Abstract:

The aim of this study is to examine the expectations of parents whose children receive preschool education. The research was structured on the basis of case study, one of the qualitative research designs. The study group of the research consists of a total of 107 parents, 59 of whom are mothers and 48 of whom are fathers, whose children receive education in a preschool class within a primary school in Eskişehir in the 2022-2023 academic year. In the study, a semi-structured interview form developed by the researcher was used as a data collection tool, and the data obtained were analysed by content analysis. According to the results of the study, parents expressed their reasons for sending their children to pre-school education in seven different categories such as supporting their children's social-emotional development and making them ready for primary school. Parents' expectations from pre-school education were gathered in six different categories such as supporting their children's developmental areas and making them ready for primary school. Parents expect preschool education institutions to include activities that support children's development such as social-cultural and artistic activities. Parents' common expectations from preschool teachers were grouped under seven different categories such as positive personality traits, support-follow-up, and their expectations from preschool education administrators were grouped under 11 different categories such as safe-healthy school, quality in education. Based on the research findings; in addition to the current programme in pre-school education, activities that support different developmental areas of children should be included, workshops that support the personal and professional development of pre-school teachers and include practical activities suitable for the pre-school education stage should be organised, necessary arrangements should be made to make pre-school education free of charge, in order to ensure equality of opportunity in education, it was suggested that all children should have access to quality pre-school education activities, that pre-school education institutions should include more social-cultural-sportive activities to be carried out by teachers who are experts in their field and that children should have free access to these activities, and that the necessary budget should be sent to schools to expand the playgrounds in school gardens.

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