Experiences of Syrian Refugee Children Learning Turkish as a Foreign Language at the Primary School Level
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17637292Keywords:
Syrian refugees, primary school, teaching Turkish as a second language, language barriers, psychosocial challenges, peer bullying, education policy, scoping reviewAbstract
This scoping review analyzes the multilayered challenges faced by Syrian refugee children learning Turkish in Turkish primary schools. Utilizing the Arksey and O'Malley methodology and PRISMA-ScR standards, the academic literature from 2011-2025 was thematically examined. The findings indicate that the language barrier (e.g., difficulties in the four basic skills and cognitive concept acquisition) is not only the primary issue but also a catalyst that triggers other crises. These linguistic problems intersect with deep psychosocial trauma (PTSD) and crises of "belonging" stemming from war and migration. In the school environment, this manifests as ethnically-based peer bullying and "multi-way exclusion." These individual and social problems are exacerbated by structural issues such as "unsystematic" education policies based on a perception of "temporariness" and the isolationist legacy of Temporary Education Centers (TECs). The study argues that while interventions like PIKTES focus on linguistic problems, sustainable integration will not be possible unless the underlying layers of trauma and social exclusion are addressed. A transition to "trauma-sensitive school" models and holistic social cohesion programs is recommended.
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