Negotiating Modernity: Early Childhood Education *Policy Development in Turkey in the Context of Seeking European Union Membership---a Case Study of the General Directorate of Preschool Education

Abstract

As an instrumental case study, this study's focus is the General Directorate of Preschool Education in Ankara. The data were collected through multiple methods including interviews, document analysis, and observations in the actual context of the office. The use of multiple methods aided triangulation and a more inclusive understanding of the case presented (Graue & Walsh, 1998). The study's findings highlight the office of the general directorate as moderator of pressures coming from different agencies. These outside pressures, especially the EU, play important roles in the policy development process by affecting the office's goals, plans, standards, and even its operating definitions.