Karagoz shadow plays as an artistic-pedagogical tool in teaching Islam

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this article, which presents the subject with a descriptive method based on document analysis, was to reveal the importance of using shadow puppets in religious education classes as an artistic-pedagogical tool. Firstly, it was mentioned for what purposes shadow puppets were used in history. Secondly, this article discusses the historical stages of the Karagöz shadow puppet and the reasons for its use as a pedagogical tool. Thirdly, this article addresses the benefits of puppetry in teaching by proposing an art-based approach to religious education. Then it talks about the pre-service teachers’ presentations with the Karagoz shadow play. Lastly, the article outlined how important it is for education and cultural transmission to keep shadow puppets alive in classrooms and online.

KEYWORDS:

• Teaching Islam
• shadow puppets
• Karagoz shadow plays
• art-based religious education

Acknowledgments

I thank the reviewers for their comments and suggestions for this paper.

Disclosure statement

The author(s) reported no potential conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Yasemin Güleç

Yasemin Güleç has worked in the field as a religious educator at the primary, secondary, and high school education levels for many years. She is currently a faculty member at Hacı Bektaş Veli University, Faculty of Theology. He has studied religious education, moral education, and human values.