Mentorship Needs of the Teachers Working in Rural Regions Throughout the Early Years of Their Profession

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to identify the problems that teachers working in rural regions encounter concerning the Turkish educational system during the years they lack knowledge and experience and to determine their needs for mentorship services. The content analysis method, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the study. An interview form was prepared by the researchers in accordance with the aims of the study and expert opinions were gathered to check content and face validity. The interview form took its final form according to the opinions of the experts. With respect to the study, 11 teachers working in rural regions were contacted through the purposeful sampling method and their opinions were collected. Interview forms were coded as “G1, G2, G3, …, G11” and transcribed to the computer. The data were analyzed through the content analysis processes. According to the findings of the study; teachers working in rural regions encounter serious problems in time management during the early years of their profession and that the effectiveness of presenting teaching contents decrease due to lack of family participation, low level of student academic achievement, poor physical conditions of the school and insufficient amount of teaching materials. It was also observed that they had problems in administrative operations and official correspondence. Arranging effective in-service training activities and offering mentorship services for inexperienced teachers in rural regions during their early years through a counselor or a mentor who will guide them is crucial in resolving these problems. For the effectiveness of the educational system, it is crucial for teachers, who are working in rural regions during their early years, to benefit from mentorship services in practicing the theoretical knowledge they acquired from their bachelor’s degree.