Preschool Teacher Candidates’ Opinions About The Value Of Patriotism

The value of patriotism is significant in terms of providing the continuity and order of social life. Preschool teachers play an important role in children’s personality development and this study aims to investigate the prospective preschool teachers’ opinions about the value of patriotism. In particular, this study presents preschool teacher candidates’ opinions about the value of patriotism, the expectations from a patriotic person, the reasons for being a patriot, the effective factors in the acquisition of the value of patriotism and the role of preschool teachers in raising patriotic individuals. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews conducted with the 4th grade prospective preschool teachers studying at the Faculty of Education, Kastamonu University in the 2015-2016 academic year. The data was analysed through descriptive analysis. The findings show that the teacher candidates described patriotism as loving and protecting ones’ country. The expectations from a patriotic person were listed as loving, protecting and supporting one’s country. The teacher candidates also listed the reasons for being a patriot as protecting our country and our nation, living in unity and providing the social continuity. According to the prospective preschool teachers, the effective factors in the acquisition of the value of patriotism were family, school, environment and other social categories. The role of preschool teachers in raising patriotic individuals was described as their specific position in introducing the value of patriotism and laying the base for this value.