İLKOKUL ÖĞRENCİLERİNİN FARKLILIKLARA İLİŞKİN ALGILARININ ÇİZDİKLERİ RESİMLER ARACILIĞIYLA İNCELENMESİ

Today world has become more diverse and differences on the global scale have started to come into the individuals’ daily life day by day. In other words, people have chance to attain more global individual differences with developing information and communication technology. However, concept of difference is not evaluated just as a feature of humanity and social dimension of it has come into prominence mostly by some of views. In this context individual differences are evaluated as actors of separatist actions, prejudice, bias and even genocide. In other words, differences of individual have started to be danger for own core existence. The perception and attributed meaning towards differences have important role at this point. Meanwhile differences are seen as a source of diversity and breaking point on socialization and world peace. From this point of view, perceptions about differences have to be dwelled on as a predictor factor of attitudes towards differences. In this point of view, it could be said that families, peers and media have a great effect to form the children’s perceptions regarding differences. When it is considered that children has started to realize differences in early ages, researching perceptions of children about differences has importance, is thought. In other words, it is thought that the learning experiences in the first years of life affect the individual’s reaction’s form against to society and social experiences, communication with other people. The negative examples in children’s environment can cause children to develop a negative attitudes and stereotypes regarding differences. This negative period starts with stereotypes and gives place to the attitudes of biases and discriminations in time. From this point of view, examining perceptions of students towards differences has been considered important. Therefore it was planned to determine the children’s perceptions regarding differences by drawings because drawings let children reflect feelings, inner worlds and personality and it has an intimate language. In this context, differences that primary school students aware and attitudes reflected in drawings were examined. The research was carried through phenology to reveal individual perceptions and perspectives about a certain phenomenon that is one of the qualitative research methods. The study was carried out during the spring semester of 2013-2014 academic year. Research sample was selected through maximum variation sampling to find common phenomenon between varied situations and to find out different dimensions of the problem according to this variation. A total of 107 primary school students, including 27 fourth grade, 31 third grade, 26 second grade, 23 first grade participated in the study. The study has been conducted by descriptive method and the data of the study have been collected by draw-and-explain task. During the data collection students were asked to draw a picture of differences between people and explain their drawings. The content analysis was used in the analysis of data is one of the qualitative analysis methods. While analyzing the drawings interview was made with children about own drawings to overcome the problem is to interpret pictures with an adult’s perspective. 32 different categories have been found when drawings have examined on the basis of research questions. These are “fat, thin, tall, short, curly haired, straight haired, spectacled, long haired, short haired, blond haired, dark haired, bald, colored eyed, African, different skin colored, Asian, difference of mother tongue, local dress, difference of food and beverage, difference of religion, mosque, wearing a head scarf, blind, orthopedically handicapped, difference of used means of transport, difference of home style, difference of choice of dress, talent, hobby, phobia, parentless, state of emotion”. When examined similarities and differences of categories, 8 different themes have been found. These are appearance differences, race and ethnicity differences, cultural and religious differences, disability status, income status, interest and ability differences, parental status, state of emotion. Research results show that students have used mostly appearance differences in drawings. It is possible to explain that finding with the cognitive developmental period that students have been. Particularly, the research finding about 1th grade students express mostly appearance differences can be evaluated in the context of theory of Piaget. Another research finding is about that the students are aware of race and ethnicity differences secondly. It is observed that categories about race and ethnicity differences are expressed respectively by 4th, 3th, 2th, 1th grade students. English language course taken in 4th grade can be evaluated as an factor to explain existence of the finding in 4th grade students mostly because of role of the course in building awareness towards existence of different races and mother tongues. Research findings show that students are also aware of orthopedically handicapped and visual handicapped people. Inclusion applied in education system and knowledge obtained via media tools can be evaluated as factors comprising of that finding. When analyzed the drawings it has found that students emphasize interest and ability differences, too. It can be evaluated as a result of developmental stage of leaving egocentrism with in concrete operational stage and start to look at the things from different angle and others’ point of view. In addition to this, students have used categories reflecting positive and negative attitudes towards differences,was found. These are butterfly, sun, cloud, flower, bird, swing arms, rainbow, balloon, tree, playpen, using bright colors, rain, using dark colors. Research results show that mostly categories reflecting positive attitudes towards differences have been used in drawings. However, some of students have used categories reflecting negative attitude towards differences. It is thought that research results are going to be considered as a resource for forward studies.