BILSEM Geography Teachers' Evaluations on their Branches

As of the beginning of 2024, BILSEM (Science and Art Centers) serves in 379 centers across Turkey, aiming to enhance the academic, artistic, and intellectual skills of gifted students. These institutions, formed by teachers, students, and administrators selected based on various criteria in different branches such as general knowledge, general ability, music, and art, aspire to nurture individuals who realize their potential. One of the subjects taught in line with these goals and objectives is geography. The opinions and thoughts of BILSEM geography teachers regarding the institution, along with the quality of geography teachers, will contribute to the evaluation of the institution's mission and vision. In this context, a case study method was employed in this study, aiming to examine the views of BILSEM geography teachers on aspects such as management, students, parents, curriculum, equipment status, and usage. The study involved 53 out of 64 geography teachers working in BILSEM centers across Turkey, and data were collected through a semi-structured interview form consisting of 7 questions. The findings, categorized into themes and codes through content analysis, are presented in tables with direct quotes. The majority of geography teachers expressed that the institution's administrators view geography as an important and necessary subject in BILSEM, students have a positive attitude towards participating in TUBITAK projects in the field of geography, being a BILSEM teacher contributes to their academic development, and most teachers engage in various scientific activities. According to the teachers, the lack of teaching materials is a significant challenge, and they often have to acquire them through their own means. However, the curriculum, content, assessment processes, and activities are deemed suitable for students. Additionally, half of the teachers noted that their students have a high interest in geography and positive attitudes. Based on these results, recommendations are presented for authorities and readers.