Investigating the School 2023 Project through the Lens of Teachers: A Case Study

Abstract

Purpose: Turkey has gained a new education policy together with the introduction of Educational Vision. With this motivation, the Antalya Provincial Directorate of National Education has started a project entitled 2023 to contribute to the goals of this vision. This research aimed at examining the opinions of the teachers, one of the greatest shareholders of the project, about the School Project. Method: The research adopted the case study design of qualitative research methods. The study group consisted of 27 voluntary teachers, 16 female and 11 male teachers. A semi-structured interview form was used to receive teachers’ opinions about the School Project. The collected data were analyzed through content analysis technique. Findings: When the findings of the research were examined, it was observed that although the opinions of the teachers were generally positive, there were some deficiencies about the project. The fact that bringing together different activities with students contributes to equality of opportunity was the most important positive impact of the project. Workshops and materials provided with financial assistance to the schools involved in the project created a positive atmosphere especially at schools in the rural areas. Implications for Research and Practice: The project has the potential to contribute to the realization of an important reform such as the Educational Vision. In this respect, transition process of the project can be positively affected when it is carried out in different provinces and within different school types, and the possible effects are evaluated by the researchers.