Perceptions about literacy in primary school student drawings

Abstract

Developing the individual's literacy skills at early ages both creates the foundation of academic achievement and determines the borders of the achievement in personal, social, professional and social life. Perceptions about literacy have a more important role in development process of literacy skills although there are numerous variables effecting mentioned skills. The aim of this study is to reveal the perceptions of primary school second grade students about literacy through their drawings and face to face interviews. Phenomenological research among qualitative research patterns was used and descriptive phenomenology, one of the phenomenological research types was used in the research implementation process. The research group of the study consists of 17 students studying at 2nd grade. The research data includes student drawings about literacy, unstructured interviews about the drawings and semi-structured interviews independent from the drawings about literacy perceptions. According to the study results, the students see literacy studies as the studies that should be done in classroom. It has been concluded that the students used objects about reading in their drawings; in other words, the students assign meaning mostly to reading rather than writing when the concept of literacy is expressed. According to the research results, continuous works need to be done related how to transform an activity that literacy will carry out in daily life with the joy of the students.