Primary school students’ conceptions of citizenship

AbstractThe aim of this qualitative case study is to define the primary school fourth grade students’ perception of citizenship. Data in this study were gathered using a qualitative approach that relied on semi-structured interview form. The questions were shaped with taking the expert opinions into consideration and were aimed to determine the perceptions of the students about “citizenship” and to find how they give a meaning for the “good citizen”. The data were collected from 30 students who are in fourth grade in Istanbul Mareşal Fevzi Çakmak Primary School in Turkey in 2008–2009 academic year and data were analyzed by descriptive analysis approach, content analysis approach. After analyzing the answers given by the primary school students who aged 9–10, the citizenship on their minds can be categorized in four main categories: To live in country, to be belonging any nation, to be young adult and emphasise national identity