Awareness level of prospective teachers regarding the discourse of the National Anthem

Abstract

The Turkish National Anthem is a text symbolizing the Turkish nation's struggle for independence, carrying profound meanings within its historical, cultural, and social context. Playing a significant role in the formation of national identity and the strengthening of national unity, this anthem is not only a ceremonial ritual but also an important educational tool for transmitting values. Undoubtedly, this text carries a message, a discourse; however, determining the extent to which its discourse is understood in the settings where it is performed, particularly in educational institutions, is crucial for assessing its discursive value. It is especially valuable to try to determine the level of awareness among teachers on this issue, as teachers play a crucial role in carrying and transmitting national values.

The purpose of this research is to determine prospective teachers' level of awareness regarding the discourse of the Independence March and to analyze how this awareness is shaped within the context of discourse, meaning, and emotional transmission. A case study design, a qualitative research method, was used in this study. The study group consisted of prospective teachers studying at the Faculty of Education at Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University. The study data was collected through an open-ended question to determine the level of understanding of the discourse of the National Anthem by prospective teachers. The data was analyzed using a qualitative content analysis method.

According to the data obtained, prospective teachers had a below-average perception of the themes related to the discourse of the National Anthem; in particular, they were significantly below average on some themes. Participants were extremely weak in their ability to perceive and express the discourse of the National Anthem holistically.

This study is valuable because it will reveal the level of awareness of prospective teachers regarding the discourse of the Turkish National Anthem, the İstiklal Marşı, which is widely recited; it will outline a framework for the message the İstiklal Marşı aims to convey; and it will demonstrate the degree of overlap between the perceived discourse and the actual discourse.