This is a theoretical paper on proposing a way to do interdisciplinary research in education. The main focus of the paper is the integral theory, which was formulated by the American philosopher Ken Wilber. In this paper, I aim to recapitulate Wilber’s framework of Integral Methodological Pluralism (IMP) and discuss how it can be used in educational research to further the aims of interdisciplinary approaches. I will focus on how IMP can be applied to develop a better understanding of education as inquiry in the context of Philosophy for Children (P4C) and similar programs. Despite its international success P4C has come under sustained criticism from myriad positions, from both left and right of the political spectrum. I argue that in order to bolster the claims of P4C that it helps develop both inquiry as well as communication and collaboration skills and provide evidence for its utility in mainstream schooling, a multi-perspective approach to research is necessary. Wilber’s integral approach to reality and research provides a suitable framework to this end. If we would like to do fruitful interdisciplinary research in education, we need to develop an integral frame of mind to tackle the complexities of educational phenomena. There is no doubt the field of educational research stands to benefit immensely from an interdisciplinary approach to research. Such an approach, however, is doomed to failure if it is not conceived in an integral way from the very beginning. An integral approach to research will dramatically enhance our understanding of educational phenomena and inform our own practice of teaching and learning.

The need for qualified human resources are getting increased by the rapid development in science and technology and by global transformation of production and consumption relationships. In this context the well- educated human resources who can reach ,use and improve the knowledge effect the countries’ economic and technical improvement and their socio-cultural structures as well.

Today’s information soceity needs individuals with creativity and communicational skills as well as contemporary knowledge, perfection in practice, effectiveness in economy by transforming knowledge to product or service. This can be formulated in education as: individual and social competence .vocational and technical competence, leadership and management competence... To reach this aim in education , scientific data based educational programmes, practical application fields, and also social, sporty , artistic activities and mediums for free time sharing are all demanded.

The role and importance of vocational and technical education stands out as in the structure of educational system based on knowledge, skills and creativity concerned with the relations of proggressing, employing and competition. This study aims to emphasise this point, and discuss the problems and solutions in this context.

The framework of the study has the following subjects:.

1. The role of the vocational and technical education in Turkish education system
2. The problems in the educational programmes in Vocational Schools, evaluations on their content, methods and outcomes.
3. Sampling: Uludağ University Vocational School of Technical Sciences is put forward (presented) as an example via the projects, activities and applications has been done in/by the school. Uludağ University Vocational School of Technical Sciences has 9 departments, 15 programmes, more than 3000 students and 69 members of academics and lecturers . The school educating technicians is very effective in Bursa and its district as supplying staff member for the work environment in the region. It is a model for the other vocational schools with its double diploma , lifelong learning programmes and quality processes. Last 5 year applications and activities of the U.Uni. V.S.T.C. are presented as in the following topics:

-Co-operative projects with industry (training courses, apprenticeship applications, employments, partnerships in the projects)

-International education programmes (1+1 double diploma, Erasmus exchange and mobility programmes for students and lecturers)

-supporting the students to participate in academic and social activities (to parttake in congresses, symposiums, exhibitions, contests projects and social, sporty, artistic activities)

1. The Targets and Proposals on future of the vocational education

Vocational schools training technicians who are very important for the structural frame of the working World are evaluated in this study with their structure, educational programmes and relations with the labour market. In this context Uludağ Uni. Vocational School of Technical Sciences is presented as a good model with its training programmes, cooperative projects with industry, social activities and international attempts for qualified education.

As a result, the basic emphasise is the importance and role of the institutions of vocational and tecnical education. Increasing the quality and transparency, achieving the international competence conditions in the schools are aimed. Not only theoretical knowledge , but practical applications are urgent for the vocational skills and experiences so, the hardware facilities, spatial and academic structure should be improved and the relations and cooperations with the industry should be strengthened.

Moreover than vocational knowledge and skills, the interests on art and culture are required. Educating programmes targets on the members who are solving problems, proposing creative alternative solutions, constructing social relationships, comminaciting effectively , besides conscious about responsibilities and capacities and coping with the competition in global labour milleu. So the the education programmes supported by the social activities, projects, contests, seminars,and presentations effect the social developments of the students, feed their creativity, productivity and make difference within their working lives.

With the help of the internet, people are now able to easily reach limitless information and share their knowledge instantly with lower costs in a virtual environment. In this study, an automation software for an article sending, evaluating and following system through internet has been developed. It provides the lower cost, rapid and productive evaluation and electronic storage, prompting and reviewing of the academic materials that were applied to be published in Akdeniz University Faculty of Agriculture magazine, using internet based applications effectively with a sample application. This system was developed with the codes that can be embedded into HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) and has ASP.NET object-oriented programming option. For database operations, SQL SERVER was used. Making the article evaluation process using web technologies reduces the time loss during the reviewing of the materials and the costs arising from over-documenting and this process creates the productivity and effectiveness provided by technology.

Today, the necessity of widespread using in all areas of informatics and to gain basic skills for the use of information technologies has increased the importance of these courses. In this study, an education model developed for all undergraduate and college freshmen students who are taking compulsory computer courses at Akdeniz University. In this education model, computer usage and knowledge level of each students are measured by “a proficiency exam”. Homogeneous classes are established by distributing students into groups according to their success rates. Approximately 3000 students take these lessons in every term. These lessons are organized online. Thus, loss of time at the beginning of each semester is prevented and costs arising from the documentation are reduced. In addition, academic staff and laboratories assigned to lessons are reduced.

One of the issues that takes place in the agenda of current century is, beyond question, the problem of human rights. One of the fundamental rights of a person is the right to know his/her own rights. Being aware of rights, wishing to use and protect them, and considering why they should be protected can only be come true by means of education. For that reason, education has a crucial role in teaching human rights as necessary. One of the general aims of Turkish National Education System is to bring up citizens who are aware of their duties and responsibilities towards human rights and take them as behaviors. Raising students as individuals aware of their rights will make the base for shaping of the good citizens of the future.

A systematical instruction should be applied in schools. Social studies in primary education is a lesson in which children’s rights education can be implemented in a planned way. It is an expected ideal that students as citizens of The Republic of Turkey should be grown up like citizens who love their country and people, know about their rights and use them, fulfill their responsibilities and have a national consciousness. For that reason, to find out the perceptions of primary school students on their rights is very important. In this point, the aim of the researcher is to determine how primary school students perceive children rights and how they use these rights in their immediate surroundings.

This research is implemented to the sixth and seventh grade students studying at 3 different primary schools in Ankara in 2011-2012 academic year. Since limited number of schools participated in the study, any generalizations about the results of the study will not be made. Choosing the schools, the appropriate/suitable sample method was employed. 120 sixth and seventh grade students from 3 different schools participated in the study. 10 open-ended questions were asked to students in order to determine their perceptions on their rights under cover of Convention on the Rights of the Child. Moreover, students were asked to complete this sentence: “Children have a right to.................. ” and to prepare a poster showing this right. A rubric was used to evaluate posters. Qualitative research method was used in this study and descriptive scanning model was adopted. The data derived from study was analyzed using document analyses and descriptive analyses.

Reviewing the results of the study in general, it was seen that the perceptions of students on children’s rights focused on the freedom of living, expressing ideas, education, game and entertainment. It was found out that students considered children’ rights within the framework of human rights so they had the idea that if humans have right, children must have rights, too. It was also seen that students were able to use their rights in family atmosphere most and they had limited opportunity of using their rights among friends and in school atmosphere. Furthermore, students stated that they had a right to be grown up, looked after, and loved in family. They requested some rights about game, entertainment, education and rise in family income from the government. Students said that every child had a right to entertain, play game, get education, be free, be protected and be dirty and they stated specifically that their families took away their right of entertainment and game

According to the results of the study, it can be said that students are sensitive about the rights intended for games and entertainment but they do not have enough information about protection, education, freedom, thought, living etc. that are included in UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. As a result, children should first be aware of their rights in order to use them. Accordingly, human rights education must be handled meticulously, children should be informed about their rights with activities prepared by taking account of their age groups. Besides families should be included in the process with family participation activities and they should be informed about that children have some rights and that games and entertainment are of children’s fundamental needs.