TRAININGS
You can access the training and information received during our project here.
“Critical Discourse Analysis” and “Discourse-Historical Approach” Training Series
Within the scope of our project, a comprehensive six-session training series was conducted by one of our researchers, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gülsüm Songül Ercan, with the aim of providing theoretical and methodological depth to the research activities carried out within the project. In these training sessions, held on 18 August 2023, 21 August 2023, 29 August 2023, 1 September 2023, 18 September 2023, and 25 January 2024, the project team acquired both theoretical and applied competence in Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and the Discourse-Historical Approach (DHA). In the first part of the training, the emergence and theoretical foundations of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) were discussed in detail, including the connection between discourse, ideology, power relations, and social structure, along with the approaches of leading scholars such as Norman Fairclough, Teun A. van Dijk, and Ruth Wodak. Within this framework, a comprehensive theoretical foundation was provided concerning the main objective of CDA: uncovering how texts and discourses produce, reinforce, or transform social power relations. The training then continued with a focus on Wodak’s Discourse-Historical Approach (DHA). In this section, the determining role of historical context in discourse analysis, the ways in which discourses gain meaning within temporal, social, and political contexts, and analytical tools such as “nomination strategies” and “predication strategies” were explained through illustrative examples. The multilayered analytical structure required by DHA directly contributed to the project team’s work on the historical development of textbooks. Following the theoretical dimension, several preparatory activities were conducted with the team: the classification of textbooks to be analyzed according to historical periods; preparing linguistic and visual elements for analysis; constructing a coding scheme suitable for discourse analysis; and carrying out preliminary reading activities supported by historical contextual information. During this process, a comprehensive roadmap was established for both qualitative data management and the identification of discursive categories. The second phase of the training was entirely practice-oriented. In this phase, the team conducted hands-on analyses on selected examples from textbooks; discursive strategies were examined step by step; and practical demonstrations were provided on how to analyze visual discourse, character representations, social roles, and conceptual constructions. Participants had the opportunity to apply nomination and predication strategies to their own data using sample texts and visuals. Each session was further enriched through the project team’s active engagement, insightful contributions, and questions. As a result of this training program, team members gained high-level competence in applying the theoretical foundations of CDA, the multilayered analytical steps of DHA, and the discursive evaluation of linguistic and visual content in textbooks. This training series significantly strengthened the methodological foundation of our project and contributed meaningfully to the multidimensional and scholarly examination of topics such as the image of women, gender roles, nation-building, and modernization discourses in curricula and textbooks.
“Visual Codings” and “Analysis of Visual Elements” Trainings
Within the scope of our project, a comprehensive three-session training series was conducted by one of our researchers, Prof. Dr. Çınla Şeker, with the aim of strengthening the systematic and scholarly analysis of visual materials in textbooks. Held on 29 August 2023, 7 December 2023, and 16 February 2024, these trainings enabled the project team to acquire both theoretical and applied competence regarding the analysis of visual data in qualitative research. In the first phase of the training, Şeker thoroughly addressed the key concepts that form the foundation of visual analysis. This section covered the role of visual literacy in qualitative research; the significance of visual data (photographs, drawings, tables, symbols) for content analysis; the logic of visual coding through questions such as “what is depicted,” “how is it presented,” and “what does it represent”; and the meaning of indicators such as representation, color, body language, and spatial usage. Within this framework, it was emphasized that visuals are not merely decorative elements, but rather important data sources reflecting ideology, social roles, values, and educational norms. In the theoretical part, commonly used approaches in the international literature on visual analysis were discussed including: Content analysis approach: systematically classifying visuals under specific categories; Discourse analysis approach: analyzing power relations, social roles, othering, and the production of ideal types in visuals; Gender-focused visual analysis: particularly evaluating visibility, roles, attire, interactions, and examples of stereotyping in the representation of women and men.These approaches provided a strong methodological foundation for the project’s focus on the representation of women and gender in textbooks. Following the theoretical discussion, under Şeker’s guidance, the project team conducted practical analyses of selected visuals from textbooks. This phase included: Coding characters by gender, age, spatial context, and activity; Comparing social roles of female and male figures; Analyzing depictions of professions, family structures, working life, and public spaces; Examining the relationship between visuals and accompanying text; Evaluating the ideological and pedagogical messages conveyed through visuals. The active participation of the project team, questions, and discussions during the application process made the sessions extremely productive. As a result of this training, team members acquired high-level methodological knowledge on how to systematically code visual data, analyze visual elements alongside texts, conduct gender-focused visual analysis, and evaluate the pedagogical and ideological dimensions of textbook visuals. These training sessions, conducted with Şeker’s guidance, constituted a crucial component of the project’s methodological grounds for visual data analysis.
“NVivo-15 Basic Training”
To strengthen the qualitative data analysis processes of our project and to enhance the research skills of the team members, a comprehensive NVivo-15 basic training series was successfully conducted by our researcher, Dr. Hamide Kılıç. The training took place over six sessions on 11 September 2023, 19 September 2023, 27 September 2023, 5 October 2023, 26 October 2023, and 1 November 2023. This series was designed to meet the needs of all team members, ranging from researchers and project assistants new to NVivo to those seeking advanced applications.
During the training, the following key stages were systematically addressed:
Introduction to NVivo and Project Setup: Introduction to the NVivo interface, creation of a new project, structuring the project file, and management of sources (importing text, PDFs, and visuals).
Coding Logic and Basic Operations: Open, descriptive, and analytical coding techniques; creation of coding hierarchies.
Linking Sources and Analysis: Creation of cases (samples), entering participant characteristics into NVivo, linking sources, codes, and themes.
Data Visualization and Queries: Types of queries including text search, word frequency, coding query, and matrix query; visualization-based analysis techniques such as word clouds, cluster analysis, and concept mapping.
Coding Strategies: Using NVivo for thematic analysis of complex data sets; merging, comparing, and refining codes.
Project Reporting and Output: Generating coding reports, exporting data, and archiving project files.
Each session was highly productive due to the active participation of the project team, hands-on application, and in-depth discussions prompted by questions. In the final sessions, team members applied NVivo to their own datasets, developed themes, tested the consistency of codes, and personally experienced the reporting stage of the analysis process. This process significantly contributed to conducting the qualitative data analysis of the project according to a unified standard.
“Social and Political Change in Turkey from the Early Republic to 1960”
A new addition has been successfully integrated into the training activities conducted within our project. Dr. Hülya Gölgesiz delivered a comprehensive presentation titled “Social and Political Change in Turkey from the Early Republic to 1960” on 10 November 2025, providing the project team with a detailed and horizon-expanding assessment. Gölgesiz approached Turkey’s modernization process from a holistic perspective, evaluating both the historical background of the transformation from the Ottoman Empire to the Republic and the societal impacts of early Republican reforms in detail.
The first part of the presentation addressed the following topics: the Tanzimat and Islahat reforms, institutional transformation in state structures, modernization in representation, political participation, and education during the Second Constitutional Era, as well as changes in family, education, law, and administrative systems. Within this framework, the presentation discussed how the late Ottoman period laid the groundwork for the Republican reforms. The societal impacts of early Republican transformations were further elaborated under the following headings: the Unification of Education (Tevhid-i Tedrisat) and centralization in education; alphabet reform and cultural modernization; the emergence of a new citizenship concept, nation-building, secularism, and public identity; political, legal, and institutional innovations. Particular attention was paid to the relationship between education policies and societal transformation.
One of the main focal points of the presentation was the early Republican approach to women’s rights. This section addressed the acquisition of political rights, increased access to education for girls, visibility in the public sphere, the construction of a modern female image, and the redefinition of family structure, working life, and societal roles. These assessments provided significant contributions to our project’s core research focus on the historical dimension of the representation of women.
The second part of the presentation examined the dynamic transformation process from Turkey’s transition to a multi-party system until the 1960s, including: the societal impacts of economic and cultural changes during the Democrat Party era; urbanization, migration, and the emergence of new social actors; the expansion of mass media and cultural transformation; and the political atmosphere and social tensions leading up to 1960. This comprehensive assessment illustrated how Turkey’s socio-political structure diversified by the mid-20th century.
The presentation was further enriched through the active participation of the project team, questions, and discussions. Participants were able to view the historical, political, and social panorama of the period from a broad perspective, consolidate historical knowledge directly related to the project’s theoretical framework, and develop a stronger contextual understanding of topics such as the representation of women, education policies, modernization, and social transformation. This training strengthened both the academic grounds of the project process and the team members’ historical sensitivity toward their research field.
“Social and Political Change in Turkey from Multi-Party Life to the Present”
Comprehensive presentations delivered by our project researcher, Assoc. Prof. Levent Yılmaz, on 17, 25, and 27 November 2025, titled “Social and Political Change in Turkey from Multi-Party Life to the Present”, provided the project team with an in-depth perspective for analyzing Turkey’s multifaceted transformations.
In his presentations, Yılmaz examined major political changes in Turkey since the onset of multi-party life, including the Democrat Party era and the pursuit of political pluralism, transformations in state–society relations, and shifts in voter behavior. He also addressed the impacts of the 1960, 1971, 1980, and 1997 interventions on the political system, as well as changes in governance approaches and the emergence of new political actors in the 2000s. Within this framework, the evolution of Turkey’s political culture over time was evaluated in detail.
The presentations also discussed transformations in Turkey’s social structure since the 1950s, including: rural-to-urban migration and the emergence of informal settlements; changes in social class structure associated with urbanization; the influence of mass media, cultural transformation, and evolving consumption habits; increases in education levels and occupational diversification; and observed changes in family structures and daily life practices. These sections provided a strong context for understanding the sociological dynamics of Turkey’s modernization process.
An important focus of the presentations was developments in women’s rights and gender equality in Turkey: the increased participation of women in education and employment after 1950; the strengthening of the women’s movement during the 1980s and 1990s; legal and institutional reforms in the 2000s; and the expansion of women’s visibility and representation in the public sphere. These assessments offered valuable contributions to the project’s focus on the representation of women and gender policies.The presentations were further enriched by questions, comments, and discussions from the project team, providing a multi-dimensional perspective for understanding Turkey’s transformations over more than half a century. Participants were able to examine how Turkey’s political structure evolved, the cultural, economic, and educational reflections of social change, and the historical continuity of developments in women’s rights and gender equality. This training constituted a significant step in strengthening the theoretical foundation for analyzing the social context within our project.
