Near East University Faculty of Arts and Sciences faculty members and students turned the results of the literacy course, which was started in November 2022, for the mothers of children in the Cyprus Turkish Child Protection Institution, into a scientific publication.

Near East University Turkish Language Teaching Department faculty members Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Yeniasır and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Burak Gökbulut and Near East University Turkish Language Teaching Department students Asenur Köleoğlu and Ece Naz Sevim shared the results of the study at the “International Cyprus Education and Social Sciences Symposium”. In addition to the study that determined how the communication of mothers learning to read and write with their children changed; The results of the study “Knowledge and opinions of the pre-service teachers who experienced the earthquake on natural disasters and disaster education”, which was prepared by interviewing the teacher candidates who experienced the earthquake, were also shared with the participants in the same symposium. The study also revealed the idea that earthquake survivor teacher candidates pointed out that disaster training should be increased in the curriculum.

The bond of mothers who learned to read and write with their children was strengthened!
Near East University Faculty of Arts and Sciences Department of Turkish Language Teaching had started a literacy course for mothers of children protected in Cyprus Turkish Child Protection Institution in November 2022, upon the request of the institution. The study was transformed into a scientific study by observing how mothers’ learning to read and write changes their own and their children’s lives. The study revealed that the communication between mothers who learned to read and write with the course provided and their children became stronger. In addition, it was concluded that mothers, who can be more involved in the school process of their children by learning to read and write, strengthen their social bond with their children.

Near East University Head of Turkish Language Teaching Department Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Yeniasır stated that they observed the experiences of mothers and children in this process and that mothers’ learning to read and write increased their communication with their children and their daily lives became easier.

Another study presented at the International Cyprus Education and Social Sciences Symposium by the faculty and students of the Near East University revealed how the pre-service teachers who experienced the earthquake were affected by this disaster.

Pre-service teachers want disaster education to be increased in the curriculum
Many students who received teacher training also experienced the earthquake that took place in Turkey in February and deeply affected many people. The change caused by the disaster in the pre-service teachers’ perspectives on disaster education was also revealed by the study. The study, which also included Ece Naz Sevim, a student of the Near East University Department of Turkish Language Teaching, who also experienced the earthquake in Iskenderun; determined that teachers of the future think that education programs should include content that will contribute to the conscious struggle against natural disasters, especially earthquakes. The study emphasized that increasing education and training activities on disaster management is of vital importance in terms of social awareness.

Emphasizing that in order to raise conscious individuals, disaster education should be included in curricula at all levels of education in Turkey and Northern Cyprus as well as in the whole world, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Burak Gökbulut said that according to the results of the aforementioned study, all of the teacher candidates participating in the research care about disaster education and regard it as necessary.