EXAMINING THE COGNITIVE STYLES OF AHISKA TURKS AND TURKISH CHILDREN ACCORDING TO SOME VARIABLES

Cognitive style related to individual’s thinking is described as a way of approaching problems with the most general definition. The way of approaching problems of individuals’ varies according to their individual tendencies and preferences in the process of thinking. Cognitive style which has become a personality trait through individuals’ family environment and experiences from early years also affects learning styles. It is assumed that cognitive style is related to individuals’ differences in perception, memory, thinking, problem solving and personality and social variables. In this current, it is aimed to examine the cognitive styles of Ahiska Turks and Turkish children according to some variables. Studies on Ahiska Turks were limited in the field, especially in the study dealing with Ahiska Turks and Turkish children. In this study, the effects of age, gender, number of siblings, mother’s and father’s age and the presence of someone living with family on the cognitive styles of children in Ahiska Turks and Turkish children are investigated. This research is designed as a relational survey method and in order to explore the cognitive styles of Ahiska Turks and Turkish children the ‘Kansas Reflection-Impulsivity Scale for Preschool (KRISP-A)’ and ‘Personal Information Form’ prepared by the researchers were used as a data collections tools. The Working Group consists of five to six years old and 110 Ahiska Turks children who are settled in the district of Uzumlu in Erzincan Province and attending preschool and 110 Turkish children who attend preschool the center of Erzincan province. According to results, in terms of the variables of gender, age, the state of being someone who lives next to the family and fathers’ age, there is no significant differentiation in the cognitive styles between Ahiska Turks and Turkish. However, in the variables of number of siblings and mothers’ age, there is differentiation for Turkish children, whereas there is no differentiation in these variables for children of Ahiska Turks.