Founding Rector of Üsküdar University, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, participated in a talk titled “Family Education and Student Motivation” organized by the Nevşehir Provincial Directorate of National Education. In the online meeting, Tarhan drew attention to important points in family communication and education, stating that the education system is an ecosystem. Tarhan stated that the first vaccination a child should receive when starting school is the vaccine of the desire to learn.
Nevşehir Provincial Director of National Education Yusuf Yazıcı delivered the opening speeches of the organized talk.
Yusuf Yazıcı: “I sincerely believe that the program will make great contributions”
Nevşehir Provincial Director of National Education Yusuf Yazıcı delivered the opening speech of the talk. Yazıcı said: “Being with families, what our children experience in the homes where they are born and raised, the contributions families make to children during their growth processes and their happiness, and then their becoming happy and hopeful individuals during school periods, is an extremely important issue for us. Our aim and efforts are progressing in this direction. I sincerely believe that the current program will make great contributions. We would be very happy to host our esteemed professor here in the future if they are available. I believe it is always more beneficial to leave the word to the expert.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “The education system is an ecosystem”
Tarhan, stating that students should be instilled with a love of learning, said: “Every young person we raise can be a youth who will change the world in the future, making great contributions to humanity and the country. The education system is an ecosystem. 21st-century skills view the education system as an ecosystem. That is, students learn, teachers learn, parents learn, everyone learns together. In a lifelong learning style. If a person says ‘I know,’ they are already depleted. Therefore, we must have a love for learning. The first vaccination a child should receive when starting school is the vaccine of the desire to learn. This teaching starts with mothers and fathers. When we instill a love of learning in our child, the child learns both good and bad. They can choose between the two. It’s not possible to always teach them only the good. That is, inevitably, life will also present us with bad things. We need to explain to our children from an early age, in some way, ‘this is good, this is bad, this is right, this is wrong, this is valid, this is invalid.’ Therefore, let’s think of the education system as an ecosystem.” he concluded.
“The brain's best learning mechanism is disciplined and fun learning”
Tarhan, talking about the three main pillars of mental health, said: “Firstly, the communication pillar. Secondly, our way of managing stress. And thirdly, our problem-solving style. When we develop these three styles, holistic learning occurs. Academic learning alone is not enough. It is very important for an individual to learn social and emotional skills as well. The brain's best learning mechanism is disciplined and fun learning that activates curiosity and a sense of wonder. When the brain learns within an ecosystem, it accepts that information as validated knowledge. The brain then puts it into its valid information file. When it puts it into the suspicious information file, it cannot process or use that information. It always approaches life with anxiety.”
“Moral learning and ethical values need to be considered as part of education”
Tarhan, drawing attention to the role of psychiatry in family education, said: “Psychiatry has two pillars. Mental health and illnesses. There is health medicine. There is illness medicine. In illness medicine, you treat. You diagnose, you perform treatments. This treatment is the illness medicine pillar. The health medicine pillar also has three legs. It also has three stages. The first stage is protection. That is, working to prevent healthy people from getting sick. The second pillar is prevention. In prevention, early diagnosis is made. That is, some early symptoms are learned, an early diagnosis is made, and treatment is started immediately. Risk groups are identified, and risk management is carried out. The other treatment pillar involves tertiary prevention. Efforts are made to prevent recurrence after the illness has passed. What we are currently doing is the first pillar. That is, striving to prevent illness. Working on ‘How can I educate my child so they learn better, become smarter, more successful, and also a better person?’ Currently, American-style capitalism teaches us that it’s enough for a child to be intelligent and hardworking. A child becomes intelligent and hardworking but turns out to be a thief. Look, the man graduated from medical school and formed a newborn gang. That is, these are all shameful things, but this is what happens when human upbringing is neglected. Moral learning and ethical values need to be considered as part of education.” he stated.
“There are two types of motivation within the family…”
Tarhan, talking about the basic conditions for motivation, said: “There are two types of motivation within the family. External motivation and internal motivation. External motivation is that which is done by the compulsion of the mother, father, or environment. This motivation is a difficult one. Mothers and fathers need to constantly nourish it. Children need to be taught internal motivation. There is a motivation technique valid for everyone. In that motivation; if a person wants to activate themselves in a matter, they will first determine their goal. If they plan to get up in the morning to catch a flight, they will wake up before the alarm, but if they say 'I can get up or not,' they cannot. Because it programs the brain. Motivation means programming the brain. Therefore, there must be a goal for which to work and get tired. Once there is a goal, our brain's operating system works like this. The brain perceives towards that goal, takes a position, and forms connections, and now does it automatically. Because our brain feels a need oriented towards the goal. The goal creates the need. It feels the need. And because it feels the need, it unconsciously forms brain positions and connections related to it.” he explained.
“A profession is one of the intermediate goals while heading towards a high goal”
Tarhan, talking about how to guide correctly at the right time in professional life, said: “We need to clearly define what we understand by 'profession'. When you say 'profession', some people define it as skin. You cannot change your skin. But you can lengthen, shorten, or change the shape of clothes. A person chooses profession A, but then sees that their interest lies in field B, and makes a synthesis related to it. Therefore, a profession should not be seen as a lifestyle or an identity. A profession is one of the intermediate goals while heading towards a high goal. To live without being dependent on others, one needs to have a good profession. Is there anything more beautiful for a human than to live with dignity, to hold one's head high, and to have moral values? That is, living with dignity is more beautiful than being rich. A rich person without dignity walks with their head bowed. So, let us have a wealth that allows us to live with human dignity.” he said.
“Adolescence is a period where feelings, rather than reason, are dominant”
Tarhan, touching upon the effects of the family environment on motivation, said: “The duty of parents is to create a safe space where the child can comfortably study at home. That is, when you provide an environment where they can ask questions whenever they want and their basic needs are met, the child already feels a sense of responsibility. It is necessary to communicate with them in a way that protects them from negative outcomes. If the child is irresponsible, lazy, or carefree, they need to know that they can lose what they have. Adolescence is a period where feelings, rather than reason, are dominant. When feelings are dominant, the child does not think long-term or medium-term. They only think about today. They think about their short-term benefit. Therefore, we need to teach the child to think medium and long-term.” he stated.
“The cost of broken families falls on the children”
Tarhan, stating that investment should be made in parenting and family, said: “Parents need to learn parenting practices. That is, investment needs to be made. Is raising good children less important than being a good businessman? Bringing up a good child for society and people is not less important than establishing a factory. That is, they will build the future. We are a conscious society when it comes to raising good children, but this awareness is decreasing compared to the past. I am not sure if the same sensitivity will exist 10, 20 years from now. Because divorces have increased in families, there are many broken families. The cost of broken families falls on the children. It affects their academic success, and their life success. Therefore, a good family environment is necessary to raise a good child.” he stated.
“The nuclear family system is a doctrine brought by modernism”
Tarhan, stating that deficiencies within the family should be addressed using scientific methodology, said: “The nuclear family system is a doctrine brought by modernism. Newlyweds are very inexperienced, like novice drivers, and make many mistakes. Big problems also arise from small mistakes. Just as large fires grow from a small spark, many communication problems arise from small mistakes. The nuclear family affects us negatively, but it also has advantages. There is a liberation movement all over the world. Therefore, we need to find new solutions. Everyone should address their shortcomings using scientific methodology…” he concluded.