Ministry of Education Turkish Overseas Schools as a Factor of Soft Power in Public Diplomacy: A Qualitative Analysis

Abstract

In this study, to be able to deeply make sense of and to interpret the problems preventing MOE Overseas Turkish Schools to be a factor of soft power in public diplomacy, the opinions of 30 teachers and head masters, chosen with snowball and convenience sampling were referred with the semi-structured interviews. The out coming data were subjected to content analysis. The main themes of this study were determined as the importance of legal and supervisory arrangements about teachers’ sufficiency working abroad for Ministry of Education Turkish Overseas Schools as a factor of soft power in public diplomacy, sharing platforms for common educational and cultural projects to be held and sample applications, coordination with Embassies, areas of students of Turkish Schools to be empowered, the content of in-service training, the image of Turkish Schools, supervision and counselling. In aspect of public diplomacy these themes were examined as soft power and suggestions were made.

Keywords: Public diplomacy, soft power, MOE Turkish Overseas Schools.

Special Issue of Educational Sciences

DOI: 10.7176/JSTR/6-06-10