Yaz Kur’an Kursu Öğreticilerinin Eğitim-öğretim Yeterlikleri: Bolu İli Örneği
Teaching Competency of Summer Qur’ān Courses’ Instructors: The Case of Bolu

Summary/Abstract: The aim of this research is to measure the perceptions of Summer Qur’ān Courses’ instructors performing in different positions about their teaching competency. The survey technique which is included in the quantitative screening model was used as a data collection tool in the research, and the scale prepared to measure the teaching competency of Summer Qur’ān Courses’ instructors was applied to 225 instructors taking an active role in these courses in Bolu. The factor analysis which is done for construct validity shows that the scale was combined by seven factors, and the value of KMO is .93. The general average of the scale is determined as 3.96, and it refers a high positive perceptional level about teaching competency. Nevertheless, within factors especially method-technique and professional development stands out with their scores (M = 3.39; 3.76) below the scale average, and it means that some measures should be taken in order to overcome this deficiency in these two sub-dimensions. The results of the analyses which are performed to examine differences between groups reveals that gender, age, position, location and tenure cause statistically significant differences at p<.05 significant level whether on the general average of the scale or one of the sub-dimensions at least. Qur’ān courses are one of the main institutions which have been serving to respond the needs of people for religious education, especially for learning how to read the Qur’ān, through the Republican Period. The origin of these institutions could be gone back to the era of the Prophet Mohammad, and they could be accepted as a continuation of previous institutions such as Kuttâb, Dâr el-Qur’ān and Dâr el-Qurra. They came out with this name in 1925 at the beginning of the Republican Period. Their number fluctuated until 1950, and after this time they have increased in number continuously. The Presidency of Religious Affairs discharges its legal responsibility of informing people about religion mainly through mosques and Qur’ān courses. Summer Qur’ān courses which host approximately 1.600.000 students in every summer are important parts of these educational activities. Imam, muezzin and Qur’ān courses’ instructors are the main teaching staff of these courses and their teaching competencies should be evaluated constantly. According to their needs and deficiencies they should be supported through various inservice trainings, and curriculums in higher religious education should be reviewed to response their teaching deficiencies. Some of the importnant purposes of these courses are expressed as follows: to teach how to read the Qur’ān and its meaning, to improve students’ religious knowledge and to let them to benefit from religious social and cultural activities. The aim of this research to evaluate teaching competencies of summer Qur’ān courses’ instructors. The success of these courses is closely related with this point. The quantitative screening model was preferred for this purpose, and survey technique was utilized to collect datas. The sample of the research consisted of 225 summer Qur’ān courses instructors performing in different position such as imam, muezzin and Qur’ān courses instructor in Bolu. A teaching competencies scale was developed to measure these features. In order to measure the construct validity of the scale exploratory factor analysis was performed, and it was seen that the scale was divided into seven sub-dimensions which each of them represents different aspects of teaching competencies. These sub-dimensions are communication, counseling, method-technique, evaluation, professional development, pre-planning for the class, and arrangement of instruction. KMO value of the scale is found as .93, and the value of reliability is detected as .95. These values indicate that, this scale has high reliability and useful to scale what it wants to measure. The total variance explained by the scale is 64.41%. Data analysis was based on a .05 significance level. The average of the scale is 3.96, and it could be said that summer Qur’ān courses’ instructors have a highly positive perception about their teaching competencies. Indeed, it is just a self-perception, so it does not give any idea how much of it can be transferred into the practice. Therefore it should be confirmed by other researches which are done on students and supervisors of these courses. Nevertheless, the result is significant in terms of showing self-confidence of the instructors in teaching field. The average of the sub-dimensions is as follows respectively: communication (4.30), counseling (4.18), arrangement of instruction (4.07), evaluation (4.01), pre-planning for the class (3.99), professional development (3.76) and method-technique (3.39). According to these scores it can be concluded that communication and counseling have the highest perceptional level within sub-dimensions. No doubt, they are very important features not only for teaching but also for personality development of students. Nevertheless, having these features requires an educational background and proficiency. When we consider percentage of undergraduates among the participants it is only 18.3 %, it is clear that high perceptional level about these two feathers should be examined by various tools. The lowest perceptional level belongs to method-technique sub-dimension. It means that instructors have a crucial problem which is directly related with practice. Method-technique refers to knowing how to teach, choosing and using proper ways and tools in teaching process. Lack of this knowledge risks the achievement of these courses, so some measures should be taken in this field to train, support and discourage instructors. The results of independent sample t-test demonstrates that the gender variable causes significant difference on all sub-dimension and the average of the scale. It means that females have a higher perceptional level than males in teaching competencies scale and in all sub-dimensions. The position variable affects on the average of the scale and all sub-dimensions except for professional development. According to the position variable we can say that Qur’ān courses instructors have a higher perceptional levels than imams in teaching competencies scale and in all sub-dimensions except for professional development. T-test also shows that there is a significant difference in communication and arrangement of instruction sub-dimensions according to the location variable. It means that the perception of instructors working in province/town is higher than those working in village/country in these two sub-dimensions. In order to determine differential effect of variables which consist of more than two sub-groups one-way anova test was performed. In addition to that Tukey test was employed to clarify the source of the differences. According to the results of one-way anova test it was concluded that communication, method-technique and arrangement of instruction differ significantly according to the age variable. Tukey test refers to 20-34 age group in communication and 50 and above age group in method-technique as the sources of these differences. In arrangement of instruction sub-dimension only there is a significant difference is only between 20-34 and 50 and above age groups. In general we can say that the competencies perception reduces as the age average increases. Another variable causing significant difference on the teaching competencies scale was detected as tenure. The results refer that significant differences occur according to the tenure variable in the scale and communication, method-technique and arrangement of instruction sub-dimensions. According to Tukey test perceptions about teaching competencies, method-technique and arrangement of instruction differ only between 1-5 year tenure and 26 and above year tenure groups. In communication sub-dimension 1-5 year tenure group was determined as the source of the difference. In summary, this research shows that summer Qur’ān courses’ instructors have a high positive perceptional level about their teaching competencies, but especially method-technique factor seems to be the most problematic area among sub-dimensions.

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