Teacher Candidates’ Opinions on Erasmus Student Exchange Program

Abstract

AbstractThis study contains teacher candidates' opinions who spent a portion of their educational career abroad as participants in the Erasmus Program regarding the academic, cultural, and personal gains of the program. Using the Quantitative Research Method, this study focuses on phenomena that researchers are aware of, but on which they do not have detailed information. As such, it has been designed as a phenomenological study. The work group of the study consists of students from Erzincan University's Faculty of Education who participated in the Erasmus Program during the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 academic years. As the data collection tool, a semistructured interview form prepared by the researcher was used. The data collected for the study were analyzed using the Content Analysis Method. Upon the analysis of the data, it was concluded that the teacher candidates who participated in the Erasmus Program obtained different academic, cultural, and personal gains. It may be suggested that these acquisitions will be beneficial for the teacher candidates both in their professional and daily lives. When the aims of the Erasmus Program are considered, it is observed that the expected effects of the program (for the participants in this study) have been achieved. More detailed studies may be conducted in the future to reveal the Erasmus Program level of success in terms of participants' changes experienced and observed in issues related to academic, cultural and personal improvement.Keywords: Erasmus Program * Teacher candidates * Phenomenological study * Semi-structured interview * Content analysisEducational systems are relatively new mentions for countries, coming mainly with industrialization. While educational policies were once considered a national issue, with the globalization, this they have gained an international characteristic, causing their respective policies to change in line with a globalized world. Today, this change is particularly visible in higher education services. The qualified labor force and the financial support brought by the higher education market have been influential in the formation of this process (Gul, 2013; Knight, 2004; Marshall, 2005). Turkey has been conducting studies to provide equal opportunities in schooling, to ensure the balance between supply and demand, and to decrease the differences between welfare levels throughout its various regions. While establishing a university in each province has been the first step in this direction, efforts to ensure a certain standard of quality are still in progress. In this vein, student exchange programs have shown particular progress (Erdogan, 2014). Today, student exchange programs have gained functionality on the global level, and Turkey has focused on European Union (EU) agreements during this process. Turkey has worked to become a member of the EU, and one of the negation titles, which is also important for Turkey, is the issue of education. Turkey has played an active role in the process because it wants to obtain positive results from the negotiations on education and wants to increase the quality of higher education on the global level (Aba, 2013; Bologna Process, 2010; Devlet Planlana Teskilati [DPT], 2000; Tekin, 2011; Ulusal Ajans, 2005; Yuksekogretim Kurulu [YOK], 2007).Turkey, as well as EU member and other candidate countries, has formed a National Agency responsible for the introduction, function, observation, and evaluation of student and lecturer exchange programs. On December 22, 2002, Turkey signed agreements with the EU Commission on financial support and on what work needed to be done in order to become an EU member. Furthermore, Turkey signed the Preparatory Measures Agreements on the Leonardo, Socrates, and Youth programs as well as the Socrates Program Pilot Applications Agreements, finishing preparations by December of 2003 (Topcu, 2011, p. 9).The basic aim of these processes is to form a European Higher Education Field (EHEF) and prepare an action plan to ensure the quality of the higher education in Europe (Yagci, Cetin, & Turhan, 2013). …