BİRLEŞTİRİLMİŞ SINIFLARDA GÖREV YAPAN ÖĞRETMENLERİN ÇALIŞTIKLARI YERİN KÜLTÜRÜ İLE ETKİLEŞİMİNİN DEĞERLENDİRİLMESİ
Multi-grade class implementations have been performed during the first grade of elementary education for the children in villages and districts due to the equality of opportunity in education. Each region, province, district and even village has distinctive cultural structure. The teachers appointed to multi-grade classes as their first place of duty are inevitable to experience a conflict between the culture of the place they grow up and the culture of the place they work at. In this research, case study as one of the qualitative research methods was used in order to evaluate the interaction of teachers with the culture of the place they carried on their duties in multi-grade classes. The study group of the research included multi-grade classroom teachers carrying on their duties in different schools in provinces of Konya, Mersin, and Isparta during the second terms of 2009-2010 academic year. As the sample, criteria sampling method as one of the purposeful sampling methods was used. Data of the research were collected through performing a semi-structured interview form to teachers. According to the results of the research, it was determined that each region had some distinctive cultural activities, teachers tried to actualize the cultural activities of the region they were in, they were in interaction with the culture of the place they worked at, those created positive-negative changes in lives and behaviors of teachers, knowing the socio-cultural structure of the village was efficient upon organizing educational activities, interaction of teachers with the culture created positive effects upon parent-teacher association, it also had some negative aspects. It was concluded that in order to optimize the conditions of schools with multi-grade classrooms and teachers carrying on their duties in these schools, Ministry of National Education and Provincial Directorates of National Education had important responsibilities.

Keywords
Multi-grade class, Teacher, Culture and Interaction, Village People