The role of temporary education centers on syrian refugee students' socio-cultural adaptation

Abstract

Temporary Education Centers (TECs), which closed in 2019, were established to ensure that Syrian students continue their interrupted education in their native language and slowly acquire the necessary Turkish language skills for social adaptation and transition to public schools. However, these centers failed to actualize their main role due to their administrative structure and instructional strategies. Framed within the premises of socio cultural adaptation theory, this narrative study, analyzes how these institutions, particularly their organizational structure, language education, and teachers‘ perception affect the socio-cultural adaptation of Syrian students in Turkish society. The initial dialogical data supported with researchers‘ observations were gathered through semi-structured interviews with Syrian and Turkish administrators and teachers, and Syrian students studying in a TEC. The collected data were analyzed using Critical Discourse Analysis. The findings indicate that despite the fact that these institutions aim to encourage Syrian students to learn the Turkish language for their social adaptation, grammar-based language instruction remained restricted due to grammar-based teaching and lack of the Syrian administration‘s support. Syrian students in TEC experience isolation from the Turkish community, therefore, feel anxious about their social adaptation. Yet, Syrian and Turkish administrators do not share the same concerns with the Syrian students because of carrying different educational and social agendas. On the other hand, Syrian and Turkish teachers are mainly concerned about Syrian students‘ social identity construction and educational achievement. This study explains the reasons for having various social adaptation expectations and argues that isolated educational institutions for refugees generate negative results for refugee students‘ social adaptation.