An Analysis of Cartoons in Terms of Values Education in Turkey

Cartoons are important for equipping preschool children with values. Therefore, it is necessary to be careful and sensitive about the cartoons that children watch. The aim of this research was to determine the values implicitly included in the preschool education program and to investigate the occurrence of these values in 6 cartoons Pırıl, Canım Kardeşim, Kare, Kukuli, Elif’in Düşleri and Maceracı Yüzgeçler. In the research, content analysis was used. Preschool education program and cartoons were analyzed descriptively. The data obtained through descriptive analysis were analysed and presented in detail. Random sampling was used while selecting 5 episodes of the cartoons investigated in the study. The study identified 27 values that were implicitly in the preschool education program. In these cartoons, the values of love, cooperation, kindness, being scientific and benevolence were covered most frequently and the values of aesthetics, empathy, knowing and protecting their rights, saving, self-control, courage and obeying the rules were covered less frequently. Values of self-respect, freedom and patriotism were not mentioned in any of the cartoons. It was found that most of the values that are implicitly included in preschool education program were covered in the cartoons analysed.