Brief History of the Preschool Education Program

The Preschool Teacher Education Program was established in 1999 within the Faculty of Education at Selçuk University. The Ahmet Keleşoğlu Faculty of Education later became part of Konya University, which was subsequently renamed Necmettin Erbakan University. The Department of Preschool Education, affiliated with the Department of Basic Education, began operating as part of Necmettin Erbakan University. As of the spring semester of the 2023/2024 academic year, the Department of Preschool Education has a total of seven academic staff members, including three professors, three associate professors, and one research assistant.

The Department of Preschool Education offers an undergraduate program with a duration of eight semesters, corresponding to four years. Students admitted to the department take compulsory courses in professional knowledge, general culture, and subject-area knowledge throughout their studies. The program aims to train prospective preschool teachers who adopt modern teaching and learning techniques and who are creative, innovative, and effective in their educational approaches, equipped with the necessary background to implement these methods.

Graduates of the Department of Preschool Education can work as educators and administrators in public and private institutions such as nurseries, daycare centers, kindergartens, and children’s clubs. In addition, they are eligible to establish private preschool education institutions affiliated with the Ministry of National Education.

Graduates of this program may also apply for postgraduate studies. Furthermore, they can pursue and complete master’s and doctoral degrees in Preschool Education or related academic fields that accept students from this discipline, and thereby serve as academic staff in higher education institutions.

Brief History and Changes of the Classroom Teaching Program

The Ahmet Keleşoğlu Faculty of Education was originally established as a teacher training institute in the 1926–1927 academic year. It was reopened in 1962 under the name Konya Teacher Training Institute and gained faculty status as the Faculty of Education affiliated with Selçuk University in 1982. In 2008, the faculty was named “Ahmet Keleşoğlu,” and in 2012 it became part of Necmettin Erbakan University. Today, the faculty continues its educational activities with 10 departments, 24 academic units (programs/fields), and more than 250 academic staff members.

The Classroom Teaching Program was established in 1990 within the Faculty of Education at Selçuk University to train classroom teachers for the Ministry of National Education. It began admitting students in the 1990–1991 academic year. Within the framework of the restructuring of faculties of education, it became a department affiliated with the Department of Primary Education in the 1998–1999 academic year. With the incorporation of the Ahmet Keleşoğlu Faculty of Education into Necmettin Erbakan University in the 2011–2012 academic year, the program continued under this university. In 2016, as part of higher education restructuring efforts, it was renamed the Department of Primary Education, Classroom Education Program.

The Department of Classroom Education offers an undergraduate program lasting eight semesters, equivalent to four years. Students admitted to the program take compulsory and elective courses in professional knowledge, general culture, and subject-area knowledge throughout their studies. Graduates are qualified to work as classroom teachers in both public and private schools affiliated with the Ministry of National Education. In addition to the undergraduate program, the department also offers graduate programs, including master’s (with and without thesis) and doctoral degrees.

The academic staff of the department consists of 10 faculty members, including five professors, two associate professors, and three assistant professors. Currently, there are approximately 140 graduate students in the department (120 master’s and 20 doctoral students), while about 265 students are enrolled at the undergraduate level.