Conclusion, Implications, and Recommendations
The following narrative highlights snapshots from my journey while writing this dissertation. First, there is a brief summary and description of the study’s layout. Second, I offer findings that show what I am walking away with from the study. Third, are the implications, by which I mean what kind of inferences I made as a result of the study and what the study has revealed to me as important. I list the implications because they reflect the understandings of an insider and pinpoint to areas that call for action. The
recommendations for future research, on the other hand, consist of suggestions I make for the HM and researchers interested in the HM in general, and bilingual education in the HM schools in particular. I provide these as areas of interest for future study.
Summary
A reiteration of the layout of the study follows in conclusion: Altogether, I built the study around seven chapters. In the 1st chapter, I introduced the reader into the case of the HM and provided general information. I also provided some vital information such as why I was conducting this study and why it was such a significant topic. In the 2nd
chapter, I went into more detail and looked into the available literature on the HM. This chapter also included the philosophical approach of prominent scholars, including Mr. Gülen’s. There was an overview of the HM history as well. While not an expert in qualitative methods, I informed the reader about my research method, phenomenology in the 3rd chapter. There, I explained my dual pathway and modifications I made in the research method to fit the needs of the study. Chapters 4 and 5 consisted of my analysis of the data I collected in the field. Chapter 4 used an emic perspective while chapter 5
was a more structured phenomenological analysis. Chapter 6 was a discussion of the findings. I broke it down into two major sections: a discussion reflective of the findings in the first pathway and a discussion reflective of the findings in the second pathway. Each pathway looked into my findings on HM schooling and the research question. Before the second pathway, I provided the reader with a comparative analysis of the HM’s potential contributions to bilingual education in order to make better sense of the findings in the second pathway. Chapter 7, which is the last part of the study, included my inferences form the study, the recommendations I made as a result, and conclusion.
Methodologically, I approached this phenomenological study through dual
pathways: an emic perspective of the researcher and the Van Kaam Method of Analysis. I believe this dual pathway has resulted in a stronger study because of a number of reasons: first, the first pathway; that is, the phenomenological analysis combined with my emic perspective, provided a background to what had already occurred in terms of bilingual education within the HM. It also provided a map of Mr. Gülen’s thoughts in education in general and bilingual education in particular as compared to the history of bilingualism, education, and bilingual education in general in the HM. The second pathway, the Van Kaam Method of Analysis with the NVivo software, made it clear about how the present day administrators at Hizmet institutions perceived bilingual education and how those views were compatible/incompatible with Mr. Gülen’s views on the issue. Together, both pathways validated the researcher’s analysis in the discussion section and his suggestions in the implications section of the study. Moreover, approaching and analyzing bilingual education in the HM schools with different pathways increased the reliability of the study.
Findings
The Gülenian educational philosophy is currently only a practical philosophy and needs a theoretical grounding to its practical applications. The Hizmet movement is largely considered as a social movement and attracts mostly the attention of sociologists. However, the movement’s priority lies in education and needs to be studied as an
educational phenomenon also. This is also necessary because of a need to carry Gülen’s legacy into the future. Currently, there is no clear plan on what will happen when Gülen is gone. The next step is to put Mr. Gülen’s thoughts into practice. Hizmet educators need to take on this job and it needs to be addressed urgently, especially in the U.S. Moreover, the Gülenian philosophy regards education as a lifelong process that produces altruistic human beings equipped with high morals and scientific knowledge. It also looks at language as a means to preserve the home culture. These philosophical understandings are somewhat broad, and in terms of bilingual education, need to be revisited to provide direction in more concentrated areas.
The movement has fought against ignorance and illiteracy and the schools that are set up by the HM participants stand as proof to that through their students’ academic achievement. Many of those schools won medals in national and international science Olympiads. In addition to the dedication, altruistic lifestyle, and representation qualities of the teachers and the administrators, there are additional elements that make those schools successful: Turkish teachers and administrators in the HM schools are recruited among the best and the brightest, the founding boards “include college and university professors” (Maranto et al., 2014, p. 112), the schools offer “more potential for leadership stability” since they “face little meddling from school boards, central offices, and
teachers’ unions” and, as for the teachers, “there is no curriculum specialist
micromanaging” (p.113) them. This is not a magic formula found and applied by HM schools only. Similar practices in Finland’s public school system elevated the quality of education radically and helped them make gains in education since the 1970s. The Finnish leaders
Attribute these gains to their intensive investments in teacher education – all teachers receive three years of high quality graduate-level preparation, completely at state expense – plus a major overhaul of the curriculum and assessment system designed to ensure access to a “thinking curriculum” for all students. (Darling- Hammond, 2009, pp. 17-18)
Another similarity lies in the autonomy of the teachers and school administrators. In Finland, education “has shifted from a highly centralized system emphasizing external testing to a more localized system in which highly trained teachers design curriculum around the very lean national standards” (p. 18). And, finally, “the notion of caring for students educationally and personally is a central principal in the schools” (p. 19).
Yet, the HM schooling system attracts criticism. A criticism by Yavuz (2013) is that those schools are focusing on science only and neglecting social studies, arts, humanities, and extra-curricular activities. That might be an area of improvement for the HM schools. A charter school chain with HM educators in the Midwest prided itself with its science, technology, and math focus in its 30+ schools, and dimly noted that subjects such as language arts were taught ‘as well’.
On a larger scale, the movement schools’ emphasis on humanities and social sciences has historically indicated a lack of support to the teaching of social sciences. As
part of my insider knowledge, I was told Mr. Gülen mentioned several times that the new millennium is the age of social sciences. This information is indirectly validated by a personal interaction I had with a university administrator during his visit to the U.S. During the foundation phase of a Hizmet affiliated higher education institution, he told me that, upon looking into the department concentrations at that higher education institution, Mr. Gülen asked him why there was no art department there. As of the 2013- 2014 educational year, a department is yet to be established. Moreover, during my years as a teacher in Hizmet affiliated schools, both in and outside Turkey, I have witnessed a void in the area as well. For example, I taught in Uzbekistan between 1994-1997 and in Indonesia between 1997-1999. In both instances, social sciences were left to the
management of the local educators and no significant effort was shown to support and strengthen social sciences. Also in Turkey, between 2000-2002 the schools with social sciences emphasis watered down curriculums and students with lower GPAs were placed there. On the contrary, top-notch science, psychics, math, biology, and technology teachers were recruited to teach students in the natural sciences. However, that is not something that the Hizmet schools started in Turkey. The Turkish Department of
Education had the same policy for decades and this was probably subconsciously weaved into the minds of the whole Turkish nation. It is not all bad news in terms of social sciences, however. With a strong personal encouragement from Mr. Gülen, Suleyman Sah University, a completely social sciences institution, was established in 2010 and quickly became the most sought after private university in Turkey ("Bir bakista [At a glance]," 2013) (At a glance).
Additionally, be it a private or a charter school in the U.S., there is a huge
confusion on those schools’ policies about bilingual education. In fact, there is no policy at all. In bilingual education, Mr. Gülen has already made his point, however, neither the charter schools nor the private HM schools appear to have a clear and concise policy on bilingual education yet. This, in the long run, may arise issues regarding diversity and equal education opportunities in the U.S. charter schools with HM educators. There is a lack of awareness on the teachers’ and administrators’ side. There are no bilingual
education programs, ESL classes seem to be offered on need basis and is at the discretion of the administrator. If he/she is aware of a language education need, then the school offers assistance. If not, it does not. Regarding bilingual education, and maybe other education related practices, such random approaches might be because charter schools do not have to abide by or enforce state or federal regulations even though they can use funds from the public schools districts. This is the case for private schools as well (private schools do not use public funds). Nevertheless, the movement and its schools in the U.S. have a moral obligation towards their diverse student body to make it clear what their position on bilingual education is.
With regard to higher education institutions, it appears that there is a shift from opening K-12 schools in the 80s and 90s to opening universities in the new millennium. There is no research or published literature in this area and no one makes a list. A reliable source close to Mr. Gülen told me that whenever an elder/senior visits him, his first questions him on what is happening with the akademisyen hizmeti. All this is my own insider’s intel. Most of them came to me through my attendance of winter retreats, weekly meetings with Hizmet participants, intensive web search, and my personal
connections with those working in those institutions. There was also word of mouth from close friends who have access to such information. Some of the higher education
institutions linked to Hizmet are Mevlana University in Konya, Suleyman Sah University in Istanbul, Sifa University and Gediz University in Izmir, Zirve University in Gaziantep, Qafqaz University in Azerbaijan, International University of Sarajevo in Bosnia-
Herzegova, International Turkmen Turk University in Turkmenistan, Suleyman Demirel University in Kazakhstan, Zaman University in Cambodia, Nile University in Nigeria, Epoka University in Albania, and Ishik University in Erbil, Iraq.
Conclusion
There are some personal outcomes as a result of the study. I have learned the magnitude of the HM schools and charter schools with HM educators in the U.S. I have also learned about the level of support as well as the animosity that exists in the U.S. against Islam and the HM schools. Moreover, I saw that, when it comes to pedagogical ways that might benefit the student, the HM administrators and educators keep an open mind. They are eager to try methods they were not aware of before. I realized that this study was a learning experience for them as well and might impact them in their future decisions on first language support. However, I also realized that they abide by the rules and regulations, and as long as there are official restrictions and limitations, their hands will be tied. I was delighted to see the non-discriminatory policy the HM has and how the HM educators go above and beyond to provide equal opportunities in education for everyone.
On a societal level, the HM schools may benefit all levels of the society. The public education in the U.S. is secular, but there are many religious private schools
parents send their children to. To some, these options are sufficient while others would like to have more. The HM schools and charter schools with HM educators might be one of those options: They are secular, very successful, do not indoctrinate, yet impose the morals and values almost every religion or humanist approach would want to equip the individual with. Furthermore, most charter schools are established in areas with low- income and minority populations. Bringing up their education level will result in higher economic incomes for them in the future and hopefully help lower the crime rates in those areas.
I, at some point, was also somewhat skeptical about the HM even after a lifetime of experiences with the HM. I asked the same questions everyone did: “What’s behind all this?” “What are their real intentions?” I know that after reading this dissertation, many people will still ask those questions, but I found the answers to mine. This study further exposed me to the true essence of the HM. Behind all this are the Ottoman tolerance, love, multiculturalism, and service to humanity mentality.
Implications
In terms of professional outcomes, I see that there is more need for research about pedagogical approaches of the HM educators implement in class, both in bilingual
education and other fields. There needs to be a shift from the field of sociology to the field education regarding research on the HM. Thus, this study is an open call for academicians in the field of education to take this research further. The HM educators also need in-depth and in-service training on multiculturalism and bilingualism in
education. This is because the teacher education programs lack this aspect in Turkey and the most of the HM teacher population in the U.S. hold their first degrees from Turkey.
There is no data to prove this, but this is a diagnosis that resulted from my unofficial inquiries. I suggest that the HM administrators create a team that will assist the educators in the HM schools on bilingual as well as language education through in-service trainings.
The study also brought out the population that is not in favor of the HM; such as Joshua Hendrick (2013) and Suzy Hansen (2014), who are skeptical and have concerns about the HM, particularly about the HM transparency. Recollecting her visit in 2010 to Mr. Gülen’s compound in Saylorsbug, Pennsylvania, she notes:
The Gulenists I met at the compound were relentlessly charming, friendly and intelligent. They also engaged in self-protective obfuscation, something the sociologist Joshua Hendrick, an assistant professor at Loyola University in Maryland, calls “strategic ambiguity,” which shrouds some of their activities. This lack of transparency, they say, is justified by their past persecution at the hands of the Turkish military. (p. MM34)
This is a curiosity she has carried since her visit in 2010: “So little is known about how the movement is structured, or whether it is structured at all” (Hansen, 2010). They are, in fact, not the only ones. On a recent interview, Mr. Gülen was found to be
“surprisingly elusive” and that “the interview did not make his intentions altogether clear” (Franks, 2014). Their views may or may not have validity, however, I suggest that future researchers investigate the transparency matter in more depth.
Future Research
I recommend future research in the following areas: a) As the shift in education shifts from No Child Left Behind to the Common Core Standards, it would be interesting to see how the HM institutions and educators in the U.S. modify their instruction to
accommodate the needs of second language learners; b) a comparative study that looks into the curriculums of various HM schools and charter schools with HM educators to see what is being done on first language education of their minority populations; c) a
qualitative study using a feminist qualitative approach to diagnose gender inequalities within the HM educators; d) parental perceptions of second language learners in the HM schools regarding education in general and home language learning at those schools in particular; e) As the interest toward opening higher education institutions in the U.S. grows in the HM, an accredited HM college in the Midwest being the first of such
interest, future program offers related to language education in those institutions could be another area of potential research.
Last, I intend to pursue more research on the HM in the future. I would like to do classroom observations to get a real sense of instructional methods and interview students to get their perspectives about the education they receive at the private HM schools and charter schools with HM educators. Regarding this dissertation, I intend to publish it as a book as the first of a series that cover the HM from a pedagogical perspective.
Footnote:
The study came to fruition as a result of the discussions I had with my adviser, Dr. Arlette Ingram Willis. I initially got in touch with my connections in the HM, and once I saw that they were also supportive, I started to work on it. In collaboration with my adviser, I determined the method of study, phenomenology. Since the HM is a new and fairly undiscovered movement in the U.S.A., seeing it as a new phenomenon seemed as the best option. I wanted to connect the HM activities to my area of study, bilingual education. Thus, my research question finally shaped like this: “How do administrators and school directors in Hizmet Movement schools offering bilingual education at some degree perceive and apply the Gülenian perspective on bilingual education into the school practice in the U.S.?” After that, in order to conduct the interviews to find answers, I wrote the interview questions. A lot of work happened at the same time: for example, while writing the literature review, I was conducting the interviews. Taking advantage of digital resources such as online databases, I conducted an expansive literature review. I also benefited from print and audio-video resources. Using those tools, in addition to the literature review, I put together the history of the HM, the life story of Mr. Gülen, the theoretical stances of prominent scholars and how those are applied in practice, the methodology and so on. In the meantime, I worked on my emic perspective and decided to intertwine it with the HM history. At this point, it felt like we grew up together like two brothers. The emic perspective was particularly hard to write because it involved a lot of personal information I was reluctant to share with the ‘world’. During data collection, I physically traveled to a number of Midwestern and Eastern U.S. states as well as to Turkey. It was an enlightening experience to see the familiarity/unfamiliarity of the HM educators with bilingual education. It was also interesting to see how some