Turkish Schoolchildren’s Feelings after the Arrival of Refugee Pupils

• In Event: Verying perspectives on refugee education: Capabilities, SEL, and inclusion

Proposal

Introduction
The school experiences of refugees have widely been researched in many countries such as the UK, the US, Turkey, and Australia, with the results suggesting that refugee pupils experience discrimination, bias, and sometimes bullying in their new school and social environment (Aydin & Kaya, 2019; Erden, 2020; Graham et al., 2016; Tunga et al., 2020). There are various reasons for discriminatory practices affecting refugee pupils. Negative attitudes towards refugee pupils among local schoolchildren are one of the influential factors (McBride 2018). However, despite the peer-related refugee problems such as discrimination and bullying (Culbertson & Constant 2015; Philo et al. 2014), local schoolchildren's feelings and attitudes towards refugee pupils are not examined to understand the reasons for ongoing discriminative behaviors.
Thanks to the existing research on refugee education in Turkey, information is available on the needs and expectations of refugee pupils, their parents, and their teachers. However, there is not enough information about Turkish schoolchildren's feelings, needs, and attitudes concerning the arrival of refugee pupils in their schools. Given the lack of local schoolchildren's voice in refugee pupils' integration plans in Turkish schools, this research aims to examine Turkish schoolchildren's perceptions of refugee pupils to understand why they engage in particular behaviors and attitudes towards refugee pupils. Given the context set out above, this study answers the following research question.
1. What are the perceptions of refugee schoolchildren among Turkish schoolchildren following the arrival of refugee pupils in their school?
Theoretical Framework
The 'Othering and belonging' framework will be used to guide this study. The 'Othering and belonging' framework suggests that existential anxieties such as fears of losing social privileges or concern about the social environment are the causes of othering or social exclusion (Baleria 2018). According to this framework, people form a social group to distance themselves from the dominant groups or generate a discourse of difference to prevent them from joining or interacting with their community. This framework allows us to observe and identify schoolchildren's structural processes—the sum of experiences that form more complex experiences and belief systems— either in creating 'othering' discourse or promoting belonging by expanding the circle of social inclusion following the arrival of refugee pupils.
Method
This qualitative research used Turkish schoolchildren's narratives to examine their perceptions of refugees and gain insights into the underlying causes of their perceptions. A total of 32 Turkish schoolchildren between the age of seven and 11 participated in this study. Choosing pupils between the age of seven and 11 is also appropriate based on the premises of the new sociology of childhood, which explains that children at all stages of their life are capable of exercising their agency and of building desirable agendas to construct their cultural experiences and relationships (Kincheloe, 2011; Mayall, 2002).
Data Collection Procedures
A week-long process was given to parents and children to decide their participation in this study. After obtaining consent, I interviewed 32 schoolchildren for four months. Each interview took about 45 minutes and was conducted using age-appropriate interview techniques, such as short games, visuals, and picture-drawing, based on the participants' interests. All participants were also observed for a minimum of two hours each day in their environments.
Data Analysis
Reconstructive data analysis was used to unpack the meanings of speech acts and develop an understanding of participants' state of mind in connection with the contextual backgrounds. Reconstructive analysis revealed implicitly constructed meanings and prepared a basis to move the perceived knowledge into an explicit form (Carspecken, 1996). MAXQDA Pro was used for the analysis.
Findings
Briefly summarizing the findings, many local schoolchildren had negative attitudes towards refugee pupils because they felt neglected when the classroom teacher paid more attention to them. However, the observations showed that classroom teachers were trying to help refugee children excel in their academic skills, continuing their regular instruction. Although teachers did not intend to provide extra special attention to refugee pupils, Turkish schoolchildren considered this form of interaction as special care.
Occasionally, the classroom teachers showed negative reactions to refugee pupils' academic progress and complained openly about refugee pupils' learning experiences. Even in these moments, Turkish schoolchildren thought that their classroom teachers loved refugee pupils more than them. They perceived teachers' reactions as a strategy to suppress their jealousy. This situation resulted in the exclusion of refugee children from social activities in and outside the classroom.
However, some of the Turkish schoolchildren, particularly those out-casted from the majority of the friendship circle for some reason, were close to refugee pupils. They were actively engaging with refugee pupils in and outside the classroom. Yet, the observations showed that these forms of engagement were formed out of desperation. When these Turkish schoolchildren were asked how they began forming a friendship, they often talked about how the other children in the classroom did not want to play with them.
Discussion
This research project contributes to refugee education practice and integration policies in two ways. First, this research project highlights the importance of including the voices and perceptions of local schoolchildren in Turkey as essential background for sustainable integration strategies. Until now, the failure of integration policies has been examined through the lens of the refugee communities themselves or the authorities (Candappa et al., 2007). Evidence suggests that much of refugee children's experiences are dependent on their relationship with the other pupils. This study provided information about why and how local schoolchildren can become the source of refugee pupils' negative education experiences. Second, this study contributes to the development of the refugee education field by showing that refugee education is a proactive field focusing on social negotiations among all social actors involved.

Author

• Ozlem Erden-Basaran, TED Üniversitesi