International Journal of Educational Policies, cilt.14, sa.2, ss.105-130, 2020 (Hakemli Dergi)
Abstract
The aim of this study is to describe the activities of the Association of Seker
Portakali for Education and Culture (in Turkish acronym ŞPED, Şeker Portakalı
Eğitim ve Kültür Derneği) in Ankara, a local community association that provides
critical reading culture and learning experiences, based on the experiences and
feelings of children, adults, parents, founder members and volunteer educators. For
this purpose, initially the educational policy context in Turkey is briefly addressed.
Subsequently, the historical background of the Seker Portakali Educational
Association, where the study was conducted, from its foundation up to today is
provided. As a case study design data as regards the types, contents, and practice of
the educational activities towards the children and adults is collected through
observation, interviews, and document analysis. The experiences of those founder
member of the association (1), the children (7), adults (7), parents (6), and volunteer
educators (2) that participate in the activities were examined and assessed through
qualitative research perspective. The findings show that as an example of public
pedagogy ŞPED creates alternative learning opportunities for every members of it
even with a limited financial and human sources.