Educating the displaced: inclusive education for Syrian Turkmens in Türkiye

Following the Syrian civil war, many of the Syrian Turkmen, due to ethnic, cultural and religious ties with T & uuml;rkiye, sought refuge in the country. With T & uuml;rkiye's inclusion model in 2016, Syrian refugees gained access to education and thus could integrate into the national system. This qualitative study investigated the educational xperiences of Syrian Turkmen students, a unique and understudied population. The snowball sampling methodology was employed in conducting semi-structured interviews with 26 Turkmen high school students, 18 parents and 22 Turkish educators. Three major themes were discovered through thematic analysis: policy, culture and practice, critiqued through a multicultural lens. Findings underline the identity crises and discrimination that have a strong negative impact on the academic success of Turkmen students. Though culturally similar, Syrian Turkmen students are underserved due to policies and materials ignoring their needs; targeted support and culturally responsive teaching can enhance achievement and foster integration.