Can Education Transform Society? An Inter-Textual Analysis

Abstract

The primary objective of this study is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the inquiry, "Can education transform society?" Specifically, this analysis was draw upon a collection of memoirs, narratives, and stories authored by esteemed thinkers from diverse countries and historical periods, all of whom have critically examined the intricate interplay between education and society. The research is a qualitative research and was planned in a narrative research pattern. In the research consists of the works named "Turkiye’nin Maarif Davasi (Nurettin Topçu), Pedagogy of the Oppressed (Paulo Freire), Society Without School (Ivan Illich), Weapons of Mass Instruction: A Schoolteacher's Journey Through the Dark World of Compulsory Schooling (John Taylor Gatto), Can Education Change Society? (Micheal W. Apple), Finland: The Country of White Lilies (Gregoriy Petrov), and Democracy and Education (John Dewey) are selected by criterion sampling method. The data were collected with the help of document analysis and analyzed with the help of content analysis. The content analysis yielded three overarching themes and a total of nine sub-themes, presenting the outcome of the rigorous analytical examination. Based on the works discussed in the research, it has been determined that there are different perspectives and problem perceptions related to education in each work. However, the proposed solutions also differ. The idea that the active elements in the education system are more effective in the social transformation process is the common view found in the works.