Nilay Kayhan

Examining the game teaching in special education teacher training in Turkey and European Union Member States

This study aims to examine the compulsory courses related to the game and game teaching in special education teacher training undergraduate programme in terms of number, term, credit and content. The data in descriptive study have been determined using document analysis technique. It has been stated that pre-service teachers in most of the EU countries such as Belgium, Finland, Hungary, Luxemburg, Malta, Portugal, etc. take the courses related to game teaching in the first, second and third years of their education, and the courses with the lowest credit are included in Greece’s and Holland’s special education teacher training programmes with four ECTS and the highest credits are included in Malta’s special education teacher training programme with 20 ECTS. In Turkey, special education teacher training programme which is updated in 2018 includes two ECTS of ‘Game and Music in Special Education’ course in the sixth term.

A STUDY ON FAMILY OPINIONS CONCERNING SERVICES PROVIDED IN SPECIAL EDUCATION CENTERS

This study is to diagnose and evaluate children with different special needs medically and educationally and, as a result of those evaluations, to identify families’ expectations, opinions and suggestions concerning the special education process, services and the functioning of special education institutions. The mothers of five children who attended special education centres located in Nicosia, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, were included. The data were gathered through semistructured interviews, and the study were designed with the research method qualitatively. The opinions of mothers were gathered under five main themes. The results show that children who were diagnosed/evaluated at an early stage were integrated into education earlier and benefit more from special education institutions compared with other children. This study concludes that mothers’ anxiety and stress decrease as the social support they receive increases.