Content Analysis for Postgraduate Theses Related to Teaching Turkish in the Balkan Countries

It is aimed to examine the research trends of the postgraduate theses on the Turkish language education and teaching Turkish in the Balkan countries i.e. Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, and Greece in this study. This study was carried out using descriptive content analysis, which is one of the content analysis methods. In the study, data were collected through document analysis. The sample of the research consists of postgraduate theses which were published in the YÖK (Yüksek Öğretim Kurumu) Thesis Center and on the Turkish language education and teaching Turkish in the Balkan countries. 26 different postgraduate theses which can be sampled have been determined for this purpose. The theses sampled were subjected to an analysis under the themes of country, year of preparation, distribution of doctoral or master’s theses, university, subject areas, and method. Descriptive content analysis was applied in the analysis of the acquired data. It has been seen that these theses are related to 7 Balkan countries i.e. Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Romania, and Greece as a result of the study. Any studies related to Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia from other Balkan countries were not found. Most of the postgraduate studies are related to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo. 26 postgraduate theses were prepared between 2003 and 2021. 22 of the postgraduate studies are at the master’s level, and 4 of them are at the doctoral level. Mostly qualitative research design was used in the examined theses. It is observed that postgraduate studies have been conducted in 12 universities on teaching Turkish related to the Balkan countries in Turkey. The largest number of postgraduate studies were conducted at Gazi University among these universities. The subjects discussed in the theses on teaching Turkish in the Balkan countries are discussed under 14 subject titles. Writing skill was discussed more intensively in terms of subject frequency. It can be suggested that results of the theses covering the subjects of needs analysis and perception-view based upon teaching Turkish should be examined by Turkish governmental institutions teaching Turkish in these countries, and Turkish teaching policies should be updated based upon the results.