Abstract

This study examines the compatibility of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince with the Turkish Ministry of National Education's Preschool Education Program and its use within the framework of integrated education. Conducted using a mixed-methods research model, the study randomly assigned 66 children attending an independent preschool in Istanbul-Pendik to an experimental (n = 33) and a control (n = 33) group. The experimental group was given three weeks of interdisciplinary activities based on the book, and data were collected using the Teacher and Family Values Scale and structured observation forms. Quantitative data were analyzed using the independent samples t-test, and qualitative findings were analyzed using content analysis. Results indicate that the experimental group statistically significantly outperformed the control group in the dimensions of responsibility, respect, cooperation, honesty, and friendship (p < .05). Qualitative observations confirmed that children made significant progress in establishing empathy, solving group problems, and peer communication. Cohen's d values ranged from .62 to .95 in the data analysis, indicating that the effect sizes were moderate to large. The study was conducted with the approval of the ethics committee and informed parental consent, and data confidentiality was maintained. In terms of originality, the study experimentally matches a text frequently cited in the international literature with Turkey's current preschool program framework for the first time, integrating theoretical discussion with classroom application data. The data obtained show that when picture storybooks are supported by integrated activity plans, they increase the visibility and measurability of values education. The research encourages the inclusion of intercultural literary works in the preschool curriculum; it recommends prioritizing story-based designs in teacher education and continuing similar applications longitudinally in different age and socio-cultural groups. Limitations include the sample being restricted to a single institution and follow-up measurements being limited to six weeks; this calls for broader and longer-term designs in future research. The findings provide concrete evidence for program developers and shed light on the need for policymakers to reassess resource allocation.

Keywords: The Little Prince, Values education, Preschool education, Integrated education, Education program

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Copyright © 2026 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

How to cite

Güven, G., Yumugan, S., & Karagöz, S. (2026). The contribution of picture story books to values education through an integrated educational approach: the case of The Little Prince. Education and Science, 1-22. https://doi.org/10.15390/ES.2025.2663