A team consisting of Prof. Dr. Gülden UYANIK, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Asude BALABAN DAĞAL, and Dr. Esin DİBEK, one of the faculty members of our department, participated in the innovative research project named “Reflective Practice through Digital Learning Materials (RepdiL)” to carry out the Turkish leg of the project, which was carried out on 5-6 November 2024 at Bülent Türker Kindergarten operating in Kocaeli Derince District. 

The first discussions regarding the inclusion of our professors in the project, which was initiated by Prof. Dr. Catherine Walter-Laager, faculty member and vice rector of the University of Graz, Austria, and Prof. Dr. Manfred Pfiffner, faculty member of the University of Zurich, Switzerland, and whose studies were completed in Austria, Switzerland and China, started in November 2023. On this date, the project owner lecturers were hosted in the Department of Basic Education with the support of our Dean Prof. Dr. Seyfi KENAN, interviews were held and the seminar they gave about the Austrian Basic Education system and teacher training was welcomed with interest by our students. 

The second meeting took place in June 2024 with the visit of our faculty members Assoc. Prof. Dr. Asude BALABAN DAĞAL, Prof. Dr. Gülden UYANIK and Dr. Esin DİBEK to Graz University, during which our professors gave a seminar to Graz University graduate students about the training of pre-school teachers in Turkey.

As a result of the negotiations started in 2023, it was decided to carry out the Turkish leg of the study on November 5-6. 

Within the scope of the project, one day of Preschool Education in Turkey was filmed by a large Turkish and Austrian film crew under the direction of Austrian producer Philippe Weibel at Derince Bülent Türker Kindergarten with the follow-up of School Principal Zehra GENÇ and Assistant Principal Doğan TÜRKAN.  

During the shooting, teachers Ayşe OMURCA, Aysun YILMAZ, Zeynep İÇÖZ, school principal Zehra GENÇ, academics Assoc. Prof. Dr. Asude BALABAN DAĞAL and Dr. Esin DİBEK were interviewed to get information about preschool education in Turkey. In addition, in-class and out-of-class practices and the arrival and departure process of one of the school students were recorded.

Throughout the process, the visiting project team established a warm relationship with the staff, teachers, administrators and children at the school. 

After the assembly and editing of the raw footage was completed, Prof. Dr. Catherine Walter-Laager and Prof. Dr. Manfred Pfiffner said goodbye, deciding to come together again during the finalization phase.