Suitability of the Pilot 4 Book Used in Teaching Turkish to Children of Turkish Origin in Germany in Terms of Content and Visuality
Mother tongue education is essential for preserving cultural identity and enabling individuals to express themselves effectively. Among immigrant communities, learning their mother tongue not only supports linguistic development but also strengthens their sense of belonging and cultural ties. In this context, the quality of educational materials plays a critical role in the effectiveness of education. This study aims to evaluate the suitability of textbooks used in teaching Turkish to children of Turkish origin in Germany in terms of content and visual design. The research focuses on Pilot 4, one of the most commonly used textbooks in Turkish mother tongue classes. Surveys were conducted with 16 teachers and 47 students in the North Rhine-Westphalia region to gather their opinions on text design, visuals, page layout, cover design, and content features. The obtained data have been analyzed, and the pedagogical effectiveness of the books has been evaluated. The findings indicate that the Pilot 4 textbook is generally considered suitable for students’ needs, but certain deficiencies in visual and content design were identified. These deficiencies may negatively affect students’ learning motivation. Additionally, the demographic characteristics of teachers and students did not lead to significant differences in the evaluation of the textbook. The study’s findings provide recommendations for the design and development of Turkish mother tongue textbooks.
Keywords: Turkish language teaching, textbooks, visual design, content analysis, mother tongue education, Pilot 4
