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The objective of this study is to examine the aesthetic awareness of art education academicians working in different higher education institutions of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Qualitative method and descriptive analysis were used in the study. A semi-structured interview form was created to reveal the views of academicians, and interviews were conducted to determine the levels of aesthetic competence with art education. The results of the research reveals that there is a relatively high level of aesthetic competence among the art educators who participated in the study. The participants emphasised that the theoretical structure of art classes can encourage students' creativity and aesthetic perceptions as well as awareness. In addition, the proficiency level of aesthetics may be directly related to the quality of art education curricula of the faculty. As a result, aesthetic perception levels not only help to improve students'success but also enable them to create artworks and motivate students' performance in creating artworks.

COVID-19 presents a completely new educational setting requiring teachers and students to adapt psychologically, emotionally, and physically. In kindergarten schools, this impacted teachers' perspectives and intentions to implement play-based learning. Through a mixed approach involving 216 teacher responses and seven face-to-face interviews with school administrators, the study examines Kurdish teachers' views on play-based learning in kindergarten schools. According to the findings, teachers' perspectives on students' trust in their peers, instructional leadership, and self-efficacy positively influence their behavioural intentions to implement play at kindergarten. A crucial finding of the study is validation of the positive moderating effects of teachers' self-efficacy perspectives of students' trust in their peers on the interactive connection between instructional leadership and play-based learning. Using classroom-based PBL, we describe play as a means of educational learning, play as a means of emotional and social development, and play as an integral aspect of learning. In the context of education changes caused by the pandemic, the findings underscore the importance of teachers assuming a leading role under learning and teaching circumstances, an enabling role in fostering associations among students and an afforded role when focusing on learning processes. Consequently, the possibilities of developing teachers' critical feedback and reflective practices on their teaching methods are conceivable. Based on these findings, teacher education programs should emphasize theoretical understanding of play and learning as well as modelling playful teaching and play within the classroom to develop teachers' psychological and pedagogical thinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultural dimension in education bears importance in terms of transferring and sustaining cultural values in addition to creating local and upper intercultural awareness in individuals. Especially in divided societies, gaining cultural values to individuals via education eliminates boundaries between societies, ensures cultural integration and carries local values to a universal point without terminating them. In this paper, effort is paid to identify the importance of preserving common cultural values of Cyprus in the content of art course curricula applied in Northern and Southern Cyprus societies according to teacher opinions. In accordance with this purpose, research data were collected using a semi-structured interview form which is a qualitative research method. The study was conducted on 20 secondary education art teachers in capital Northern and Southern Nicosia regions. Descriptive analysis method was used in the analysis of data. An examination of research results shows that there is no difference between the opinions of Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot teachers, but that Turkish Cypriot teachers give more prominence to the basic needs as regards the course. It has been determined that material needs of Greek Cypriot teachers are supported by the ministry whereas the opportunities of Turkish Cypriot teachers are limited. A majority of the teachers emphasized that the topic should be included in education curricula and the methods should serve to put this into practice. In the study, it has been concluded that the similarity of positive opinions between Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot teachers is high and that there are fewer disagreements.