Assessment of prospective teachers ’ views regarding the concept of criticism

Critical thinking is one of the skills that exist in the Turkish course curriculum and is aimed to be acquired by students. The objective of the study is to determine prospective Turkish teachers’ perspectives regarding the concept of critism, which is both a mental exercise and carries an important role in the world of ideas. In order to assess this, voluntary interviews were conducted with prospective teachers studying their 2nd and 3rd years at Department of Turkish Education in the Faculty of Education at Yildiz Technical University during the spring semester of the 2014-2015 academic year. To determine the participant pool, the typical case sampling method—one of the purposive sampling methods—was used, and 45 prospective teachers were interviewed. A semi-structured data collection tool was developed to collect data. Descriptive analysis technique was used to analyze these data. At the end of the study, it was concluded that the majority of the participating prospective Turkish teachers do not believe that the education they receive improves their critical thinking skills. It was also seen that the participant teachers were unable to develop any methods that would help them improve their future students’ critical thinking skills. The prospective teachers do have some ideas regarding how to do so; however, these kinds of ideas have never been presented to them under a an official technique or within a school course. Their ideas come from merely their personal views, which they themselves have inferred from their past experiences.


INTRODUCTION
Thought and language are two concepts that are tightly interconnected.Two of the most important features of being human also occur along with these concepts: thinking and speaking.A thinker is someone who makes comments and comparisons, who asks questions and tries to understand, who is curious, who doubts, feels, gets affected, and someone who critiques.Speaking comes after thinking, and improves with the need to express to others what one thinks, how they feel and what they experience.These two abilities given to mankind are primary qualities of human, and are the basis of each idea and political structure changing the world.The man opened his eyes to the world tries to know everything happening around him since his basic needs were first met.This is a talent given to him at birth: learning and curiosity.Firstly, he learns the names of E-mail: neslihanoksuz61@gmail.com.
Authors agree that this article remain permanently open access under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 International License concrete objects he can see with his eyes, then begins to use general and abstract concepts (Erden and Akman, 2008: 74).Everything around him seems interesting.With a blank mind and impulse of curiosity, he learns much more easily and quickly than adults.Thus, he improves rapidly.This period is an important period in which an intensive progress is seen in all areas of development (Oruc et al., 2011: 285).This period described as preschool period is followed by primary school period.Children starting primary school take their steps to formal education and continue this compulsory education during their age periods when they will give many of the most important decisions of their lives.So that, this compulsory education should offer him a lot, even if not everything that will be needed throughout his life.Freedom is not just to defend some political opinions and to vote.Freedom is to be open to the differences and for this, one must be educated.The most known and the most important role of schooling in education is to provide people a real freedom (Feldman, 1973: 53).
The teacher is thought not to contribute to skill of "good and accurate thinking" because s/he teaches abiding by the curriculum and rules (Pither and Soden, 2007: 247).In higher education, two different approaches come to the forefront: teacher-centered approach and student-centered approach (Parpala and Lindblom-Yläne, 2007: 356).Kember (1997: 264-265) has compared these two educational methods in his study.He has noted that the teacher-centered education is knowledge gaining and structured knowledge forwarder; the studentcentered education is facilitating the understanding, and encouraging conceptual change and intellectual development.During both elementary school, middle school, high school, and university education periods, individuals who perform their mental activities in a free atmosphere, will also develop themselves in terms of critical thinking skill.
General purposes in 2006 Elementary education Turkish curriculum, the basic skills which will be given in the pursuit of these objectives and also the acquirements in regard to themes to be covered in each course are certain.Basic skills are identified as (MOE, 2006: 5) and what they watch; who express their feelings, thoughts and dreams, think critically and creatively, take responsibility, who are entrepreneurs and compatible with the environment, search events, status and information with their experiences, question, critique and interpret them and make habits of these, with aesthetic pleasure and sensitivity to the national values are intended to be raised " (MOE, 2006: 3).2006 Turkish curriculum prepared in line with these objectives includes activities contributing to critiquing, interpreting, and thinking critically.Analyzing the questions in 6th grade Turkish workbook in terms of their contribution to critical thinking, Kucuk (2008: 502) has come to a conclusion that these questions were insufficient for critical thinking.The studies related to the critical thinking skills of prospective teachers (Kocak et al., 2015;Kurum, 2002;Cetin, 2008;Akar, 2007;Zayif, 2008;Cetinkaya, 2011) reveal that the critical thinking skills of the prospective teachers have been at medium and low levels.Indicating that students should have a clear understanding for the development of critical thinking skills, MacKnight (2000: 39) also emphasizes that they need to have the following sub-skills, firstly, in order to have the necessary social skills: 1. Being able to ask the right questions 2. Listening to others 3. Studying by turns and sharing works 4. Helping others learn 5. Respecting the opinions of each other 6.Being able to build new thoughts over the opinions of others 7. Developing own ideas and understanding 8. Thinking with new methods.
The individuals who have these skills won't experience difficulty in achieving critical thinking, won't follow certain ideas blindly while understanding what happens around them from a quizzical viewpoint and will be able to respect people who have different opinions.
Varied conclusions have been reached in these studies about the views on critical thinking.Gulveren (2007), Akar (2007), Zayif (2008), Cetinkaya (2011), Yuksel et al. (2013) and Can and Kaymakci (2015) determined that prospective teachers' critical thinking scores were low.Kurum (2002), Tumuklu and Yesildere (2005), Cetin (2008), Ozdemir (2005), Sacli and Demirhan (2008), Sen (2009), Besoluk and Onder (2010) and Kocak et al. (2015) found that prospective teachers' levels of critical thinking were average.Cekin (2013) has found that level of critical thinking skills of prospective religious culture and ethics teachers is in high level.In his study related to the teachers working in primary, secondary and higher education institutions, Korkmaz (2009) has stated that the participants' views on critical thinking were in average level.In a study on textbooks, Kucuk (2008) analyzed the questions in the 6th grade Turkish workbook in terms of their contributions to critical thinking and reached to the conclusion that there was no sufficient contribution to it.
In order to criticize accurately, one should comprehend the meaning of criticism thoroughly.It should be known that criticism is not a slander and that its aim is trying to fill the deficiencies and being useful without offending the opposite party should not be forgotten.Actions of critical thinking must be fulfilled by considering from this angle.These kinds of writings have undertaken the task of introducing the subjects they handled to the readers with all details in extenso and they are the important kinds which should take place in the Turkish education.It should not also be ignored that these writings provide a positive contribution to the students' personal developments while developing their reasoning abilities (Beyreli et al., 2006: 118;Karakus, 2012: 45).

Problem of the study
In this research, the answer of the question of "what are the perspectives of prospective teachers to criticism?" has been sought.

Sub-problems of the study
1. Are prospective teachers open to criticism and do they make the definition of criticism accurately? 2. Did the pre-university education which prospective teachers received contribute to their development of critical thinking skills?3. Has the university education which prospective teachers have already been receiving contributed to their development of critical thinking skills? 4. Which method will prospective teachers follow when they become teachers in order to develop their students' critical thinking skills?

Objective and importance of the study
In the development of reasoning, decision-making, comparing, thinking and critical thinking skills of elementary, middle and high school students, teachers play an active role as much as curriculum.Prospective teachers' personal views and experiences will combine with their education and be shaped.The teachers who have the ability to look at different perspectives to the events, know how to criticize accurately and constructively, and have strong reasoning skills will educate children who have developed/ been developing the same skills.The solution to many incidents caused by intolerance in society lies here.Different individuals, different approaches, and different applications will bring peace to the society, if they bring the respect along with them.If the basic skills which are in the 2006 elementary Turkish course curriculum (accurate and efficient use of Turkish, critical thinking, creative thinking, communication, problem solving, research, decision making, use of information technology) are given to the students, a society in which people are tolerant, respectful and stoical to each other will emerge spontaneously.Therefore, it is useful to measure the basic skills of teachers who will educate students.This study has been conducted in order to find prospective teachers' perspectives on criticism and critical thinking.

Research model
The study is a qualitative study.Studies in which qualitative data collection methods such as observation, interview and document analysis are used, and where a qualitative process to put forward the perceptions and events in the natural environment in a realistic and integrated manner are called qualitative studies (Yildirim and Simsek, 2013: 45).

Participants
In the study, typical case sampling method which is one of the purposive sampling techniques was used.In general, individuals and institutions that have information in this regard, various databases prepared in this matter or research results are used in order for selection of typical cases (Yildirim and Simsek, 2013: 138).This sampling method requires to determine a typical case among many cases in the research population and collect data through this sample (Buyukozturk et al., 2010: 91).In the study, prospective Turkish teachers were selected accordingly and 2014-2015 academic year studying at Yildiz Technical University, Faculty of Education, Department of Turkish Education was conducted interviews with 45 volunteer teachers.Thirty-five of the individuals included in the study group were female, and ten is male.

Collecting and analyzing data
At the data collection stage, the semi-structured interview form was developed in order to determine the data on the views of the prospective Turkish teachers on criticism.Interview is defined as a predetermined mutual and interactive communication process based on asking questions and answering style for a serious purpose (Yildirim and Simsek, 2013: 147).Semi-structured interviews cover the interview of answers of predetermined questions (Balci, 2004).
While preparing the interview form, which questions would be asked were determined firstly.While the form was been being created, the principles such as: preparing the easily understood questions, asking open-ended questions, preparing focused questions, avoiding to manipulate, avoiding to ask multi-dimensional questions and organizing questions in a reasonable way (Yildirim and Simsek, 2013: 156) were considered.After the interview form was completed, a pre-interview was conducted with a prospective Turkish teacher, then his/her answers were parsed in written.Incomprehensible questions were changed and the prospective teacher who had been taken to the interview was excluded from the research.The questions used in the interview form are as follows: 1 The interview form used in the study was broached to the experts who work in Faculty of Education at Yildiz Technical University in order to ensure the content validity of the form.In accordance with the opinions and the suggestions of the field experts, the form was finalized.There are seven questions in the interview form.During the interview, these questions were asked to a prospective teacher one by one and requested him/her to answer the questions freely.The teacher's responses were recorded in written by the researcher and 90 pages of data were collected from participants at the end of study.In order to analyze these data, descriptive analysis technique was used.Descriptive analysis is a kind of analysis technique in which the obtained data is summarized and interpreted according to the predetermined themes and the direct quotations are often used in order to reflect the views of interviewed individuals dramatically and the obtained results are interpreted within the framework of cause-and-effect relationship (Yildirim and Simsek, 2013: 256).Accordingly, first of all, categories were created based on the research questions and the conceptual dimension of the study.In the second phase, which data would be held under which theme was set.In the final stage, the data were presented as frequencies and percentages and the participants' opinions were given directly and some abbreviations such as PT1, PT2 were used for prospective teachers.

FINDINGS
The data collected as a result of 45 interviews with the students were grouped and each question was given with its percentage and frequency values together in a table frame.

Findings regarding the prospective Turkish teachers' views on the meaning of criticism
The question of "What do you understand when it is said "Criticism?"" has been asked to the prospective Turkish teachers and theirs answers have been presented after grouping them and creating sub-themes in Table 1.
As shown in the table, prospective Turkish teachers generally have the correct information on the definition of criticism.However, 26% of them identified the criticism as only stating a negative opinion or thought and interpretation.

PT1 answers this question as follows:
Criticism which means to critize an author, a poet or a work in literary field in a positive or negative way includes more comprehensive meaning in social or daily life.It is evaluating and judging a person, an event, a character, or objects in any case.

PT2's views on this subject are as follows:
To me, criticism is to show wrong sides of a wrong behavior or a wrong idea.It is also a judgment.
The question of "What does it mean "being open to criticism?"" was asked to the prospective Turkish teachers and their answers were collected under 8 major headings and then the created sub-themes have been presented in Table 2.
As seen above, different answers were obtained from prospective teachers.All questions are about being open to criticism.The replies are different, but the things that are desired to express are similar.

PT3 made the following comments in this regard:
Being open to criticism is to know the fact that we are not perfect.We also have the sides that need to be developed.Therefore, criticism can be useful in this regard.To be open to criticism means to be open to development.

PT4 thinks that:
It is to endure the positive and negative views reported about any person or issue as long as they are not respectful.

PT5 associated it with tolerance and said:
Being open to criticism to be able to show the sametolerance when we are warned about our negative behaviors, as we show it when we are told about our positive behaviors.
The question of "Are you open to criticism?" was asked to the prospective Turkish teachers and their answers were grouped and then the created sub-themes are presented in Table 3 PT7 explained if criticism is made in respect, it would not be disturbing as follows: When it is made in the framework of respect and love and without insulting, I would not bother by criticism.But if it is made disrespectfully, I would be extremely annoyed and nervous.
PT8 also gave his/her opinion on this issue as follows: I'm more open to criticism made by the ones who are right on their criticism.Some criticisms are made only to be offending.In addition to these, there are also criticisms affecting a person's personal development.I am, of course, always open to them.
The question of "Do you get excited while talking in public or lecturing about a particular topic?Does your being excited come from the fear of being criticized?" was asked to the prospective Turkish teachers and their answers were grouped and then the created sub-themes are presented in Table 4.
8 prospective teachers answered the question regarding why they get excited while talking before public as just because of their being before public.The number of prospective teachers who get excited because of the fear of being criticized is 8.While the number of teachers who get excited because of thinking that they do not have a grasp of the topic they talk is 10, 19 prospective teachers have been less thrilled or not excited at all.These findings show that prospective Turkish teachers do not get excited much beacuse of the fear of being criticized.The ratio of the ones feeling excited because of the fear of being criticized is 18%.These prospective teachers can be generally thought to be relaxed.

PT9 has expressed its opinion on this issue as follows:
I don't get excited, if i have full knowledge of the topic which i will narrate and I won't be afraid to be criticized.

PT10 considers as follows:
I get excited.I find it difficult to express myself in contemplation of the thought that I haven't read enough books.I always limit myself with this thought.
The question of "What does critical thinking mean for you?" was asked to the prospective Turkish teachers and their answers were grouped and then the created subthemes are presented in Table 5.What critical thinking means for prospective teachers is also different.It is seen that the criticism and critical thinking views of prospective teachers who have this mentality which means that they are different from each other, but at the same time, they are completing each other are generally positive.PT11's views for critical thinking are as follows: Instead of making impositions that something is absolutely wrong or absolutely accurate, it is an acceptance of the idea that things can be expressed differently.
PT12 emphasizes the impact of critical thinking on the personal development and expresses his/her thoughts as follows: I think that critical thinking is a dialectical way of thinking which is done in order to develop an event or a fact.It is also a method of self-improvement.
The question of "If it is considered that improving students' critical thinking skills is among the tasks of textbooks and teachers, do you think the education you have had so far is useful in this context?" was asked to the prospective Turkish teachers and their answers were grouped and then the created sub-themes are presented in Table 6.An important part of the prospective Turkish teachers (75.5% of them) think that the critical thinking education they have had is not adequate.The expected environment in the university should be the most comfortable for free speech and exchanging ideas, but the exact opposite situation has been noted.Students who think that their education regarding to develop critical thinking is adequate are only 3.
PT13 expresses feelings of opinions on this issue as: It did not contributed to me at all.Because throughout our education, we were just at the side of listeners.None of us were given the right to speak.Since elementary school, I think that our being objective skills were blunted and we were standardized.
PT14 thinks about this issue as follows: As a result of the impressions which I received from the teachers, I think the education I was given is useful.
The question of "What methods will you follow to improve your students' critical thinking abilities when you become a teacher?" was asked to the prospective Turkish teachers and their answers were grouped and then the created sub-themes are presented in Table 7.
Prospective Turkish teachers who think that they didn't have an adequate education regarding to develop critical thinking do not want their students to grow up as themselves.For this reason, they say that they will not try different ways, but 26.7% of them would like to organize different activities such as cinema, theather, excursion, book launch, panel discussions, and forums, etc.Their suggestions are good and constructive.Excluding 2 students, no body has been declared negative ideas.
PT15 expresses what way he will follow in order to improve his/her students' criticism skills as: I would like my students to feel comfortable in the classroom, and I will do my best to provide it.If my students are in the state of anxiety and fear, they won't feel comfortable themselves and i do not think that they can develop their ability of criticism.I am thinking of drawing a road map to provide a free environment for them to develop different perspectives and unlimited thinking as well as getting opinions from them about it.

PT16 mentions his/her views as follows:
By asking questions which can attract the attention of my students and listening to all of their evaluations equally without suppressing them and providing the opportunity to express themselves, I will improve these abilities of them.I will propose them to reach any sources, such as; Omar Khayyam, Rumi, Freud, Karl Marx, and Sezai Karakoc, etc.I will have them respect all kinds of opinion, faith, and manner of life.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
In the study, the answer to the question of "what are the Turkish teachers' point of views about criticism?"has been sought and teachers have made the definition of criticism correctly with the portion of 73%.The other portion of 27% have described criticism as reporting only negative ideas.The 15% of them have limited it with comment, opinion and evaluation.
In the study, different opinions on being open to criticism are noteworthy.General conclusion is toward being respectful, understanding and tolerant and improving oneself.There are some others who state it as "to be able to stand to hear the negative sides and not to react them, to know not to be perfect, and to be open to comments".As it is seen, the answers are different, but what is desired to be expressed is very close to each other.To be open to criticism is an important feature in terms of prospective teachers' personal development.The majority of prospective teachers (84%) are completely and partially open to criticism.
The proportion of prospective teachers who said not to get excited while talking in public is 31%.Besides, the portion of the ones who get excited and get partially excited is 69%.The rate of those who get excited for the fear of being criticized in this ratio is 18%.
Since this research has been prepared to determine the critical perception of prospective teachers, and to see their perspectives on criticism and critical thinking, their opinions were given close attention and consideration.This is how the study differs from other similar studies.
There are many studies done regarding the critical thinking skills of prospective teachers (Kurum, 2002;Turnuklu and Yesildere, 2005;Ozdemir, 2005;Cubukcu, 2006;Akar, 2007;Gulveren, 2007;Cetin, 2008;Dutoglu and Tuncel, 2008;Zayif, 2008;Sacli and Demirhan, 2008;Sen, 2009;Ekinci and Aybek, 2010;Besoluk and Onder, 2010;Cetinkaya, 2011;Cekin, 2013;Yuksel et al., 2013;Can and Kaymakci, 2015;Kocak et al., 2015).These works are studies designed to measure critical thinking skills.Prospective teachers' critical thinking skills were determined to be at a lower level in some of these studies, and at an average level in other studies.In the survey conducted for religion teachers, this level increased to a high level (Cekin, 2013).In the light of these data, it can be concluded that teachers' education is not sufficient for developing their critical thinking skills.The participant teachers also gave the answers confirming this idea.75% of prospective teachers stated that their pre-university and university education were not enough to develop their critical thinking skills, and they did not get adequate training in this regard.The ratio of those who think that their education is useful and partially useful is 18%, and the rate of those who think that university education is useful is 7%.
While prospective Turkish teachers think that their education did not make any contributions in developing their critical thinking skills, they don't seem to have developed any methods about how they will improve their students' these skills in the future.Propsective teachers have some ideas for it, but these ideas have not been presented them under a method title or in a course curriculum.These ideas they expressed are their personal reviews in accordance with their inferences from their experiences.In general, they are open to critical thinking; but they still feel uncomfortable for being criticized.This represents a contrast.And this contrast makes difficult to predict how free, how tolarent and how understanding environment the prospective teachers can give in their classes when they become teachers in the future.

RECOMMENDATIONS
In the expectation that this study will be contributive to the field, some advices can be given.Students should be confronted with different and accurate examples of the criticism genre.
Thus, students can learn how to criticize from the texts in their course books and the tolerant lesson environments their teachers prepared instead of the inaccurate satirical expressions on television programs.Today, the perception of criticism has begun to change.Individuals who do not have accurate information in this regard will consider the competition programs and watch the competitors how they satirise each other and then think that s/he will have the right of vilifying and humiliating someone else.These presumptions and thoughts will confront us as the traces of going towards a civilization in which there is a social collapse and living together with intolerant people are forced and unrest and fighting arise every day.In order to avoid such a situation, students should meet correct techniques and methods of criticism in both Turkish courses and other courses, and must learn what critisim is in an accurate way.Prospective teachers who will shape the future should be provided a curriculum and an environment where they can fulfill their objectives.
From this perspective, the 2006 Turkish course curriculum which was prepared by a constructivist approach and currently being used, is a program that develops critical thinking skills of students, and enables a free and tolerant education.Teachers and students should be able to lecture in an open-minded environment, and be able to provide their comments and suggestions easily.But, of course, a curriculum is not enough to develop these skills by itself.The texts which have an important place in Turkish courses must also be prepared in accordance with it.
If it is considered that improving students' critical thinking abilities is among the tasks of textbooks and teachers, do you think the education you have had so far is useful in this context?7. What methods will you follow to improve your students' critical thinking abilities when you become a teacher?

Table 1 .
Findings regarding the prospective Turkish teachers' views on the meaning of criticism.

Table 2 .
Findings regarding the prospective Turkish teachers' views on being open to criticism.

Table 3 .
Findings regarding the prospective Turkish teachers' views on if they are open to criticism.
. After the teachers were asked the question of "what it means being open to criticism", they have been asked whether they open to criticism or not.The answers to this question are different.While 44.5% of them said that they were open to criticism, the other 55.5% of them answered it as they are partially open or not open to criticism.That the prospective Turkish teachers who are thought to contribute to their students' worlds of thought are not open to criticism is quite concerning.

Table 4 .
Findings regarding the prospective Turkish teachers' views on fearing of getting excited and being criticized while talking in public.

Table 5 .
Findings regarding the prospective Turkish teachers' views on critical thinking.

Table 6 .
Findings regarding the prospective Turkish teachers' views on whether the critical thinking education they have had is adequate or not.

Table 7 .
Findings regarding the prospective Turkish teachers' views on how they develop their students' critical thinking abilities.