Perceptions of the Teacher and Teaching Process in the Drawings of Elementary School Students

Abstract

The present study aims to reveal how elementary and secondary school students perceive the teacher and teaching process as reflected in their drawings. In the present study, qualitative study method is used with 1000 students selected through "convenience sampling" method from 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grades of the schools located in Hakkari, Van, Ankara and Mugla cities. While the data of the study were being collected, the students were asked to draw a picture of a teacher as a response to the question" What do you imagine when you hear the word "teacher". The data in this way were evaluated through the SPSS by percentages (%) and frequencies. According to the findings, the students mostly depicted their teachers as "human" and just a small number of students illustrated them as a well-known person such as "Ataturk" or sun, flower, heart, book etc. When the students' drawings were evaluated in terms of teaching process, it was observed that the teachers are mostly illustrated inside the class, at the board, and while standing next to board or teaching with a chalk in hand.