8th Year Secondary School Pupils’ Perceptions Democratic Values: A Phenomenological Analysis

This study aims to be an in-depth investigation, from an interpretative perspective, of eighth-year secondary school pupils’ perceptions of equality, justice, and freedom – values that are considered fundamental to all democratic values. The study is designed according to the phenomenology model as a qualitative research method, and the participants were 10 pupils (six male and four female), selected by convenience sampling from a public secondary school in the town of Yunusemre, Manisa, in the 2014-2015 school year. A phenomenological analysis was applied to the data obtained from semi-structured interviews. The study findings suggest that the pupils grasped the difference between justice and equality by explaining the value of equality from social, educational, political, and legal standpoints. They stressed the importance of justice for social life, and said that they made an effort to be fair in their daily lives. They explained the value of freedom in the categories of the liberty to do anything, the possession of basic human rights, and the lifting of personal restrictions. The study concludes that the pupils’ perceptions of the values of equality, justice, and freedom vary according to the place, situation, and personal context