Akdeniz Eğitim Araştırmaları Dergisi, Sayı 14a, Yıl 2013, s.333-336 Mediterranean Journal of Educational Research, Issue 14a, Year 2013, pp. 333-336 333 Pre-School Teachers’ Views Regarding Democracy Education Betül YANIK∗, Işıl TAŞ∗, Oğuz KELEŞ∗, Seval ÖRDEK∗ Abstract: This study aims to determine pre-school teachers’ views regarding notion of democracy in classroom. In line with this general objective, how teachers define democracy as notion, their views regarding democracy education in classrooms, studies they have conducted concerning democracy education inside and outside the classrooms and their views regarding functions of those studies in acquisition of democratic attitude and behaviours are aimed to be put forward. Research group consists of 10 teachers –determined by criteria sampling method– working in nursery schools and classes of 3-6 age groups in Kahramanmaraş province in 2011-2012 Academic Year. Keywords: Democracy education, democratic attitude and behaviors, pre-school education, pre-school teachers. Accepted as the first step of education and preparing the children to elementary education, pre- school education coincides with a period named as critical age for children while underlying lives of individuals (Oktay, 1999). Educational environment of the child in this critical period shapes child’s perspective regarding social notions like responsibility, trust, participation, sharing, cooperation, being respectful to differences and freedom. While children acquire these notions through schools, they also acquire the notion of democracy indirectly, which includes all these in itself and which is a super-notion. Democracy is a notion that should be dealt not only as a regime but also as human rights and way of life. According to Büyükdüvenci (1998), “democracy is not only a certain institutional arrangement but also a way of life that upholds human dignity, opinion and faith and could re-establish this constantly.” Acquisition of democratic attitudes and behaviours by children is correlated with democratic experiences in families and at schools. Ersoy (2008) emphasizes that democracy education children acquired within family is not enough on its own, besides, it is necessary for this education to be supported by formal education. In order for children to acquire the notion of democracy totally at schools, schools should have a democratic cultural structure. Democratic culture includes a structure which adapts the learning pace of the student, moves from personal motivation of the student, offers the student opportunity to elect as well as help on this subject, and provides for opportunity to make observations and experiments, to experience, to make children think and to make mutual research and examination as much as they can (Büyükkaragöz, 1989). Continuation of the existence of this structure depends on the attitudes of the staff responsible for educational services. In this sense, perspectives of teachers on democracy and education – who play effective roles in internalization of democracy by children – gains significance. _____________ ∗ Dereli Mehmet Afşar, Elementary school, Kahramanmaraş 46150,Turkey, email: yanikbetul@hotmail.com ∗ Çukurova University, Faculty of Education, Department of Elementary Education, Adana 01550,Turkey ∗ Niğde University, Faculty of Education, Department of Elementary Education, Niğde 5100, Turkey ∗ Çukurova University, Faculty of Education, Department of Elementary Education, Adana 46000,Turkey