Activity and Workbooks of Ministry of National Education: Preschool Teachers are Evaluating

The book sets “Preschool Education Activity Guidebook” for teachers and “Let’s Join Hands for Preschool Education” for children have been provided by the Ministry of National Education to all preschool education institutions since 2017 in order to provide high-quality preschool education, to help teachers develop different perspectives, and to discourage both students and teachers from using unreliable or inappropriate sources of information. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of the book sets on teachers and children. Phenomenology, which is qualitative research design, was used. The sample consisted of 24 preschool teachers from different educational institutions. Data were collected using interview forms created in Google Forms. Data were analyzed using second-cycle coding, which is inductive content analysis. Many participants are satisfied with the activity guidebooks and use them to develop different perspectives, to improve themselves, and to be more productive for their students. Teaching experiences and classroom materials affect the way they use the activity guidebooks. Although the book sets have some negative effects, they are guides for both teachers and parents. Participants think that the book sets are useful for education planning and process management but that different variables should also be taken into account when integrating them in education and that all available resources should be used to achieve professional development.


Introduction
The period from birth to primary education is referred to as preschool period. During that period, rapid development and learning take place, and children discover their potential, acquire knowledge, and develop positive attitudes and cognitive, social/affective, linguistic, and motor skills, which are believed to be core life skills (Ministry of National Education, 2013; National Association for the Education of Young Children, 2009). From early ages, children should be provided with a rich environment to allow them to express their feelings and thoughts and develop vital social and cognitive skills which they will put into practice in the future .
Research shows that children who have received early education are likely to have better academic performance (Campbell et al., 2002;Kağıtcıbaşı et al., 2005), be employed in the highest paying occupations, and engage in criminal activity and benefit from social support less than those who have not received early education (Schweinhart et al., 1993). Supporting development from early childhood on should be seen as an investment not only in the individual but also in society (Karademir et al., 2017). Therefore, preschool education is economically and strategically important for nations.
The success of national education depends on the quality of education programs. The more detailed and comprehensive an education program, the better its outcomes (Karademir & Ören, 2020). Therefore, only high quality education programs can ensure healthy growth and development, promote positive social and emotional experiences, provide children with rich linguistic stimuli and keep them engaged in learning (Ministry of National Education, 2013).
Results of rigorous research in the preparation stage should be tested and scaled up into policies to make sure that education programs benefit all interested stakeholders in practice. Ministry of National Education revised the Preschool Education Program (PEP) in 2013-2014 academic year and put to use in all preschool education institutions in Turkey for the purpose of providing children with rich learning experiences, supporting their development from a holistic perspective and increasing their readiness to primary education (Gürkan & Koran, 2014;Ministry of National Education, 2013). In the following years, the Ministry of National Education took more steps to promote the current preschool education program and its implementation in institutions. Within the framework of the Tenth Development Plan within the scope of preschool education objectives in 2017-2019 Medium-Term Program and Ministry of National Education Strategic Plan, the Ministry of National Education first adopted as a primary strategy to provide at least one year of preschool education to all children who were to start primary school the following year (2017) and then focused its efforts on providing in-class educational materials to promote preschool education for disadvantaged children. The Ministry of National Education also took into account the monitoring and evaluation of results, feedback from school administrators and preschool teachers, children's interests and needs, and common errors in practice and then prepared the book set "Preschool Education Educational Policy Analysis andStrategic Research, V 15, N 4, 2020 © 2020 INASED 10 The PEAGB has ten types of activities (Turkish, play, science, math, preparation for reading and writing, music, drama, movement, and field trips) performed in six different ways (integrated large group, large group, integrated large and small group, small group, integrated small group, and individual activity). The target skills of the PEAGB are cognitive, linguistic, motor, social/affective, and self-care skills. (Table 1).
The three-volume LJHPE was first introduced to 189 thousand preschoolers in 37 cities in 2017 and then to preschoolers across the whole country. It is a colorful and interesting workbook that helps students go over on their own all 2013 PEP concepts (maximum three times of repetition per concept) that they have learned in classroom activities performed under the guidance of teachers (Ministry of National Education, 2019).
Both teachers and preschoolers use materials other than books during learning. Numerous studies examine the effects of materials on users (Cain, 2011;Lillvist et al., 2014;Marklund, 2015;McBride et al., 2006). However, there is little research on the effects of books on children. There is also no research in Turkey on any written sources related to the program, except for some studies focusing on reading books designed for preschoolers (Çatalcalı Soyer, 2009;Tercanlı Metin & Gökçay, 2014;Veziroğlu & Gönen, 2012). Therefore, more research is warranted to investigate the effectiveness of the PEAGB and LJHPE as they are of paramount importance in preschool education.
Teachers are responsible for implementing curricula. Therefore, their views should be analyzed to determine how successful the newly introduced nationwide educational movement is. The aim of this study was, therefore, to determine teachers' views of the PEAGB and LJHPE which they have been using for three years. To our knowledge, this is the first study to address the issue, and therefore, we believe that it will make a significant contribution to the literature.

Method
This study employed phenomenology, which is a qualitative research design used to determine subjective perspectives and experiences (Yıldırım & Şimşek, 2012). Perception of life is based on subjective experiences of phenomena and their interpretation. Phenomenological research deals with how we bring together the facts that we experience in understanding the environment (Patton, 2002(Patton, /2014.

Participants
Data were collected online due to the nationwide school closures and restrictions on social contact during the COVID-19 pandemic. Questionnaires were prepared on Google Forms, and an electronic link was sent to all participants recruited using snowballing sampling. Participation was voluntary. The sample consisted of 24 preschool teachers (19 females and 5 males) from kindergartens (n = 8) and kindergartens of primary schools (n = 6) in the districts of Muş. The mean age of participants was 31.5 years. Fourteen participants had a preschool education high school degree while ten had an associate's degree. Sixteen participants had 15 years of work experience. Eight participants had 0 to 5 years of work experience, and four of them were recently appointed to their positions.

Data Collection
This study aimed to address in what way the PEAGB and LJHPE affected education. A scale was prepared on Google Forms. First, scope and content were determined. An item pool was developed by the researchers, and then, the items were examined by a measurement and evaluation specialist, two field specialists, and a language specialist. The scale was revised based on their feedback.

Data Analysis
Data were converted into codes, which were then used to develop subthemes and categories based on literature review and participants' statements. Data were analyzed using content analysis (Krippendorff, 2013). Data were analyzed using second-cycle coding, which is used in qualitative research (Miles et al., 2014). In the first cycle, the researchers coded some of the data separately and then compared them to develop themes and categories. They discussed the codes and developed new themes and categories to make them conceptually dense and free from biases and assumptions. In the second cycle, they used constant comparison to code the remaining data (Corbin & Strauss, 2008).
They used the QSR N-Vivo 12 to develop themes and sub-themes and then interpreted and expressed the findings. To achieve reliability, they consulted a different expert who had experience in the field to check the codes and themes. They discussed the codes and themes based on expert feedback and reached a consensus and then finalized them and presented them in Tables.

Results
This section presented the themes, subthemes, categories, codes, and sample quotations in Tables. The comments section addressed the details of the interviews to provide an accurate and coherent picture of participants' views and to allow readers to easily analyze and interpret the findings.

Increase in communication (N=19)
When you assign homework from the workbook, parents want to talk to you more, they ask you more questions and they are pleased with it (T22).

Increase in parent involvement (N=18)
I give home assignments, and tell the kids to take their workbooks back home with them so that the parents can help them go over the lessons, and this way, they get to be more involved in their children's education (T12).
Increase in follow-up / Being taken more seriously (N=16) Parents take you more seriously when you give homework because they know that you are keeping tabs on the students. They take you more seriously and listen to you more carefully and talk to you more (T13).

Easy communication (N=7)
You can communicate more easily with parents about activities and stuff, which is good for teacher-family relationship (T10).

Teacherteacher
Exchange of views (N=13) I sometimes talk to my colleagues about which activities I like the best, it is effective because they also do those in their class (T2).

Coordination (N=8)
Having similar activities in all classrooms results in coordination, I mean, parents like it when they see similar materials on all the pin boards (T23). Table 2 shows that the PEAGB affected participants under the themes of psychological, creativity, and interaction, which consisted of either positive or negative categories. Most participants addressed psychological dimensions.
As for psychological dimension, participants stated that the PEAGB promoted self-confidence, efficiency, relief, curiosity, satisfaction, pride, inspiring, courage, idealism, and innovativeness.
Participants compared the activities they designed in the past to those in the PEAGB. They felt more self-confident when they saw that their activities were similar to those in the PEAGB. They remarked that the PEAGB sparked their curiosity at first and that PEAGB activities with different materials could encourage teachers. Some participants noted that they used the PEAGB to increase teaching efficiency and were inspired by the activities in it and that they preferred to be open to new things, and therefore, believed that teachers should carry out pleasant activities that have not been used. As for negative psychological effects, participants argued that the PEAGB caused dissatisfaction, idleness, unproductiveness/inadequacy, indifference, unwillingness, and the feeling of being watched or controlled, and reduced motivation. Some participants stressed that they were dissatisfied and felt like the PEAGB was a waste of paper because they already performed activities that were similar to those in it. They also argued that ready-made activities made teachers unproductive and lazy. Some participants felt unmotivated and unwilling to perform the PEAGB activities because they lacked the necessary materials and resources to perform them in their classrooms. Some participants maintained that the Ministry of National Education made them use the PEAGB to watch over and keep tabs on teachers even from afar.
As for creativity dimension, most participants stated that the PEAGB helped them develop different perspectives, and imagination, elaboration, flexibility, and fluency skills, while some others asserted that teachers might get too used to using the PEAGB and that it might limit and prevent them from questioning and inquiring, resulting in arrested development. The PEAGB activities helped participants develop different perspectives and encouraged them to use imagination. Although some participants believed that the PEAGB might limit them and turn into a bad habit in the future, most participants noted that it allowed them to design different activities using simple materials, and thus, to improve themselves. They remarked that teachers should take many factors into consideration to be able to perform preschool education activities effectively, and thus, could use the PEAGB when they figured out the challenges of activities. They also emphasized that the PEAGB could be used to teach the preschool education curriculum.
Participants' statements regarding interaction dimension were categorized into teacherstudent, teacher-parent, and teacher-teacher. They took into account both the PEAGB and LJHPE when they expressed their opinions. They stated that the LJHPE allowed teachers to give students instant feedback, and therefore, promoted teacher-student interaction. Some participants noted that they tried to listen to their students effectively, when they performed the LJHPE activities at their desks. Many participants remarked that they sometimes exchanged ideas with their colleagues to perform the same PEAGB activities in their classrooms and that when they assigned homework from the LJHPE, parents became more engaged in their children's education and took the teachers more seriously, resulting in better parent-teacher communication. This section addressed the effects of the PEAGB and LJHPE on teaching and learning (Table 3). It's useful to design activities together with the kids, but it is mostly the teachers who choose activities from the guidebook (T10).

Regional differences (N=7)
It's quite obvious that the activities in the guidebook don't pay much attention to regional differences, I mean, they don't take them into account (T6).

Educational environment and material
Positive effect

Different ways of use (N=14)
The guidebook has all kinds of activities. With some experience, you get to modify the activities and the environment (T4).

Making use of possibilities (N=12)
When you check the guidebook you see that you can use the materials in different ways, so it tells you that you can diversify your resources (T1).

Reorganizing (N=9)
The book is full of examples which show you that you can make minor adjustments for an activity you like (T7).

Limitations (N=11)
Sometimes our hands are tied because there are too many things we need to do the activities (T6).

Using the same space (N=10)
The kids work on the workbooks at their desks, which kills creativity because we can't use them in a different way (T14).

Activities
Positive effect Contribution to professional skills (N=11) Seeing different activities and trying to put them in practice in class teaches me things about my profession, there are a lot of activities that I have not seen before (T23). Transition activity (N=8) I use the workbook as a transition activity when they get bored (T12).

Spirality (N=8)
The kids use the workbook to go over what's been taught to them (T2).

Negative effect
Uneven distribution (N=13) There are ten types of activities in the guidebook, but some are more than the others (T3 All kids care about is games, so we should teach everything through games, but how can we do that with the kids working on the workbooks at their desks (T8).

Internal motivation (N=11)
When you give the kids the workbooks and tell them to get back to their desks and work on them, you can see it in their eyes that they feel bored, it's because they don't want to do the activity because they do it at home anyway (T11).

Interaction/communicati on Decrease
Teacherstudent (N=15) The teacher gets to interact with her students most when they play new and different games and when she also takes part in it (T21).  Table 3 shows that both the PEAGB and LJHPE have various effects on education. The dimension of "teacher" consisted of the categories of "process planning/management," "educational environment and material," "activities," "experience," and "measurement and evaluation." The PEAGB affected participants in the way they planned education, set the classroom environment and materials, and evaluated students. The dimension of "student" consisted of the categories of "learning processes," "thinking skills," "learning retention," "interaction/communication," and "economic dimension." According to participants, the LJHPE had both positive and negative effects on students' thinking skills, learning retention, and classroom interaction (Table 3).

Increase
Participants used the PEAGB in different ways to plan and manage education. They stated that the PEAGB activities took individual differences into account and that they tried to choose activities that provided parents with the opportunity to be involved in their children's education because they thought that parental engagement was an indispensable part of effective education. They noted that the PEAGB helped them plan education better and carry it out more effectively, making them feel comfortable and that the PEAGB helped teachers with an associate's degree to experience teachinglearning. It is noteworthy that some participants had positive views of the effect of the PEAGB on the process management, whereas some others had negative views of it. While some experienced participants were of the opinion that using activities from one source limited teachers, others argued that they could not perform the PEAGB activities even if they wanted to, because they lacked the necessary resources and materials. Some participants believed that teachers choosing activities on their own killed productivity, and therefore, recommended that teachers involve students in choosing activities. Some participants working in the underprivileged regions of Turkey wanted to highlight that the PEAGB did not take regional differences into account.
Some participants stressed that the PEAGB had numerous activities that could be modified according to needs. Some participants maintained that although the PEAGB had limitations, it showed experienced teachers how to use different settings and materials to perform activities, and therefore, had a positive effect on teaching-learning. Experienced participants remarked that the PEAGB supported new teachers who needed professional development and that they used the LJHPE as transition activities to take advantage of the spirality of the curriculum. Participants also asserted that all learning outcomes of preschool education should be achieved even if it took ten kinds of activities to achieve only one of them. However, they criticized how randomly distributed the PEAGB activities were, which seemed to them haphazard and unplanned. Especially those with an associate's degree conducted the PEAGB activities as large group activities.
The way participants used the PEAGB depended on the degree of their work experience.
Those with 0 to 5 years of work experience used it more carefully and took into account the class size, materials and resources, and children's development level before they chose activities from the PEAGB. However, those with at least 15 years of work experience avoided using it as much as they can because they believed that it might turn into a "bad" habit after a certain point. They also pointed out that they had difficulty adapting the PEAGB activities to age groups. Almost all participants used the LJHPE and their LJHPE-related impressions and observations to follow up their students on a regular basis and to prepare the year-end reports. However, some of them underlined that the LJHPE was a one-dimensional and result-oriented evaluation that focused only on cognitive skills.
Most participants with 0 to 5 years of work experience noted that the LJHPE did not promote active learning. They also stated that gamified activities involving students helped students develop attention and problem-solving skills and make connections with everyday life, but that using the LJHPE too often prevented students from developing as many divergent, reflective, critical, and creative thinking skills as they were expected to. Therefore, they recommended that teachers choose gamified activities promoting active engagement to achieve learning retention. They highlighted that the LJHPE activities were not gamified, and therefore, resulted in reduced motivation in students.
Although some participants thought that students performing LJHPE activities at their desks were likely to interact more with one another, the majority argued that that type of activity had negative effects on teacher-student interaction. Lastly, some of the participants working with children of poor families in the underprivileged regions of Turkey maintained that the LJHPE was consistent with the principle of equality of opportunity. Participants took some factors into account when using the PEAGB (Table 4).

Readiness (N=12)
You know, some students are worse than others. There are some with low readiness, which should also be taken into account (T2).

Target skills (N=17)
We have to do activities that are appropriate for each developmental stage. I take my students' gaps in their knowledge and choose activities from the guidebook accordingly (T23).

Monthly plan (N=12)
In general, I pay attention to monthly plans (T5).

Time (N=7)
You spend a certain amount of time with students, so there is only a certain amount of time for activities, so I check how long an activity is before I choose it for class (T9).

Regional differences (N=6)
Although the guidebook doesn't seem to address regional differences, I am as picky as possible when it comes to choosing an activity (T6).

Concepts (N=23)
I make sure that the concepts that the guidebook activities focus on are consistent with my plan (T14). Activity content (N=19)

I choose the activities about the content that my students need to learn (T3).
Activity type (N=13) I generally prefer big group activities; I make sure that all students are involved in them (T20).

Method and technique (N=7)
There are only certain techniques that my classroom lets me use, so I use the activities that are consistent with those techniques (T4).

Adaptations (N=3)
If you have an inclusive student, you have to be more careful, I mean, you have to choose or modify activities accordingly (T8, T10, T17).

Materials (N=16)
The guidebook has so many activities that can be performed with so many materials, which is very nice, but you have to check what materials you have at hand before you choose one of those activities (T21).

Class size is a factor that limits or facilitates things. There is no way you can perform some of the guidebook activities in such an overcrowded classroom as mine, and so, I always take the class size into account before I choose an activity (T18).
Participants' statements regarding the factors they took into account when using the PEAGB were grouped under the categories of "student," "teacher," "process," "activities," and "environmental conditions" (Table 4). Participants were of the opinion that teachers should take age, developmental characteristics and individual differences into account when designing activities. They noted that teachers who took individual differences into account when designing activities promoted readiness, curiosity, and enthusiasm in students and had alternative plans in case of any setback.
The way participants used the PEAGB depended on their level of professional experience. Some participants were sometimes unprepared for classes and quickly found activities from different sources when they were in a bad mental state. In schools with high teacher-teacher interaction, teachers got together for breakfast and exchanged ideas or visited each other's classrooms and saw what kind of activities they did. They asked their colleagues where they got those activities from and found them and applied them in their own classrooms. They also took into account their students' target skills and designed education according to their monthly plans. Some participants considered regional differences and the duration of activities before they chose and implemented them in their classrooms. Some participants made an effort to distribute the PEAGB activities in line with the curriculum.
Most participants thought about whether the PEAGB activities could be used to teach the concepts and content in their monthly plans. However, there were very few participants who considered in what way the PEAGB activities should be implemented. Teachers of students with special needs chose PEAGB activities that could be adjusted according to their needs. Moreover, some participants took into account the resources and materials in their classrooms when choosing PEAGB activities. Participants working in kindergartens were of the opinion that class size affected which activities they could choose. Participants took some features into account when using the PEAGB. Table 5 presents information regarding the features that affected the way participants used the PEAGB and its features.

Cognitive (N=19)
Students use cognitive skills in almost all activities, and the guidebook has a lot of activities on cognitive skills anyway, so we use them (T21).

Social/affective (N=11)
I'm one of those who think that preschool education helps kids, especially with social/affective skills. They'll eventually develop other skills one way or another, but I believe that emotional development is critical (T10).

Language (N=6)
You have to use linguistic skills in all activities, and the kids listen to you and answer your questions, and they get to talk to each other, which helps them develop linguistic skills (T12).

Motor (N=4)
Kids need to move, so I've checked the guidebook to find some activities to let them discharge their excess energy and to develop motor skills (T13).

Self-care (N=2)
I have a student with special needs, so I apply individual self-care activities (T2).

Strengths
Simple/intelligible language (N=16) The guidebook has a very plain and intelligible language. The activities are concisely explained and focus on main themes (T4).

Diversity (N=15)
The guidebook has several examples for each type of activity, I think they are enough. Besides, the activity examples are interesting (T8).

Images (N=11)
I like that the guidebook is colorful. The sample images are very nice (T21).

Physical properties (N=9)
The book is thick and heavy, and also a bit big (T20).

Activity sequencing (N=8)
The activities are all messy, I mean, they should have been better organized. It would be nice to have them in order so that we could easily find the activities that should be implemented one after another (T17).

Activity distribution (N=7)
I don't think the guidebook activities are evenly distributed. It has too many art activities, but we need more math, science, and drama activities, which are generally harder to practice (T12). Superficiality (N=3) I find the guidebook activities superficial, so it's better to use different sites and blogs to find activities (T5).

Others (N=2)
The guidebook should have had a music CD in it and also materials to perform the activities in the classroom (T9).
The reasons why participants used the PEAGB were grouped under the categories of "activity type," "activity setting," and "area of development." Other features of the PEAGB were grouped under the categories of "frequency of PEAGB use," "strengths," and "weaknesses." Most participants focused on the type of activity. Some participants used the PEAGB to implement drama, science, and math activities because they found them more comprehensive and difficult than other types of activities. They believed that the examples in the PEAGB were informative in terms of application or methods, and therefore, helped them perform drama, science, and math activities. Participants stated that they had checked the PEAGB because they were curious about the art and music activities in it.
All participants but one with limited means and resources would like to keep up with the developments concerning the play, preparation for reading and writing, and Turkish activities in the PEAGB.
More than half of the participants saw the PEAGB activities as independent large group activities. Participants who had students with special needs preferred individual activities, while those working with small children preferred independent small group activities. It is noteworthy that very few participants used integrated activities.
Most participants preferred activities that focused solely on cognitive skills. The number of participants emphasizing social/affective skill development in early childhood was higher than those emphasizing motor and linguistic skill development, albeit not as many as those focusing on cognitive skills. Two of the three participants with inclusive students used the PEAGB for self-care activities.
More than half of the participants sometimes used the PEAGB, while half always used it.
However, some never used it. Most participants found the PEAGB concise and easy to understand and thought that it had a sufficient number of diverse activities. To them, one of the strengths of the PEAGB was that it had colorful images. However, a few participants criticized the PEAGB for being too superficial and physically too heavy and big and argued that it had disorganized content and unevenly distributed activities.

Discussion, Conclusion and Recommendations
Participants use the Preschool Education Activity Guidebook (PEAGB) and Let's Join Hands for Preschool Education (LJHPE) as supplementary sources, which has been reported by previous studies on teachers of different grades. Akdeniz and Paniç (2012) found that almost all teachers used supplementary books in their lessons. However, the PEAGB has mostly psychologically positive or negative effects on our participants. It boosts confidence in some, but dissatisfaction in others. The

PEAGB is an important supplementary source of information based on the Ministry of National
Education 2013 Preschool Education Program, and therefore, it is not surprising that it makes our participants more self-confident. Participants use the activity examples in the PEAGB to test their own activities and feel more assured to see that they are similar. However, this disappoints some participants because they think that since the PEAGB activities and their own activities are similar, then the PEAGB does not make any difference. In the research conducted with preschool teachers in Malaysia to increase the quality of science and technology activities in two consecutive periods; It was observed that the supplementary resources provided to teachers could not be used properly. In this study aimed at increasing the quality of education; teachers were asked to continue their use of resources by providing innovative, creative, and informative training, but it was understood that some of the teachers could not get the necessary contribution and continue their own practices (Nachiappan et al., 2018). For this reason, it can be said that it is extremely important for preschool teachers to be open to improvement and to have a positive attitude. Ayvacı and Devecioğlu (2013) also reported that most teachers did not use the PEAGB because they thought that its activities had limited content and applicability. Some of our participants experience the same thing and approach it from different points of view. Those who notice that the PEAGB activities are similar to their own feel more confident thinking that they are on the right path, whereas some others see this as something negative and think that since the PEAGB activities are similar to their own, then the PEAGB is useless. Those in the second camp are actually looking for a supplementary source, but they think that it should have adequate content.
From the perspective of creativity, participants have positive or negative views of the PEAGB.
Those in favor of the PEAGB argue that it helps them develop different perspectives, whereas those who are against it state that it may turn into an addiction and limit them. Kulantaş (2007) also reported that teachers were of the opinion that the PEAGB might make them less creative and limit them. We can suggest that the more professional experience the teachers have, the better they can be at managing this risk.
Participants' statements focus mostly on teacher-parent interaction concerning the use of the LJHPE. They note that the LJHPE encourage parents to interact more with them. At this point, we should emphasize that different models can be used to promote not only parent engagement in schools but also better teacher-parent interaction because the latter improves teachers' efficiency as well (Murray et al., 2015). In addition, studies show that the use of common resources with families in many development areas, especially language and early literacy skills, is beneficial for children. It can be said that the hands-on work carried out jointly by teachers and parents strengthens both childfamily and teacher-parent relationships (Hudson et al., 2018;Purpura et al., 2017;Uscianowski et al., 2020). In terms of teacher-teacher relationship, participants talk to their colleagues and exchange ideas about the PEAGB activities. Lastly, they also remark that the LJHPE provides them with the opportunity to give instant feedback to children. Research shows that efficient guidance services within the scope of the curriculum promote positive teacher-student interaction and help students develop social/affective skills from early ages (Haslip et al., 2018;Lillvist et al., 2014). Therefore, teachers should take into account children's individual needs and choose different types of activities accordingly in order to improve the quality of teacher-student interaction. In short, both the PEAGB and LJHPE make contributions to interaction. Moreover, participants benefit from the exchange of ideas with their colleagues and use their perspectives to modify and/or manage the PEAGB activities.
We can, therefore, conclude that the PEAGB promotes flexibility. However, Bircan (2014) reported that first-year teachers thought that the PEAGB limited their ability to choose, modify and recommend activities. Given that the PEAGB is a guidebook, we can conclude that it has the desired flexibility.
Participants address the effect of the PEAGB and LJHPE on education under the dimensions of "teacher" and "student." As for the dimension of "teacher," participants point out that the PEAGB takes individual differences into account in the planning and management of education, allows for different ways of use in terms of educational environment and material, contributes to professional skills in terms of activities, represents differences in terms of experience, and allows for regular monitoring of students in terms of measurement and evaluation. However, Kulantaş (2007) reported that teachers thought that the PEAGB activities did not take individual differences into account and did not offer alternatives. Some of our participants also assert that the PEAGB activities evaluate only one dimension and are unevenly distributed, and therefore, may limit teachers and prevent them from doing what they want if those activities turn into an addiction. For example, the Reggio Emilia approach, which an ideal example for preschool education, involves children in projects and activities to guide their interests and needs. Therefore, as stated by participants, using the PEAGB alone may limit teachers and prevent them from doing what they want. Some of our participants argue that they cannot perform some of the PEAGB activities because they lack sufficient resources and materials in their classrooms, which has been reported by other studies as well (Erdoğan, 2007;Kamber, 2007;Kulantaş, 2007). Participants maintain that the LJHPE allows them to keep track of their students' development, but criticize it for evaluating only one dimension of development. In contrast, Gökçe (2006) reported that science teachers thought that the LJHPE had more measurement and evaluation techniques than offered by the curriculum. In a nutshell, participants are of the opinion that the PEAGB should be more comprehensive in terms of process, material, activities, and measurement and evaluation. Daşcan (2000) also argues that guidebooks should be clear and adequate and capable of responding to potential problems and educational needs.
As for the dimension of "student," participants address only the negative effects of the LJHPE activities in terms of learning processes and state that they fail to make connections with everyday life, to promote active learning, and to focus on problem-solving skills. Kolaç (2003) also argues that textbooks and supplementary sources should have content that encourages students to think and make connections with life. Our participants note that the PEAGB leads to convergent thinking in students.
Şahin (2010)  that it leads to a reduction in teacher-student interaction but an increase in student-student interaction.
Lastly, they express positive opinions in terms of economic dimension and assert that the LJHPE takes poor students into account as well. In short, participants express positive views of the LJHPE in terms of student-student interaction. However, Bircan (2014) stated that first-year teachers had negative views of both the PEAGB and LJHPE and suggested that the books have activities to improve studentstudent interaction and take different socio-economic backgrounds into account. We can state that the Ministry of National Education takes heed of the recommendations because it provides all preschoolers with three-volume workbook sets regardless of their socio-economic status.
The most important factors that participants consider when using the PEAGB are age, experience, target skills, concepts, and materials in terms of children's' characteristics, teachers' characteristics, process, activities, and environmental conditions, respectively. Şahin (2010) reported that teachers thought that the PEAGB took into account students' age and developmental characteristics. Our participants also agree that the PEAGB takes preschoolers' age-related characteristics into consideration. However, experienced participants need the PEAGB less. Varol (2017) concluded that the use of the PEAGB depended on professional experience and that teachers with more than 15-20 years of work experience used the PEAGB less often than new teachers.
Participants remark that the PEAGB contains activities with different materials but also add that not all classrooms have the same materials and resources to perform those activities. Research also shows that teachers claim that the PEAGB activities are hard to perform and require materials that are not easily accessible (Erdoğan, 2007;Kulantaş, 2007;Yılmaz, 2014). The PEAGB should include alternative resources and materials to offer teachers different perspectives and to encourage them.
However, participants also point out that the PEAGB does not take regional differences much into account. Research also shows that teachers are of the opinion that the PEAGB activities should be modified based on environmental conditions because they fail to take economic conditions in some regions of Turkey into consideration. Teachers also criticize the PEAGB for failing to offer a flexible perspective in this regard (Kulantaş, 2007;Ulu Kalın, 2007;Yılmaz, 2014). However, Kamber (2007) reported that teachers were able to adapt the PEAGB activities according to the conditions of the region they worked even though they did not have all of the materials required by the activities. This flexibility depends on teachers' quality, problem-solving skills, practicality, and experience.
Nevertheless, while preparing the PEAGB, experts should consider the conditions of Turkey and offer alternative materials, tips, and recommendations on regional differences and a flexible perspective to help teachers to better manage education.
In terms of features and usage, participants prefer the PEAGB to get an idea of drama activities. In terms of activity setting, they use it mostly for independent large group activities. In terms of area of development, they mostly prefer activities focusing on cognitive skills. Güven (2010) reported that classroom teachers thought that the Ministry of National Education life science textbooks lacked enough examples for learning outcomes and failed to promote active student engagement.
Aşıkcan (2012) reported that first-grade teachers thought that the Turkish textbook did not have enough activities for preparation for reading and writing. However, our participants believe that the content of the PEAGB focuses on different types and settings of activity, and target skills. In terms of other features of the PEAGB, most participants sometimes use the PEAGB. Ayvacı and Er-Nas (2009) also found that although teachers thought that the PEAGB was useful, they did not use it enough.
As for strengths, participants find the PEAGB clear and easy to understand. Yilmaz (2014) reported that teachers had a moderate positive view on the fact that the PEAGB was easy to understand. However, Tekeli Yıldızhan (2010) reported that fourth-and fifth-grade teachers were of the opinion that the Social Studies Lesson Preschool Education Activity Guidebook was hard to understand. Research shows that teachers from different branches think that the Ministry of National Education textbook has good content, narration, and intelligibility (Akdeniz & Paniç, 2012;Kaya Şengören et al., 2015;Marulcu & Doğan, 2010). Our results and those of previous studies indicate that teachers care about the language of guidebooks.
As for weaknesses, participants find the PEAGB thick, heavy, and big. Mentiş Taş (2006) also reported that social studies teachers found Ministry of National Education textbooks physically partially positive. According to the "Evaluation of Primary School Textbooks" conducted by the Department of Education Research and Development (DERD, 2008), students suggest that the books be lighter, while teachers suggest that they be bound more securely. Therefore, teachers and students expect Ministry of National Education textbooks, guidebooks, and workbooks to be durable, light, and easy to use.
The General Directorate of Basic Education had the purely advisory PEAGB prepared by a commission of experts and teachers after long hours of work and had it approved by the Board of Education and Discipline, and then, distributed it to preschool teachers in order to improve the quality of preschool education and to prevent preschool teachers from using wrong resources prepared for purely commercial purposes. Regional and individual differences, and available resources are factors that should be taken into account by teachers in education management. This is clearly stated at the introduction of the PEAGB, "Teachers should choose activities that are in line with the monthly plans in which they take children's developmental characteristics, needs, interests, and readiness levels, and educational environments and materials, and other resources into account and use them in daily education after modifying them." The purpose of guidebooks is to help teachers not only to perform activities but also to develop different perspectives during practice and to guide them in the reflection of the multi-dimensional thinking system on education. At this point, preschool teachers should ask themselves "What would I do without a guide?" Preschool teachers, who are very important people in children's life, are entrusted with the task of preparing them for the future. Therefore, they should have comprehensive knowledge of factors to be considered and put their knowledge and experience into practice. Their success is limited not by the lack of materials and resources, but by the imagination of children and themselves. However, it should not be forgotten that; children will develop in the desired direction under the responsibility of both parents and teachers. For this reason, especially in the early childhood education process where the first steps are taken; It is important that teachers and parents cooperate to share responsibilities and, not ignore it.