Cumhuriyet İlahiyat Dergisi

Öz

This study aims to determine the opinions of
teachers of Religious Culture and Ethics Course (DKAB) about subject-based
classroom application in-depth. The research has been carried from
qualitative research methods with a case study design. In order to
determine the working group of the study, criteria sampling was used in the
first stage, and the maximum diversity sampling method was used in the next
step. The sample of this research consists of 8 DKAB teachers working in
Ankara province. A semi-structured interview form has been used as a data
collection tool in the study. The data of the qualitative of this
research has been analyzed with both descriptive and content analysis by
NVivo 10 program. In order to ensure validity and reliability in the
study, credibility, transferability, consistency, and verifiability
strategies have been used. When the research data were analyzed, four
themes were formed: positive opinions about the application, negative opinions
and problems related to the application, contribution of the practice to
religious education and training, and recommendations about the
application. DKAB teachers find the application more positive than the
classroom system. It has been found that the practice of subject-based
classrooms is a motivational tool for Primary School students, while it causes
some problems for lower secondary school and upper secondary school students.

Summary: Learning environments are among the key elements in
the acquisition of 21st-century skills. Classrooms are also a part of the
learning environment. Classes are the learning environment in which teachers
and students spend most of their education and training process. In this
context, subject-based classroom application is one of the preferred
methods in the arrangement of classrooms.

Subject-based classroom application means that
the teachers have a special classroom related to their branches in the school
building, and students attend the teacher's classroom according to the
syllabus. In this practice, the teacher can decorate walls, floor, ceiling,
column, and beam of the classroom with students’ study materials such as
banner, poster, painting, cartoon to make the course more effective and
efficient and to create a psychological atmosphere called classroom
atmosphere-air.

This application aims to activate the student by
enriching the classroom and make learning effective and efficient. The
classroom equipped with appropriate equipment and materials provides a
favorable environment for the implementation of effective teaching strategies.
The application can create “class/classroom culture” by using ordinary meanings
and symbols related to the course. It provides students the opportunity to
exhibit their products and contributes to students' self-regulation skills
development. Besides, real-life practices or practices close to reality can be
brought into the classroom. As a result, permanent learning can be realized
with the possibility of creating a shared living space and the number of
sensory organs participating in learning.

This current study aims to address in-depth
information about the opinions of Religious Culture and Moral Ethics (DKAB)
teachers in primary, secondary, and high schools regarding
the subject-based classroom application. When the studies in the
literature are examined, it is seen that the studies related to the subject-based classroom
application have increased since 2010.  However, it is clear that
this research is directed towards social studies, geography, science, and
mathematics courses and is based on the opinions of students, teachers, and
administrators at the secondary school level. In the context of DKAB course,
there has been no research including the views of teachers, students, or school
administrators regarding the application of subject-based classrooms.
This study is carried out revealing perspectives of DKAB teachers by examining
their opinions on the subject-based classroom application and
contribute to the field.

 The research was conducted with a case study
design from the qualitative research methods. The participants consist of 8
DKAB teachers working in Ankara province. A mixed purposive sampling method was
used to determine the study group.  In the first stage, the teachers
implementing the DKAB classrooms application were taken as criteria. In the
next step, the study group was determined within the framework of the maximum
diversity sampling method by considering the variables such as school level,
gender, age, education level, duration of teachers' work. The data were
collected through a semi-structured interview form with expert opinion. In the
form, there are nine main questions and probe questions, which include
questions related to subject-based classrooms application, the
contribution of the application to religious education and training, the
contribution of teachers to professional and personal development, the effect
of teachers' belonging to the school, the effectiveness, and improvement of the
application. Permission has been obtained from the Ankara Provincial
Directorate of National Education and participants via consent form for the
interview. The interviews were recorded in audio, 169.58-minute audio recording
transcripts, and 52-page interview data obtained. The qualitative data of this
research has been analyzed with both descriptive and content analysis by NVivo
10 program.  In order to ensure validity and reliability in the study,
credibility, transferability, consistency, and verifiability strategies have
been used.

When the data of the research were analyzed, the
opinions of DKAB teachers about the subject-based classrooms
application categorized under four themes; positive and negative
opinions/problems about the practice, the contribution of the practice to
religious education and teaching and practical suggestions. Under the theme of
positive opinions on the application, positive aspects for the teacher,
student, parents, and comparison with the classroom system were formed.
According to the participants, the practice of DKAB classroom is a
“facilitation” element for the teacher because of the factors such as the
teacher not moving around the classroom, not carrying material, having freedom
to organize the classroom, and material regularity. In this application, since
the teacher has a class of his own, the teacher adopts and owns the classroom
and the sense of belonging to school increases. This sense of belonging is felt
so strongly that there is even a participant who plans to retire if the
application is abandoned. The positive aspects of the application for the
students are that; a classroom is a motivating tool, the boards and walls can
be used, and the student has the opportunity to exhibit their activities. When
compared with the classroom system, it was stated that as a result of the
branch classroom practice, the school equipment could be better protected,
class order and cleaning easier, and the success of the students would be
increased.

The negative views of the participants on the
application were grouped under the categories of students, teachers, and
parents. Not having a fixed class of their own, continually relocating and losing
time in recess, staying in the classroom door when the classroom is locked, not
adopting the classroom and lack of lockers constitute the negative aspects of
the application for the students. The overuse of classrooms, less use of
teachers' rooms, lack of communication between colleagues are the negative
aspects of the application for the teachers. It was stated by (75%) most of the
participants that branch classroom application contributed to the continual
learning of students in religious education and teaching. To make the
application more functional, DKAB teachers have proposed arrangements such as
improving physical infrastructure, enriching teaching materials, and arranging
school syllabus and keeping classrooms open.

As a result, teachers find the application more
positive than the classroom system. While it is a motivation tool for primary
school students, it causes some problems for secondary and high school
students, such as carrying bags, staying at the door, and wasting time. In this
sense, the application is recommended to be applied in primary schools that
have a sufficient number of classrooms. Also, the system should be applied in
secondary and high schools where the number of students is low, or the number
of classrooms is sufficiently provided that the problems experienced by the
students are eliminated. School administrations and teachers need to take
necessary measures to make the application effective and efficient.