Açik Ögretim Lisesi Ögrencisi Hükümlü ve Tutuklularin Okumaya Yönelik Tutumlari/Convict and Arrested Students' Attitudes towards Reading in Distance Secondary School Education

This study is intended to identify the level of reading attitudes of convict and arrested students in Distance Secondary School Education, based on different variables. The study is conducted according to a mixed survey model where quantitative and qualitative data analysis techniques are employed together. The study used the screening method of quantitative survey methods and focus group interview technique of the quantitative survey methods. The study group in the survey is made up of a total of 211 convict and arrested students in Distance Secondary School Education; 78 from Silivri No.7 Type L Closed Prison, 73 from Bilecik Type M and 67 from U§ak Type E Closed Prisons. Quantitative data is obtained via the "Attitude Towards Readindg Scale" developed by Özdemir and Akkaya (2014) and "Personal Data Form" while the qualitative data is obtained through the focus group interview. SPSS 22 data analysis program is employed in the analysis of quantitative data while content analysis method is used in the analysis of the qualitative data. Based on the survey, the "benefit" level of the students is identified as very high; the "commitment" level as high; the "habit" level as high; the "beyond reality" as very high; the "overall reading attitude" as high. The benefit levels of the students aged between 31-35 is found out to be higher than those aged below 25, between 26-30 and 36-40. It is seen that the students in U§ak Closed Prison has had higher points in the extent of 'commitment and benefit', as opposed to the students in Bilecik and Silivri No.7; the students in U§ak has had higher points in the extent of 'beyond reality, as opposed to those in Bilecik; and again those in U§ak has had higher points overall in the attitude towards reading, as compared to those in other two institutions. The commitment points of the students in Mediterranean Aegean and South Eastern Regions are found out to be higher than those in Marmara and Black Sea Regions. Based on the interviews carried out, it is concluded that the attitudes of the students towards reading have changed positively following their imprisonment and the training units and library activities in the department of corrections have made a great deal of contributions to them.