836434
research-article2019
JEXXXX10.1177/0022057419836434Journal of EducationYolak et al.
Original Research Report
The Contribution of Remedial Courses
on the Academic and Social Lives of
Secondary School Students
Journal of Education
2019, Vol. 199(1) 24­–34
© 2019 Trustees of Boston University
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https://doi.org/10.1177/0022057419836434
DOI: 10.1177/0022057419836434
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Betül Betina Yolak1, Zeynep Kiziltepe2, and Fatma Nevra Seggie2
Abstract
This qualitative study investigates the impact of nonformal education, namely remedial courses, on students’ lives and
the ways in which it contributes to their academic and social development. The study was conducted via semi-structured
interviews with 40 participants (12 students, 12 parents, and 16 teachers and administrators). The findings reveal that
these remedial courses had academic, social, psychological, economic, and career development impacts on students’ lives.
Moreover, as students’ school success improved, students learned how to spend their leisure time effectively in a secure
environment, became socialized, increased their self-confidence, and realized their potential.
Keywords
remedial education, learning, development courses, teaching, nonformal education
Introduction
Remedial education is a program that educational institutions
implement outside the school curriculum to enhance lowachieving students’ academic performance to the expected
standards of their academic year (Melton, 2008). Students
who have not achieved those expected standards may enroll
in this learning and teaching program to catch up with their
peers.
In this Turkish case, remedial education is a set of
courses that Istanbul, a metropolitan city, organizes for
schoolchildren. Istanbul is the largest historic, commercial,
and economic metropolitan municipality in Turkey and is
one of 41 municipalities. In nearly all of them, there exist
remedial programs for students having trouble catching up
with the normal flow of the lessons in their schools. The
municipality’s aim is to help students to learn in small-sized
classes, to consolidate their knowledge, to compensate for
what they lack, or to prepare them better for the following
academic year. As an alternative to private tutoring, the program also aims to avoid failures and dropouts.
Students go to school and, in the meantime, attend those
courses on weekdays after school or on the weekends. These
courses provide an equal opportunity in education as participation is free for every child. The school success of the child
has an effect not only on students but also on parents, teachers, and administrators because it will open doors to all education programs as education is like a triangle—consisting
of parents, teachers, administrators, and students (Cosden,
Morrison, Gutierrez, & Brown, 2004). The curriculum of the
remedial courses is the same curriculum taught in schools, so
students go over the same school subjects. If they fall behind
the program at school, they learn it in advance in these
courses and when the teacher starts the new unit, they come
full of new ideas and knowledge of the new unit and understand it easily. On the contrary, if they are further ahead of the
program at school, they make revisions, fill in the missing
parts, and consolidate the learning. Students understand better and learn in small-sized classes, as the classes are limited
to 20 students. In schools, it is difficult to develop a one-onone relationship with teachers, as the classes are so crowded.
As learning occurs with smaller numbers of students, understanding becomes easier and the relationship between the
teacher and students becomes closer. Thus, students feel free
to ask questions and receive answers to their questions and
feel contented and satisfied. They have the chance to grasp
the information, to make revisions, and to consolidate what is
learned. Furthermore, they can compensate for the knowledge they lack, learn better, and earn higher marks. Some of
the students are not afraid of earning low marks on exams,
and as some said their exam anxiety was lower.
1
ORT Tzrifin Logistics and Culinary Arts High School, Rishon Letsiyon,
Israel
2
Faculty of Education, Department of Educational Sciences, Bogazici
University, Bebek, Istanbul, Turkey
Corresponding Author:
Fatma Nevra Seggie, College of Education, Boğaziçi University, 215,
Bebek, Istanbul 34342, Turkey.
Email: nevra.seggie@boun.edu.tr
25
Yolak et al.
Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate how
municipality remedial courses have an impact on students’
lives. Specifically, this study will investigate (a) how
municipality courses help students both academically and
socially and (b) the contributions of these courses and how
they change the lives of the students.
Literature Review
Education is a basic tool that opens all doors to modern life
(Field, 2000), and remedial education, which is mostly to
improve students’ reading, writing and mathematics skills
(Ganga, Mazzariello, & Edgecombe, 2018) is also considered important for all levels of schooling. It is known as
compensatory education (Denzin, 2017), developmental
education (Ganga et al., 2018), preparatory education (Hu
& Liu, 2017), and academic upgrading (Glaziou, Sismanidis,
Zignol, & Floyd, 2016). For instance, Canada uses the term
academic upgrading for secondary school students so that
they can achieve the prerequisites for postsecondary education (e.g., Glaziou et al., 2016). In the United States, many
prefer to use the term developmental education rather than
remedial courses (e.g., Ganga et al., 2018).
Why some students need remedial education is an important question. They need it, first, because their home environment is not suitable to study their lessons and do their
homework after school (Ma & Schapira, 2017). Second,
some low-income families do not have high ambitions for
education, so they do not advise their children accordingly
(Jacob & Lefgren, 2004). Parents play a key role in their
children’s learning. Students need fewer remedial courses if
their parents are highly interested and invested in their education. Third, the lower income schools have less funding
than those in high-income areas (Bryk, Gomez, Grunow, &
LeMahieu, 2015). In these schools, classes are more
crowded, libraries lack materials, and teachers boast fewer
qualifications, and so on, resulting in a lower quality education. Fourth, teachers are important factors for the education of students (Kızıltepe, 2015). Their qualifications,
experience, and methodology make a great difference in the
learning process of students. The student may not need a
remedial course if teacher A is there instead of teacher B.
Which students will have remedial courses for which
lessons is often decided according to the results of standardized tests or teachers’ recommendations. Research indicates
that the earlier the remedial courses are available, the better
the learning and grades will be in courses such as reading,
writing, and math. The instruction in remedial courses is
more or less like the regular program; however, classes are
smaller in number. Remedial courses take place during
school hours, after-school, and during the summer as summer school programs. Although some researchers think
positively of the effect of remedial courses (e.g., Torraco,
2014), there are others who dispute against it (Brothen &
Wambach, 2004; Toll & Van Luit, 2013).
Studies With Positive Effects of Remedial
Courses
Most studies show that remedial programs, such as educational interventions, have a significant effect upon students’
reading, language, and math (Ajwani, 2006; Ashdown &
Simic, 2000; Luftig, 2003), as well as physics, biology, and
foreign languages (Mori, 2002). Borman (2001) claimed
that the aim of such programs was to decrease the school
success gap and develop equality in education, namely to
provide equal opportunities for learning and give chances to
all students regardless of their race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. Similarly, Harvard Family Research Project
(HFRP) conducted research with 3,000 young people in 35
elementary and middle after-school programs in 24 cities in
eight states. The researchers found that there was a positive
difference in math exam scores and high school attendance;
in short, they achieved better academic results (Little,
Wimer, & Weiss, 2008). Thus, students had better attitudes
toward learning and were more engaged in learning, completed their homework, had fewer disciplinary problems,
earned better grades, and had lower dropout rates.
Another meta-analysis of over 70 schools with this kind
of program reported increases in self-esteem and self-confidence (Little et al., 2008). While students who attended
remedial education programs improved their social relationships with their friends, parents, and teachers, they also
had lower rates of depression and anxiety. Moreover, an
after-school program enables the students pass their time
effectively. Instead of spending their time in the streets, participation in this after-school program helps to avoid negative outcomes, such as juvenile delinquency and drug abuse.
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation
and Development (OECD) Country Background Report of
the Netherlands, the government engages in reducing failures at school and dropout rates (Akkerman, 2011). They
oversee and fund those with insufficient education as well as
dropouts, newcomers, and returning students. For the students who confront their challenges and need help, remedial
teachers are available. Furthermore, they use mentoring
projects, especially for small ethnic groups. With such projects, another student or a person who acts as a role model
supports the student. Moreover, education courses and
socioemotional assistance are available. Research (e.g.,
Buis, Tjoa, Korteweg, & Slikkerveer, 2011) shows that mentoring leads to improvements in learning.
Lavy and Schlosser (2004) studied the short-term effects
of a remedial education program that supplied extra instruction for low-performing high school students in Israel.
There are matriculation exams and, for underperforming
26
students, an intervention program was prepared.
Matriculation exams are a prerequisite to entering universities. The researchers compared schools in the program with
others that did not receive an intervention. The differencein-differences estimation strategy was used, and because of
the intervention, the school mean matriculation rate was
raised 3.3%. Early intervention for underperforming or disadvantaged students plays an important role in earning their
matriculation certificates and helps to prevent school
dropouts.
In India, the 2011 Annual Status of Education Report
(ASER) noted that, at the primary level, school enrolment is
approximately 93%, including both girls and boys in rural
areas (Gelda, Narayan, Mudiyam, Raturi, & Seshan, 2013).
Remedial classes in municipal schools in Delhi’s lowest
income areas have been offered by the Center for Social
Security Action & Research (CSSAR) since 2008 (Mukerji
& Walton, 2012). Instructors teach regular school subjects
in those courses. The aim is to address gaps and make the
children and their parents interested in education. Children
become more confident as they attend those courses and
this reduces school dropouts. Some courses are at the primary level and some are at the secondary level. Some of
them are only for female children from impoverished areas,
as the aim is to prevent the girls from neglect and to offer
them the right education for a better future. At all levels of
these courses, administrators plan to supplement the gaps in
regular education. At the secondary level, English language
learning, reading, and writing skills are emphasized in the
classes that take place after school. Each class takes 1 hr
and lasts from 1 to 7 p.m. At enrolment, entrance tests are
conducted in addition to quarterly tests to evaluate the performance of each child. Feedback from parents is collected
and, for the poor students, meetings are arranged to learn
what else could be done. These remedial courses not only
reduce school dropout rates but also increase school attendance—especially for girls—while improving their learning in reading and writing. Similarly, a study carried out by
researchers at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab
(J-PAL) found that remedial teaching develops better learning results. In 19 states in India, Pratham’s “Read India”
program reached more than 33 million students in 2008 to
2009. An improvement in reading, writing, and arithmetic
of the children ages 6 to 14 was a positive learning outcome
(Zhang, 2014).
In Nigeria, in the Akwa Ibom State, a quantitative study
(Udosen, Udofia, Ekukinam, & Akpan, 2010) was conducted using a pre- and post-experimental design in a vacation-reading program. This program included primary
school students who needed remedial education for literacy,
as most of them could not read. The goal was to have students learn the skills of reading and writing at their levels.
Data analysis revealed that posttest results were higher than
the pretest results, as the remedial education program was
Journal of Education 199(1)
full of different activities. As a result, the researchers recommended spreading this remedial program all over the
country with free education and prepared teachers, as the
program worked successfully.
In the United States, youth development programs have
been shown to have a positive effect on school success
(Larson, 2000). In 2005, a study entitled “Boys and Girls’
Club Education Enhancement Project” concluded that the
students who took part in youth organizations had higher
school success as evidenced by better grades in science, history, and reading—when compared with those who did not
join such organizations (Arbreton, Sheldon, & Herrera,
2005). Similarly, Gordon, Bridglall, and Meroe (2005)
found that high-quality schools are important, but are insufficient for high academic improvement. The authors
reported that supplementary education has a connection
with family and community-based activities, as well as
enhanced learning both in and outside school.
Terzian, Andrews, and Moore (2011) argued that youth
development programs improve school success by means of
after-school or summer learning programs. The outcomes
for individual levels include psychological, social, and cognitive, academic and career development. The effects on
psychological development are evident in feeling qualified
academically and socially and having a positive self-concept. Avoiding risky behaviors, developing positive relations with people (peers and adults), and demonstrating
problem-solving skills are three examples of social and
cognitive development. Improving reading and mathematics skills, remaining engaged in school, and developing
skills for college preparation are some examples of academic and career development. As a result, these outcomes
lead to educational achievement, which means school success, school graduation, college enrolment, and postsecondary graduation. According to Terzian et al. (2011),
municipalities, districts, schools, parents, and teachers
cooperated and their association contributed to the academic success of the students.
Similar results are evident at college levels. A study conducted on first year students in colleges focused on the
effects of remedial courses on student success (Zeidenberg,
Jenkins, & Calcagno, 2007). First-generation college students were underprepared and had deficiencies in reading,
writing, and mathematics. However, students who completed these courses were more likely to “to develop clearer
goals for education and careers, better ideas of what it takes
to succeed in college, and some practical skills useful for
achievement” (p. 6). Bettinger and Long (2009) conducted
another project with approximately 28,000 students to see
the impact of these courses on mathematics and English.
Findings revealed that students who went to remedial
courses had better academic outcomes than those who did
not. Students who have remedial courses persist in college
better than the ones with similar background and test results
27
Yolak et al.
who do not. Moreover, students with remediation are more
likely to transfer to other colleges that are more competitive
and to graduate than those who do not have remediation.
Studies With Adverse Effects of Remedial
Courses
In addition to positive outcomes of remedial courses, studies
indicate that remedial courses can sometimes be ineffective
or even have adverse effects. According to Program for
International Student Assessment (PISA, 2006), time for
learning used in after-school classes has a negative effect on
student performance, given the time spent on remedial intentions and not on developing in school subjects. If the time
were spent on normal class lessons, the performance would
improve. For instance, in countries with high performance,
such as Australia, Japan, and New Zealand, 70% of learning
in science lessons occurs in normal class hours. The same
finding appears in languages and mathematics, meaning performance depends on lesson quality and not the amount of
time spent on learning. Children’s socioeconomic situation
plays an important role as well. For example, students from
poorer countries spend more time in after-school lessons
than students coming from higher socioeconomic background (Borgonovi, Ikeda, & Park, 2011). According to
Borgonovi et al. (2011), when students who are disadvantaged attend these courses, their performance improves more
than that of the students who do not attend. Students who are
socioeconomically better off participate in these courses;
therefore, they have a greater tendency to succeed than the
ones who do not. In after-school lessons, the teacher is an
important factor. According to the OECD PISA 2006 database, group lessons with the schoolteacher increase fairness
and equity in after-school lessons, when compared with
group lessons with other educators. Finally, student attitudes
toward learning are significant because the students should
understand the power of education and believe that learning
and doing well effect success and why it is important to learn
(Borgonovi et al., 2011).
Martorell and McFarlin (2011) studied Texas college students about the impacts of remediation in mathematics by
investigating not only academic but also labor market outcomes. For academic success, the impact of remedial courses
was small and was not statistically significant. In addition, no
difference was found for earning a college degree. However,
some evidence suggested that remedial courses could worsen
outcomes for students. For the students with borderline standard scores, remediation is not effective.
Methods and Procedures
This qualitative case study included 12 students, 12 parents
(they were not necessarily the parents of those students),
and 16 administrative and academic staff—40 participants
in total. Semi-structured interviews lasting approximately
30 to 60 min were conducted via convenience sampling in
one municipality, Beykoz, at two of its locations, Beykoz
Center and Kavacık municipality buildings, where the
remedial courses took place. These 12 students attended
English, mathematics, science, and Turkish courses, and a
music or art course.
Setting
Different municipalities in different districts provide remedial courses for students. İstanbul Beykoz Municipality is
one that offers courses on school subjects (e.g., English,
mathematics, science, and Turkish), arts, and music. These
courses not only provide pleasure and fun to their lives but
also ensure higher grades at school as well. These remedial
courses started as summer courses in one location in the
municipality of Beykoz in 2011. Since then, the interest has
increased considerably and the municipality opened more
courses with a variety of school, arts, and music subjects in
several locations (Başlantı, 2012).
In this study, the interviews took place in the Kavacık and
Beykoz Centers. Kavacık building has four floors and a
basement. On the ground floor, there is an information desk,
security room, kitchen, and a multipurpose room. The information desk is responsible for registration and attendance of
the students. There is a security check all day, inside and
outside the building, with cameras on all floors. The second
floor has classrooms and a waiting room for the parents who
wait for their children during the courses. The third floor has
a computer room and classrooms. The basement has classrooms for music lessons and a table tennis setup. Students
learn how to play different musical instruments there.
The second location is Beykoz Center, which consists of
four floors. On the ground floor, there is a security guard.
On the second floor, there are classrooms and a large waiting area for the people on the second floor. On the third
floor, there is the registration office and classrooms. On the
fourth floor, there is a conference room and a library, which
belongs to Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. In this building, in addition to the remedial courses, students are able to
watch films on weekends together with their teachers and
parents. The aims are to encourage them to socialize and to
help them to have fun in the leisure time. All attendees have
access to the library to borrow books and study.
Research Participants
Twelve students (six females and six males) attended public
schools. Their ages ranged from 10 to 14. All of the students
took four courses, namely, English, mathematics, Turkish,
and science, which were compulsory courses; six students
took music and two took art as additional courses. The parent group consisted of eight females and four males; seven
28
Journal of Education 199(1)
Table 1. Demographic Information of Students.
Participant
Location
Gender
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Kavacık
Kavacık
Kavacık
Beykoz
Kavacık
Kavacık
Kavacık
Kavacık
Kavacık
Beykoz.
Beykoz
Beykoz
Female
Male
Female
Female
Male
Male
Male
Male
Female
Male
Female
Female
Age/class
Courses
Father’s
education
12/7th
12/6th
14/8th
14/7th
10/5th
11/5th
11/5th
12/6th
10/5th
10/5th
11/6th
11/5th
4, theater
4
4
4, violin
4, guitar
4
4
Arts
4, bağlamaa
4, guitar
Guitar
4, violin
Middle
Middle
Middle
Secondary
Middle
Primary
Middle
University
University
Middle
Primary
Secondary
Mother’s
education
Primary
Primary
Primary
Middle
Primary
Primary
Middle
Primary
High
Primary
Primary
Primary
Mother’s job
Cleaner
Homemaker
Homemaker
Homemaker
Homemaker
Maid
Homemaker
Homemaker
Cook
Homemaker
Homemaker
Homemaker
Father’s job
Workman
Taxi driver
Taxi driver
Waiter
Retired
Security
Free
Manager
Security
Electrician
Welder
Free
Note. 4 represents the four compulsory lessons: English, mathematics, science, and Turkish.
a
Bağlama is a popular Turkic stringed musical instrument.
Table 2. Demographic Information for Parents.
Participant
Location
Gender
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Beykoz
Kavacık
Kavacık
Beykoz
Kavacık
Kavacık
Kavacık
Kavacık
Kavacık
Kavacık
Kavacık
Beykoz
Female
Male
Female
Female
Female
Male
Female
Male
Female
Female
Male
Female
Age/class of the
student
Age of the parent
Education
13/7th
13/7th
10/5th
11/5th
11/5th
10/5th
12/6th
12/6th
11/5th
10/5th
10/5th
10/5th
37
40
32
34
30
38
37
39
31
36
52
29
High
Primary
High
Middle
Middle
Middle
High
University
Middle
Primary
Middle
Primary
of the females were homemakers, only one was a working
mother, and males had different occupations. The administrative and academic staff consisted of three administrators,
two secretaries, one security staff person, and 10 teachers.
There were 11 females and five males; 14 of them were
university graduates, one high school graduate, and one primary school graduate. The aggregated data on participants
are shown in Tables 1 to 3.
Data Collection Procedures
After the ethical approval and parent consent signatures for
the interview of the students (as they were younger than 18),
the pilot study was conducted to finalize the interview protocol. Data were collected until saturation level. The interview
protocol included demographic information and questions
about reasons for children attending remedial courses, their
Job
Homemaker
Security
Homemaker
Homemaker
Homemaker
Electrician
Cook
Security
Homemaker
Homemaker
Retired
Homemaker
expectations from these courses, the challenges they face,
and the benefits that they will get from these courses.
Furthermore, the participants shared their opinions about
how to improve these remedial courses. The interviews were
transcribed and the codes were generated by open coding.
Emergent themes were found with the constant comparative
method (Merriam, 1998). The three participant groups’ findings were categorized, compared, and contrasted, and the
themes’ similarities and differences were found. The participants were assigned numbers to protect their confidentiality.
Credibility was ensured with member checking.
Findings
This study investigated the impact of remedial courses on
students’ lives and how remediation contributes to their
academic and social development. The culture, arts, and
29
Yolak et al.
Table 3. Demographic Information for Administrative and Academic Staff.
Participant
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
Location
Beykoz
Beykoz
Beykoz
Beykoz
Beykoz
Municipality
Kavacık
Kavacık
Kavacık
Beykoz
Beykoz
Kavacık
Kavacık
Beykoz
Beykoz
Kavacık
Gender
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Male
Female
Male
Female
Female
Female
Male
Female
Male
Female
Male
education courses changed the lives of the students in different ways. Following the analysis of data generated by
the interview questions, five themes emerged from the
three groups of subjects. The impact of municipality
courses on students’ lives can be categorized into five
groups. They are as follows: (a) academic impact, (b)
social impact, (c) psychological impact, (d) career development impact, and (e) economic impact. The results of the
interviews with students, parents, teachers, and administrators are presented below in the form of themes.
Academic Impact
All three groups of participants agreed on the academic
impact of attending municipality courses, namely, the
improvement of students’ school success, their motivation
toward their school, and better attitude toward learning.
Specifically, students’ participation in class increased and
their school grades improved. Students revised and consolidated what they could not understand at school.
Of the 12 students, eight mentioned that learning school
subjects better and having better grades at school were the
main benefits of these courses. Due to improvement in learning, as some stated, they felt happy. Student Participant 6,
for instance, reported that his lessons became easier and he
started to raise his hand and participated more in class: “I
was not good at mathematics and English. Now they are better and I participate more in class and also I raise my hand to
answer as I understand better.” Similarly, Student Participants
6 and 7 underlined that their English lessons improved and
their class participation increased. Student Participant 7
noted, “I am not afraid of getting bad marks in the exams.
My English lessons improved.” Student Participant 2 also
highlighted the improvement in school success and stated, “I
Education
Job
Years of experience
University
University
University
University
University
University
University
Primary
University
University
University
University
High school
University
University
University
Teacher
Secretary
Teacher
Teacher
Teacher
Administrator
Administrator
Security
Teacher
Teacher
Teacher
Teacher
Secretary
Administrator
Teacher
Teacher
27
28
26
43
26
48
31
25
36
24
25
38
25
47
34
36
am studying more for my lessons. They also give homework
in the courses and this makes me learn better, also my marks
got higher.” In addition, Student Participant 4, who was
learning to play the violin, said that because of music lessons, she was more attentive, listening to the teacher carefully. She expressed her ideas as such: “I learned to play a
musical instrument, learned to use my fingers . . . for example in a choir, I can sing with the musical instrument, I listen
to my teacher, I am more careful.”
Similarly, a parent (Participant 2) said, “Almost all the
lessons of my son became better. There is an improvement
in Turkish, English, science and mathematics lessons. . . .
Before, his lessons were weak. Now that he came here, they
all got better.” Moreover, the majority of the administrative
and teacher participants’ focused on the contribution of the
municipality courses to school subjects and for the preparation of the entrance exams for high school and university.
One teacher (Participant 4), who has been working in these
courses for 8 years, stated, “To contribute to the school success, follow the curriculum, to raise the school success by
following the curriculum parallel to school system, this is
my target for my lesson of course.” A teacher (Participant 9)
highlighted additional dimensions about the academic
impact of the courses:
As far as I have observed, students are more active in the
lessons, they participate more in the class, they focus more,
especially the ones who have attention problems, and
unfortunately most of them have . . . [the course] helps to
overcome the problems. The ones that have problems to
express themselves . . . Children have problems because the
technology era brings the problems, as children do not talk
with each other, and they pass their time by looking at the
screens. Our aim is to have people that look at each other’s
face, talk with each other; this is what I hope.
30
Journal of Education 199(1)
Social Impact
Psychological Impact
All three groups of participants emphasized the social
impact of these courses, which included students spending their leisure time effectively after school or on weekends—making friends, becoming socialized in a different
atmosphere, and expressing themselves freely. A student
participant highlighted how the municipality courses contributed to his social life: “To study lessons, learn something, to make new friends; I am learning to play the
guitar, I feel better as I study my lessons” (Student
Participant 10).
Some parents explained that they wanted their children to
express themselves comfortably in social environments and
this environment was a key for that. In addition, their selfconfidence increased. Another parent (Participant 9)
explained that she had family and economic problems, and
she was sending her son to change his environment. She
noted, “My son is not social, and he does not have any relations with people. He is shy. His self-confidence became better, and he was more introverted, now he is more willing to
come here.” Similarly, another parent (Participant 4) said,
All three groups of participants emphasized the psychological impact of these courses. This impact included
increase in self-confidence, feeling of achievement, and
decrease in anxiety in class. Student participants indicated
that after attending the municipality courses, they felt the
courage to ask questions if they did not understand the lesson in class. This made them feel better and happier. For
example, one student (Participant 3) explained that she felt
psychologically better as her self-confidence increased
and her test anxiety reduced: “I think my school life is
passing easier because of the support I get from the remedial courses, my test anxiety reduced and this made me
feel having higher self-confidence and also new friends.”
A student (Participant 9) added, “I became more successful, more disciplined and organized and also spend my leisure time effectively. I am happy to play the bağlama [a
kind of guitar in Turkey] and enjoy learning new things,
songs and meet new friends.” Similarly, a student
(Participant 11) elaborated on the psychological impact of
attending the municipality courses:
My son became more social by joining those courses, he
was afraid of talking to people. He passes his leisure time
by learning and meets new people. He is better now and has
courage to ask the questions he does not understand.
My life became more enjoyable and happy. I also want to
join the English classes only, but I cannot as I have to come
to all lessons. Transportation is a problem. Although we live
far away, I chose to use this chance for learning. I am
attending a village school and there is not any other
opportunity for me. My psychology is better. Before [the
program], I was introverted, I could not ask a question in
the lessons; now, I can ask, I learn a musical instrument,
[am] learning a profession, [and feel] happy that I am
learning to play the guitar.
As for the teachers, they explained the importance of the
social impact by giving examples of the activities that help
the students become socialized:
We prepare picnics, cinema days and year-end shows for
the students. Our aim is to make them spend their leisure
time effectively and get socialized through these activities.
They not only meet new friends but also enjoy themselves
and learn how to behave socially. (Teacher Participant 2)
Another teacher (Participant 3) also noted,
Apart from the lessons, their personality develops. With
cultural activities, they make use of their free time and get
socialized. Many of the students become multi-talented,
because they join as many activities as they can depending
on time and that leads them to be multi-talented and their
abilities, talents come out in this way, this helps them.
Finally, as some teachers highlighted, because the students
were busy learning new things in the courses, this kept
them away from bad habits. They developed hobbies and
engaged in new activities. Moreover, it was connected to
becoming socialized in this safe environment by meeting
new friends from different schools. They enlarged their
social environment and learned to have social relations
with other people.
The psychological impact was also conveyed by the parents. For example, a parent (Participant 12) stated, “My
child is happier as she is learning to play the violin. I find
her singing in her bedroom. Her self-confidence increased
and she expresses herself easily and now she feels free to
communicate with others.” The father (Parent Participant
11) added that his daughter’s self-confidence and motivation increased and that she was attending the courses enthusiastically. The administrative and teacher participants also
described the same progress and growth, agreeing that
school achievement played an important role in developing
students’ self-confidence. Most of the teachers clarified that
this was the target of these courses. One teacher (Participant
4) explained the development of one of her students in
terms of self-confidence:
One of my students, for example, was not social and was shy
at first. She was not able to talk in class with me or with her
friends. After attending our remedial courses, she gained selfconfidence. Now she attends the courses willingly and is more
active in class. She raises her hand to answer my questions.
31
Yolak et al.
Career Development Impact
All three groups of participants indicated that the impact of
the career development was connected to discovering talents,
as these courses would serve to orient students’ careers and
shape their future. Students’ learning of a new musical instrument in arts and culture courses would help them to be in the
place they wanted to be in the future. Learning not only school
subjects but also musical instruments and arts would help
them to figure out their professions or careers in the future.
One student could be a music teacher, another a violinist or a
guitarist in the future even if she or he was not good at different school subjects. One student (Participant 8) indicated that
I want to have a better chance when I will be choosing my
profession in the future. I would like to work in the sector
that I choose and this depends on being successful in the in
entrance exams by earning better grades.
This impact was also pointed out by a parent (Participant 9):
If he does not continue his education in the future, he can
play a musical instrument, become a music teacher, his steps
in profession will be in music. A Turkish expression is Ağaç
yaşken eğilir [As the twig is bent, so grows the tree]. My
mother gets angry with me as there is no need for the music
course, but a music instrument is going to be in his pocket.
Administrators and teachers agreed with the students and
parents on the impact of these courses on career development. Teacher Participant 12 shared, “The targets of these
courses are: we teach them drills, exercises, make rehearsals, we can have a good musician in the future.”
Economic Impact
Parents, administrators, and teacher participants agreed on
the economic impact that these courses provided for the students who could not go to private courses or have private
tutoring. These courses create an equal opportunity for all
students. With these free courses, the families who could
not otherwise afford extra and private tutoring had their
children benefit and take advantage. For the ones who were
economically disadvantaged, it was also the first chance to
experience new hobbies and try new activities. None of the
students mentioned the economic impact of these courses,
that they were free of charge and that the students got educated in a safe environment probably because they were not
responsible for the economical aspect of their education.
One parent (Participant 4) expressed the economic
impact of attending these courses as such:
There is everything, I moved from another place, the courses
are near where I live. Whoever wants can join courses,
whenever he comes, something about swimming and sports
may be . . . Thanks. It is a safe place, with a free opportunity
for people like us who cannot send their children to other
places, the hours are appropriate, no money, free.
An administrator (Participant 6), who addressed the economic impact, said that the main difference of these municipality courses was that they were free of charge. Teachers
also emphasized the same issue and indicated that these
courses welcome all children and give them equal chances.
Another administrative participant from the municipality
(Participant 2) added,
The main contribution of these courses is to give the same
chance to the ones who cannot go to dershanes, are
economically poor and cannot afford it and give them the
education like the dershane system and also show that we
are not different from them.
Later, the same participant added more and said,
Ah . . . The main attribution is of these municipality courses
is they are free. Everybody from seven to seventy can benefit
from it. Exactly the same education and curriculum with the
schools. The teachers are specialized in their majors,
university graduates and this makes the standards higher.
Discussion
This study was conducted to investigate how municipality
remedial courses have an impact on students’ lives. It analyzed what the contribution of these courses was and how
these courses changed the lives and future of the students.
In this qualitative study, semi-structured interviews with
teachers, administrators, parents, and students were used as
the data. Because of globalization, technological improvements, and urbanization problems, the society’s needs are
changing and, to overcome these challenges, primary
importance is education, which has always been the main
issue in the development of countries. In 2004, with the
change of law, municipalities also became responsible for
social, cultural, and educational areas (Kaya, 2007;
Pekküçüksen, 2004; Uzun, 2006). There have been Istanbul
Metropolitan Municipality courses since 1996; however, it
was only for adults and not for students under the age of 15.
After the law was established, it was in 2011 when Beykoz
Municipality started to offer culture, arts, and education
courses in Kavacık area not only for adults but also for students as summer courses.
First, the findings of this study indicate that culture, arts,
and education courses have changed the students’ lives in
different ways. The impacts are academic, social, psychological, career development, and economic. These courses
seem to lead the students to follow and realize their dreams
by experiencing success at school and by allowing them to
have new experiences for the first time in their lives, such as
playing a musical instrument or acting in a theater. These
32
free remedial courses are alternative to dershanes and private tutoring and could enable every child to have an equal
opportunity in education. Equal opportunity given by the
municipality is an important outcome that emerged from the
parents, teachers, and administrators, as this is a motivating
factor for the parents to send their children to these remedial
courses. This finding aligns with OECD Netherlands’
“Everyone deserves a chance” motto (Buis et al., 2011).
School success is an important finding related to academic impact in the study. This is line with the literature
(Chien, 2013; Lavy & Schlosser, 2004; Little et al., 2008).
In addition, according to a study conducted in Turkey,
teachers argue that completion of remedial courses provides
a better education to students, improves their school performance, helps them have better grades in tests, and enhances
their problem-solving skills (Göksu & Gülcü, 2016; Ünsal
& Korkmaz, 2016). Education is like a triangle, consisting
of parents, teachers, and students. Parents are the ones who
send their children to these courses, spending 2 or 3 hr waiting for them, taking and bringing them even on rainy,
snowy, and stormy days. Thus, parental involvement plays
an important role in the school success as they support these
remedial courses given after school or at weekends.
Second, the findings of students making friends and
becoming socialized in these education and arts classes
directly relate to social impact. Because of attending these
courses, students who were shy found it easier to express
themselves both at school and away from school. Being a
part of the group, feeling free to ask questions, learning to
play a musical instrument, acting in a theater push them to
act actively, and joining the activities lead them to perceive the experience of success (Massoni, 2011). In short,
these courses seem to lead to positive relations with peers
and adults, preventing dangerous, risky behaviors and
improving problem-solving skills (Terzian et al., 2011).
These findings align with a study in literature in which
Turkish teachers emphasized that remedial courses provide a comfortable communication environment and contribute to the social development of students (Canpolat &
Köçer, 2017).
Third, the findings in this study indicate that higher selfconfidence seems to be a psychological impact. Students
felt more confident and developed a positive self-concept,
as they learned better by revisions and their marks got
higher. A study conducted in Turkey (Ünsal & Korkmaz,
2016) supports the finding that personal benefits are one of
the significant outcomes of remedial courses.
Fourth, the findings indicate that these courses can shape
the students’ future career orientation. As students learn
school subjects better, they earn higher marks, which influence their university exam results besides their school success. School success is a gate that opens to better schools,
university choices, jobs, and professions. Learning a musical instrument and being in drama, theater, or arts classes
Journal of Education 199(1)
can enhance their future success in a career, in addition to
the developments in learning school subjects achieved by
joining those remedial classes given by the municipality.
Finally, this study reveals that these courses’ economic
impact provides equal chances for all students and they not
only prepare them for entrance exams like dershanes do but
also give them the chance of having new experiences in their
lives. In short, this study indicates that municipality remedial courses help students to be more successful in school,
develop study habits, and learn to use their leisure time
effectively. Moreover, these courses help students to feel
better, participate more in class than they would otherwise,
and spend their time effectively with friends in a safe environment. They learn new things and discover their talents
and skills for a better future. The findings in this study are
snapshots of only one district in Istanbul, in two locations of
Beykoz. Istanbul consists of many districts; all comprising
people—mostly immigrants—coming from different backgrounds, education levels, and socioeconomic status. Thus,
the results cannot be generalized for the whole city or across
municipalities. These results may show differences in different parts of Istanbul, even in different locations of Beykoz.
The educational system is changing and more studies
should be conducted after the closure of dershanes, as these
remedial courses will replace them to see the effects of
these courses on students’ lives. With future additional studies and further comparative studies, the effects of municipality “culture, arts, and education courses” on school
achievement, social life, talents, or career in students’ lives
can be discovered during and after this transition period in
different districts of not only Istanbul, but also Turkey, considering different age groups and levels of education. In
addition, quantitative studies can follow to see in which levels and in which lessons the courses are the most effective.
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with
respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this
article.
Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research,
authorship, and/or publication of this article.
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