turkish studies - acarindex

Turkish Studies Volume 14 Issue 2, 2019, p. 679-693

DOI: 10.7827/TurkishStudies.14655

ISSN: 1308-2140

Skopje/MACEDONIA-Ankara/TURKEY

Research Article / Araştırma Makalesi

A r t i c l e I n f o / M a k a l e B i l g i s i

Received/Geliş: Kasım 2018 Accepted/Kabul: Mart 2019

Referees/Hakemler: Doç. Dr. Yasemin DARANCIK – Doç. Dr. Bülent KIRMIZI – Doç. Dr. Ömer Tuğrul KARA

This article was checked by iThenticate.

CRITICAL PEDAGOGY AND PARTICIPATORY APPROACH IN TURKEY: VIEWS OF PRE-SERVICE ELT TEACHERS

Eser ÖRDEM* - Ömer Gökhan ULUM**

ABSTRACT

Although the contemporary history of critical pedagogy and English

language teaching methods dates back to 1960s, the implementation and

use of critical pedagogy has been hardly used in ELT departments and

EFL classroom settings because the principles of critical pedagogy and the commercial desires of global textbooks publishers affected by the

status of English as a lingua franca have remained incompatible. The

latter has been more prevalent and imposing owing to commercial factors.

This study aimed to unravel the views of pre-service ELT teachers (N=39)

regarding the topics covered on the agenda released within the last month. Two data collection tools were used to collect data. The first tool

was composed of a list of topics that contained social, cultural, religious,

political and other risky topics. The second tool was an interview form to

elicit the pre-service teachers’ detailed views regarding the inclusion of

the topics. The results indicate that the topics shown to the participants

were hardly mentioned in ELT classrooms. However, they noted that the inclusion of the topics was necessary in the curriculum of ELT

departments in Turkey. In addition, various social and political issues

need to be incorporated into curriculum and syllabus by developing the

culture of radical, pluralistic and direct democracy, and these socio-

political topics need to be negotiated in classes that teach English as a second language in a democratic atmosphere. A critical perspective needs

to be developed towards global textbooks in English.

* Dr. Öğr. Üyesi, Adana Alparslan Türkeş Bilim ve Teknoloji Üniversitesi, Mütercim Tercümanlık Bölümü, E-posta:

[email protected]

** Öğr. Gör. Dr., Adana Alparslan Türkeş Bilim ve Teknoloji Üniversitesi, E-posta: [email protected]

http://dx.doi.org/10.7827/TurkishStudies.

mailto:[email protected]

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9529-4045

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7685-6356

680 Eser ÖRDEM - Ömer Gökhan ULUM

Turkish Studies Volume 14 Issue 2, 2019

STRUCTURED ABSTRACT

Critical pedagogy aims to deal with topics not discussed in

mainstream education because these topics intend to emancipate and liberate learners and other actors in education settings. Developing a

critical approach regarding gender, identity, society, culture and politics

is often considered risky. Thus, practitioners in education often dwell on

anodyne topics that can be regarded as soft issues. Various language

teaching approaches have been developed since 1950s. Topics such as

colonization, post-colonialism, LGBT, queer theory, nationalism, religion, racism, apartheid, identity politics, policies of assimilation and anti-

immigration have been intentionally excluded in second language

teaching topics and curricula (Giroux, 1981, 1993; Gray, 2013).In the

context of Turkey, recent historical, political, and social problems are also

excluded in national English books. Thus, it can be said that foreign language learners in Turkey are rendered disadvantageous at both global

and national levels. Framing discourses and minds in second language

teaching can be seen as a postcolonial problem. Thus, we can say that

artificial topics are negotiated in classroom settings, although an infinite

number of political and social problems are experienced and raised

outside classrooms (Freire, 1994).

Raising political and social awareness in second language

teaching empowers foreign language learners to be responsible world

citizens and to create social change through dialectic discourse. This

study aims to examine the views of pre-service ELT teachers regarding

the content of critical pedagogy and participatory approach. Since it is important to include topics and issues on the agenda in ELT and EFL

curriculum, research into the views of pre-service ELT teachers needs to

be more often conducted. Therefore, this study serves an important

purpose in that it deals with issues that may beg for a critical approach.

This study is qualitative and descriptive in nature research

method. The aim of qualitative methodology is to interpret the data from a hermeneutic perspective (Creswell, 1998; Macdonald, 2012;

McDonough & McDonough, 2014). In line with this idea,

phenomenographic research method was used so as to unearth the ideas

of the participants (Marton, 1981, 1986). This research method involves

conceptualization, perception, experience and understanding of certain concepts, categories, events and particularly phenomena. A form

composed of various questions was given to the participants to reply to

some issues aiming to focus on issues from a critical perspective. In

addition, a list of topics on the agenda that were released in Turkish

newspaper within a month was given to the participants to learn whether

they discussed these topics in the classroom settings.

The participants were composed of 39 pre-service ELT teachers,

and the age range of the participants was 23. They did not receive any

subjects or classes regarding critical pedagogy. The participants’ major

was English language teaching and worked as student teachers in public

schools. Therefore, they were familiar with the content and topics of the

textbooks, syllabi and curriculum. The participants had some knowledge of textbook selection procedures that they learned in their department.

Both global and national textbooks and curricula lead teachers

and learners to focus on framed topics that deliberately exclude power

Critical Pedagogy and Participatory Approach in Turkey: Views of Pre-Service ELT Teachers 681


relations, dominance, ideologies and hegemonic (Giroux, 1994, 1996,

1997). Teaching English in Turkey is strictly determined and dominated

by national and global agents (Kırkgöz, 2005, 2009a). The historical and

political background of Turkey renders teaching English much harder in

that second language teaching is often and constantly depoliticized (Ulum, 2014, 2016). This situation is also sometimes extended to even

Turkish language teaching affected by the tradition of language teaching

in Turkey (Kara, 2016). Thus, Learning Turkish as a second language in

Turkey is also under the effect of ELT textbooks and curriculum,

syllabus, although Turkey aims to discover its own path (Gün, Akkaya and Kara, 2014; Kara, 2009, 2016; Tüm & Sarkmaz, 2012).

Inclusion of sociopolitical issues into classroom environment in

second language teaching is often avoided. Since schools and even

teachers in Turkey cannot act freely without being dependent on

administrators, district representatives of the ministry of national

education, even their talks and discourses in classrooms are molded by the dominant political parties. The hypocrisy of western-based English

language teaching resulting from capitalist concerns also contributes to

the status quo in Turkey because English global textbooks also avoid

facing their own historical, political and social problems. Thus, second

language learners in Turkey are forced to produce deliberately selected topics.

This study showed that only anodyne topics were discussed in

EFL settings because EFL teachers generally tended to follow only

curricula and global textbooks imposed by the administrators. Pre-

service teachers emphasized the fact that socio-political issues should be

debated in classrooms so that they can gain a wider perspective in second language education. However, daily topics on the agenda were ignored by

ELT departments because political issues seem to entail taking risks.

Both ELT departments and practitioners should review their curriculum

even if these issues can be viewed as risky in the political arena. It is

highly recommended that teachers, administrators and practitioners should take risks to enable learners to discuss hard issues as well in

classroom settings so that radical and direct democracy can flourish. In

addition, participation in all stages of teaching and inclusion of learners

into all stages ranging from preparing curriculum to choosing texts and

topics should be provided.

Keywords: critical pedagogy, participatory approach, pre-service ELT teachers

TÜRKİYE’DE ELEŞTİREL PEDAGOJİ VE KATILIMCI YAKLAŞIM: HİZMET ÖNCESİ İNGİLİZCE ÖĞRETMEN

ADAYLARININ DÜŞÜNCELERİ

ÖZET

Eleştirel pedagojinin ve İngilizce dil öğretim yöntemlerinin çağdaş

tarihi 1960'lara kadar uzansa da eleştirel pedagojinin ilkeleri ve küresel

ders kitapları yayıncılarının ticari istekleri tarafından etkilendiği için eleştirel pedagojinin uygulanması ve kullanımı, ELT bölümlerinde ve EFL



sınıf ortamlarında pek kullanılmamaktadır. Çünkü eleştirel pedagojinin

ilkeleri ile küresel bir dil olarak İngilizceden etkilenen küresel ders

kitapları yayımcılarının ticari arzuları uyuşmamaktadır. Özellikle küresel

ders kitapları yayımcılarının etkisi ticari faktörlerden dolayı çok yaygın

ve baskın olarak günümüze kadar gelmiştir. Bu çalışma, hizmet öncesi öğretmen adaylarının (N = 39) son ayda yayımlanan gündemdeki

konulara ilişkin görüşlerini ortaya çıkarmayı amaçlamıştır. Veri

toplamak için iki veri toplama aracı kullanılmıştır. Birinci veri toplama

aracı, sosyal, kültürel, dini, politik ve diğer riskli konuları içeren konuları

kapsamaktaydı. İkinci veri toplama aracı ise, öğretmen adaylarının konuların müfredata dâhil edilmesine ilişkin ayrıntılı görüşlerini ortaya

çıkarmak için bir görüşme formu hazırlandı. Sonuçlar, katılımcılara

gösterilen konuların, ELT sınıflarında nerdeyse söz edilmediğini

göstermektedir. Ancak, konuların dâhil edilmesinin, Türkiye'deki ELT

bölümlerinin müfredatında gerekli olduğunu belirtmişlerdir. Ayrıca sınıf

içinde ve İngilizce bölümlerinde radikal, çoğulcu ve direk demokrasi kültürü geliştirilerek farklı sosyal ve politik konular müfredata dahil

edilmeli ve gündelik yaşamda tartışılan sosyo-politik konular İngilizce

eğitim verilen sınıflarda demokratik bir atmosferde tartışılmalıdır.

Küresel ölçekteki İngilizce ders kitaplarına eleştirel bir bakış

geliştirilmeli.

Anahtar Kelimeler: Eleştirel pedagoji, Katılımcı yaklaşım, Hizmet

öncesi öğretmen adayları

Introduction

Critical theory emerged as a new paradigm to criticize reason and tenets of modernity. Critical

theory has also enabled critical pedagogy to emerge in the following years. Thus, critical theory and

pedagogy have produced strong parameters and principles that have affected humanities significantly.

Since both theories contain topics that entail emancipatory practices, they have been ignored in some

disciplines of social sciences. One of these disciplines is English language teaching that has discarded

these two theories owing to commercial reasons (Gray, 2013). Critical pedagogy aims to deal with

topics not discussed in mainstream education because these topics intend to emancipate and liberate

learners and other actors in education settings. Developing a critical approach regarding gender, identity,

society, culture and politics is often considered risky. Thus, practitioners in education often dwell on

anodyne topics that can be regarded as soft issues. In line with the tenets of critical pedagogy,

participatory approach has been developed in recent decades. This approach endeavors to include

political and emancipatory topics in educational setting because political issues have often been risky in

second language teaching on account of concerns in capitalism (Philipson, 1992, 1999). Second

language teaching is one of the most exercised scientific disciplines of capitalism. Curricula, textbooks,

teacher talk, political history and situation in certain countries, non-dialectic discourses and capitalist

concerns constantly reinforce prevalence of depoliticized attitudes and behaviors in second language

teaching (Thornbury, 2013). Topics covered in textbooks, curricula and classrooms generally refer to

depolitical issues that depoliticize second language teachers and learners. Topics that may cause

conflicts are hardly mentioned. Textbooks and curricula function as agenda-setting based on certain

frames that guide minds in certain ways (Philipson, 2003, 2009; Thornbury, 2013). Teachnig and

learning English in Turkey has been dominant in recent decades (Doğançay- Tuna & Kızıltepe, 2005).

However, methods used are varied by ignoring participatory approach.

Various language teaching approaches have been developed since 1950s. However, none of

them has been able to produce critical pedagogy whose tenets have not been reflected in second language



teaching. Unlike these approaches, a Marxist based teaching method, participatory approach based on

the ideas developed by Freire (1994, 1998), has been largely ignored because this approach raises radical

criticism against the topics chosen in English global textbooks and curricula. Topics such as

colonization, post-colonialism, LGBT, queer theory, nationalism, religion, racism, apartheid, identity

politics, policies of assimilation and anti-immigration have been intentionally excluded in second

language teaching topics and curricula (Giroux, 1981, 1993; Gray, 2013).In the context of Turkey, recent

historical, political, and social problems are also excluded in national English books. Thus, it can be

said that foreign language learners in Turkey are rendered disadvantageous at both global and national

levels. Framing discourses and minds in second language teaching can be seen as a postcolonial

problem. Thus, we can say that artificial topics are negotiated in classroom settings, although an infinite

number of political and social problems are experienced and raised outside classrooms (Freire, 1994).

Absence of radical and plural democracy in EFL classrooms in Turkey hinder discussions of political

issues because at macro level these issues are not covered even in regular education let alone English

language setting (Keyman, 2000; Mouffe, 1992; Trend, 1996). Sociologically and historically

development of direct and radical democracy has not been able to be developed in Turkey. The adverse

effect of these macro-level sociological issues also affected second language teaching in Turkey. In

addition, absence of political issues in global textbooks published in England and the USA also render

the discussion of these much more difficult. Absence of space for emergence of liberal democracy leads

only anodyne topics to arise, which makes participatory approach unteachable in Turkey. ELT and EFL

teachers, administrators and practitioners tend not to take risks so as to discuss and raise these socio-

political issues in Turkey.

Raising political and social awareness in second language teaching empowers foreign language

learners to be responsible world citizens and to create social change through dialectic discourse. This

study aims to examine the views of pre-service ELT teachers regarding the content of critical pedagogy

and participatory approach. Since it is important to include topics and issues on the agenda in ELT and

EFL curriculum, research into the views of pre-service ELT teachers needs to be more often conducted.

Therefore, this study serves an important purpose in that it deals with issues that may beg for a critical

approach.

Methodology

This study is qualitative and descriptive in nature research method. The aim of qualitative

methodology is to interpret the data from a hermeneutic perspective (Creswell, 1998; Macdonald, 2012;

McDonough & McDonough, 2014). In line with this idea, phenomenographic research method was used

so as to unearth the ideas of the participants (Marton, 1981, 1986). This research method involves

conceptualization, perception, experience and understanding of certain concepts, categories, events and

particularly phenomena. In this research method, certain conceptions are identified and analyzed

((Marton & Pong, 2005).

A form composed of various questions was given to the participants to reply to some issues

aiming to focus on issues from a critical perspective. In addition, a list of topics on the agenda that were

released in Turkish newspaper within a month was given to the participants to learn whether they

discussed these topics in the classroom settings.

2.1. Participants

The participants were composed of 39 pre-service ELT teachers, and the age range of the

participants was 23. They did not receive any subjects or classes regarding critical pedagogy. The

participants’ major was English language teaching and worked as student teachers in public schools.

Therefore, they were familiar with the content and topics of the textbooks, syllabi and curriculum. The

participants had some knowledge of textbook selection procedures that they learned in their department.



Data Analysis and Results

In this section, the results of the study and the findings are described based on the data obtained

from the participants by means of the instrument. They are grouped under the titles of the categories

from the interview.

Table 1

The National and International News Known by the Students

Item f %

Economic Crisis 20 17.09

Pastor Brunson 13 11.11

Jamal Khashoggi 10 8.55

Violence against Women 9 7.68

Child Abuse 7 5.98

Turkish National Oath 7 5.98

Terror 6 5.13

Syria Issue 6 5.13

Teacher Appointments 4 3.42

Lost Children 3 2.55

Sıla-Ahmet Kural Incident 3 2.55

Murder of Russian Ambassador 2 1.71

Saturday Mothers 2 1.71

Local Elections 2 1.71

Indonesian Earthquake 2 1.71

Palestinian Struggle 2 1.71

The US by-elections 2 1.71

Frozen Soldiers 2 1.71

Turkey Exemption from Iran Sanction 2 1.71

Worsening Relations between Turkey and the USA 2 1.71

Violence against Animals 1 0.85

Trump 1 0.85

Nobel Awards 1 0.85

Hunger in Yemen 1 0.85

New İstanbul Airport 1 0.85



Adnan Oktar and his Kitties 1 0.85

The Mysterious Red House in Mersin 1 0.85

The Boy Having a Heart Attack in Fenerbahçe Stadium 1 0.85

The Luxurious Car of the Head of Turkish Religious Affairs 1 0.85

Qatar Jumbo Jet 1 0.85

Death of Ara Güler, the famous Turkish Photographer 1 0.85

As it is clear from the table, the first coming news known by the majority of the students is

Economic Crisis (17.09%). Besides, a big number of the students are also aware of the following news

such as Pastor Brunson (11.11%), Jamal Khashoggi (8.55%), Violence against Women (7.68%), Child

Abuse (5.98%), and Turkish National Oath (5.98%). Furthermore, such news as Terror (5.13%), Syria

Issue (5.13%), and Teacher Appointments (3.42%) are also known by a number of students. Regarding

such news as Lost Children (2.55%), and Sıla-Ahmet Kural Incident (2.55%), a small number of

respondents state that they have heard about such news. On the other hand, such themes as Murder of

Russian Ambassador (1.71%), Saturday Mothers (1.71%), Local Elections (1.71%), Indonesian

Earthquake (1.71%), Palestinian Struggle (1.71%), The US by-elections (1.71%), Frozen Soldiers

(1.71%), Turkey Exemption from Iran Sanction (1.71%), and Worsening Relations between Turkey and

the USA (1.71%) are observed to be occurred with a bare emergence. In a similar vein, just one

emergence is observed to emerge for each of the following news items: Violence against Animals

(0.85%), Trump (0.85%), Nobel Awards (0.85%), Hunger in Yemen (0.85%), New İstanbul Airport

(0.85%), Adnan Oktar and his Kitties (0.85%), The Mysterious Red House in Mersin (0.85%), The Boy

Having a Heart Attack in Fenerbahçe Stadium (0.85%), The Luxurious Car of the Head of Turkish

Religious Affairs (0.85%), Qatar Jumbo Jet (0.85%), and the Death of Ara Güler, the famous Turkish

Photographer (0.85%).

Table 2

The National and International News Discussed in the Classroom

Item f %

No news 25 65.79

Ever-changing Turkish Education System 7 18.43

Teacher Appointments 2 5.26

Jamal Khashoggi 1 2.63

Economic Crisis & Dollar Increase 1 2.63

Murder of Russian Ambassador 1 2.63

Worsening Relations between Turkey and the USA 1 2.63

It is clearly observed in the table that majority of the respondents state they discuss No news in

the classroom (65.79%). In addition, the theme Ever-changing Turkish Education System (18.43%)

emerged with an average occurrence. On the other hand, such news items as Teacher Appointments

(5.26%), Jamal Khashoggi (2.63%), Economic Crisis & Dollar Increase (2.63%), Murder of Russian



Ambassador (2.63%), and Worsening Relations between Turkey and the USA (2.63%) emerged with

a bare occurrence.

Table 3

How the National and International News Discussed in the Classroom

Item f %

Rarely discussing (just when presenting a homework) 23 65.71

No discussion in the classroom 12 34.29

Regarding how the national and international news discussed in the classroom, majority of the

participants state Rarely discussing (just when presenting a homework) (65.71%). However, it is also

clear from the table that the item No discussion in the classroom emerged with a percentage of 34.29.

Table 4

The Views on the Effectiveness of Utilizing Daily News in ELT Classes

Item f %

Effective 30 90.91

Ineffective 3 9.09

Regarding the views on the effectiveness of utilizing daily news in ELT classes, it is apparent

from the table that almost all the respondents put forward Effective (90.91%). On the other hand, the

item Ineffective (9.09%) occurred with a bare emergence.

Table 5

The Views on the Need of Utilizing Daily News in ELT Classes

Item f %

Required 32 82.05

Partially required 7 17.95

With respect to the views on the need of utilizing daily news in ELT classes, it is easily detected

from the table that majority of the respondents suggest Required (82.05%). However, the item Partially

Required (17.95%) emerged with a small percentage.



Table 6

The Specific News the Students Heard about

Item f %

Yes No Yes No

Pastor Brunson 32 7 82.10 17.90

Jamal Khashoggi 24 15 61.50 38.50

Economic Crisis 39 0 100.00 0.00

Turkish National Oath 36 3 92.30 7.70

Child Abuse 39 0 100.00 0.00

Lost Children 35 4 89.70 10.30

LGBT 25 14 64.10 35.90

Terror 39 0 100.00 0.00

Indonesia Earthquake 22 17 56.40 43.60

Nobel Awards 18 21 46.20 53.80

McKinsey Incident 10 29 25.60 74.40

Sıla-Ahmet Kural Incident 36 3 92.30 7.70

Saturday Mothers 16 23 41.00 59.00

Local Elections 31 8 79.50 20.50

Syria Issue 20 19 51.30 48.70

Regarding the specific news the students heard about, it is clearly observed from the table that

each item emerged with a different percentage of emergence. The following news items represent both

the positive and negative percentages of each theme successively: Pastor Brunson (82.10%, 17.90%),

Jamal Khashoggi (61.50%, 38.50%), Economic Crisis (100.00, 0.00), Turkish National Oath

(92.30%, 7.70%), Child Abuse (100.00%, 0.00%), Lost Children (89.70%, 10.30%), LGBT

(64.10%, 35.90%), Terror (100.00%, 0.00%), Indonesia Earthquake (56.40%, 43.60%), Nobel Awards

(46.20%, 53.80%), McKinsey Incident (25.60%, 74.40%), Sıla-Ahmet Kural Incident (92.30%, 7.70%),

Saturday Mothers (41.00%, 59.00%), Local Elections (79.50%, 20.50%), and Syria Issue (51.30%,

48.70%).



Table 7

The Specific News the Students Discussed in the Class

Item f %

Yes No Yes No

Pastor Brunson 4 34 10.50 89.50

Jamal Khashoggi 2 36 5.30 94.70

Economic Crisis 8 30 21.10 78.90

Turkish National Oath 4 34 10.50 89.50

Child Abuse 5 33 13.20 86.80

Lost Children 2 36 5.30 94.70

LGBT 4 34 10.50 89.50

Terror 3 35 7.90 92.10

Indonesia Earthquake 0 38 0.00 100.00

Nobel Awards 2 36 5.30 94.70

McKinsey Incident 1 37 2.60 97.40

Sıla-Ahmet Kural Incident 3 35 7.90 92.10

Saturday Mothers 0 38 0.00 100.00

Local Elections 0 38 0.00 100.00

Syria Issue 0 38 0.00 100.00

With respect of the specific news the students discussed in the class, we can easily understand

from the table that each item occurred with a different percentage of emergence. The following items

clarify both the positive and negative percentages of each theme successively: Pastor Brunson (10.50%,

89.50%), Jamal Khashoggi (5.30%, 94.70%), Economic Crisis (21.10%, 78.90%), Turkish National

Oath (10.50%, 89.50%), Child Abuse (13.20%, 86.80%), Lost Children (5.30%, 94.70%), LGBT

(10.50%, 89.50%), Terror (7.90%, 92.10%), Indonesia Earthquake (0.00%, 100.00%), Nobel Awards

(5.30%, 94.70%), McKinsey Incident (2.60%, 97.40%), Sıla-Ahmet Kural Incident (7.90%, 92.10%),

Saturday Mothers (0.00%, 100.00), Local Elections (0.00%, 100.00%), and Syria Issue (0.00%,

100.00%).



Table 8

Students’ Views on the Need of Discussing the News Given in Table 7

Item f %

All news for raising awareness 17 47.22

Only useful news 13 36.11

All news exempt from religion and politics 3 8.33

All news exempt from Sıla-Ahmet Kural Incident 2 5.56

All news exempt from Saturday Mothers 1 2.78

As can be detected from the table, majority of the respondents suggest All news for raising

awareness (47.22%). Similarly, a big number of respondents utter Only useful news (36.11%). Besides,

a small number of respondents state the successive themes as All news exempt from religion and politics

(8.33%), All news exempt from Sıla-Ahmet Kural Incident (5.56%), and All news exempt from

Saturday Mothers (2.78%).

Table 9

Students’ Views on whether their ELT Department Educates them based on Critical Pedagogy

Item f %

Occasionally 17 51.52

Never 14 42.42

Yes 2 6.06

Considering students’ views on whether their ELT department educates them based on critical

pedagogy, the table clearly represents that while the majority of the respondents declare Occasionally

(51.52%), a slightly smaller number of participants suggest Never (42.42%). However, just a slight

occurrence is observed with reference to the item Yes (6.06%).

Table 10

Students’ Views on whether Critical Pedagogy can be Employed at Early Ages

Item f %

Yes (to awareness and meaningful learning) 23 58.97

No (to avoid possible problems) 13 33.34

Not sure 3 7.69

With regard of students’ views on whether critical pedagogy can be employed at early ages, the

table clearly notes that majority of the respondents indicate Yes (to awareness and meaningful learning)

(58.97%). Besides, within this category, a number of respondents declare No (to avoid possible



problems) (33.34%). On the other hand, just few participants suggest Not sure (7.69%) for the mentioned

dimension.

Discussion

This study intended to examine the views of pre-service ELT teachers about the content of

critical pedagogy and participatory approach. The results show that the participants did not receive or

negotiate critical issues that appeared in the newspapers. The topics on the agenda were not studied as

a part of the curriculum of ELT. However, the participants emphasized the fact that these topics must

be incorporated into both ELT and EFL curriculum (Ulum, 2015; Ulum & Bada, 2016).

Teaching English as a foreign language in Turkey is completely dependent on the ministry of

national education and the council of higher education located in the capital city (Kırkgöz & Agcam,

2011; Sarıçoban & Can, 2013). Therefore, any school, college or university, be it public or private, can

be seen as extensions of current governments because inspectors are sent to these educational institutions

to supervise how English is taught. Universities often purchase global textbooks, while primary,

secondary and high schools have to use national English textbooks provided by the ministry of national

education (Kırkgöz, 2009b,2010; Köksal & Sahin, 2012). However, both global and national textbooks

and curricula lead teachers and learners to focus on framed topics that deliberately exclude power

relations, dominance, ideologies and hegemonic (Giroux, 1994, 1996, 1997). Teaching English in

Turkey is already strictly determined and dominated by national and global agents (Kırkgöz, 2005,

2009a). The historical and political background of Turkey renders teaching English much harder in that

second language teaching is often and constantly depoliticized (Ulum, 2014, 2016). This situation is

also sometimes extended to even Turkish language teaching affected by the tradition of language

teaching in Turkey (Kara, 2016). Thus, Learning Turkish as a second language in Turkey is also under

the effect of ELT textbooks and curriculum, syllabus, although Turkey aims to discover its own path

(Gün, Akkaya and Kara, 2014; Kara, 2009, 2016; Tüm & Sarkmaz, 2012). In future studies, both

approaches in Turkish and English can also be compared to see the trends in Turkey.

These depoliticized reflexes in second language teaching in Turkey may originate from coups

experienced in recent decades and fears of being sidelined, interrogated, sued or even imprisoned.

Therefore, inclusion of sociopolitical issues into classroom environment in second language teaching is

often avoided. Since schools and even teachers in Turkey cannot act freely without being dependent on

administrators, district representatives of the ministry of national education, even their talks and

discourses in classrooms are molded by the dominant political parties (Arikan, Taser & Sarac-Suzer,

2008; Zehir Topkaya & Yavuz, 2011). Thus, topics are deliberately selected and framed by those in

power. These framed topics determine discourses that also depolitically shape minds of teachers and

learners. Turkey has been experiencing these political tensions since 1839, when Turkish reform policy

was first officially initiated (Mardin, 1973). The historicopolitical tension between the center and

periphery in Turkey is heavily felt in second language teaching (Mardin, 1973). The hypocrisy of

western-based English language teaching resulting from capitalist concerns also contributes to the status

quo in Turkey because English global textbooks also avoid facing their own historical, political and

social problems. Thus, second language learners in Turkey are forced to produce deliberately selected

topics.

Conclusion

This study showed that only anodyne topics were discussed in EFL settings because EFL

teachers generally tended to follow only curricula and global textbooks imposed by the administrators.

Pre-service teachers emphasized the fact that socio-political issues should be debated in classrooms so

that they can gain a wider perspective in second language education. However, daily topics on the

agenda were ignored by ELT departments because political issues seem to entail taking risks.



Future studies can reconsider the implementation and use of participatory approach so that

social, cultural or political issues can be raised in classroom settings. This approach remains pivotal

because it may provide emancipatory and progressive education in the field of language teaching. Both

ELT departments and practitioners should review their curriculum even if these issues can be viewed as

risky in the political arena. It is highly recommended that teachers, administrators and practitioners

should take risks to enable learners to discuss hard issues as well in classroom settings so that radical

and direct democracy can flourish. In addition, participation in all stages of teaching and inclusion of

learners into all stages ranging from preparing curriculum to choosing texts and topics should be

provided.

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