed by these managers and teachers. Another important problem for democracy education is also

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related to the written format of “democracy education” principle in the legislation. Entire values and principles of democracy should be implemented unconditionally in a school system aiming democracy education. If it is attempted for values and principles of democracy to be implemented in schools depending on certain terms and conditions, there may not be a chance to implement democracy education. Indeed, the current situation of our schools demonstrates this. It can be said that there is a basic understanding concerning the implementation of education according to democracy principles and values in Turkish Education System. However non-emergence of desired democratic school in practice indicates a change in the objectives of the education system. Pre-condition of democracy education is to raise teachers adopted democracy culture. It is in vain to expect for democracy becoming a life style in classrooms and schools of teachers who don’t internalize democracy culture. Then firstly it is required to realize democracy education which starts at the institutions raising teachers. This democracy education shall be maintained within the scope of “lifelong learning” culture also in the service. The purpose in legislation applications should not be to fulfill formalities; functionality of written rules should be cared. It must be looked for ways to re-write the juridical texts which has the possibility of misunderstanding. Everybody shall be convinced that democracy can be gained only with education and necessary measures shall be taken in order to take the education at a level which will sustain democracy culture. It shall be emphasized strictly that democracy can improve from bottom to top, not from top to bottom.

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