Teachers In Turkey Research Articles

An Introduction to the Special Issue: A Tribute to E. Paul Torrance

"An Introduction to the Special Issue: A Tribute to E. Paul Torrance." Creativity Research Journal, 18(1), pp. 1–2

Rehabilitating a Fossilized Pronunciation Error: the /v/ and /w/, Contrast by Using the Audio-Articulation Method in Teacher Training in Turkey

The aim of this article is to demonstrate the applicability of a pronunciation teaching and correction case entitled the audio-articulation method, developed by Demirezen (2003, 2004), in the field of teacher training in which there is a scarcity of such methods. The audio-articulation method is a fossilized pronunciation mistake breaker, moving raising awareness of a fossilized mistake to perception via listening to oral practice. This method integrates pronunciation practicing into oral communication in the context of speaking by means of chain drills, substitution drills, repetition drills, inflection drills, replacement drills, restatement drills, completion drills, transposition drills, expansion drills, contraction drills, transformation drills, integration drills, rejoinder drills, restoration drills, question-answer drills, and language games are of great help in this respect. In addition, listen and imitate technique with mirroring, tracking, and echoing (shadowing), developmental approximation drills, and explanation techniques are all practiced, repeated in form of exhortations without boring the students. The applications of this method and related exercises, practically applied to experimental groups during a term of 14 weeks by Murat Hismanoglu (2004) in a doctoral dissertation, and it has been demonstrated that its has significant rehabilitating potentiality in correcting the pronunciation errors of non-native speaking English language teachers and student teachers in Turkey.

How Do Principals and Teachers in Special Schools in Turkey Rate Themselves on Levels of Burnout, Job Satisfaction, and Locus of Control?

This study explores issues of burnout, job satisfaction, and locus of control among special school principals and teachers in Turkey. The purpose of the study was to determine whether there are differences between principals and teachers in terms of work status, sex, and work experiences. A quantitative approach was used: 295 participants (33 special school principals and 262 teachers) were selected and responded to the survey. The Job Satisfaction Scale (JSS) and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) were used to measure job satisfaction and burnout levels in terms of dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. The Internal-External Locus of Control Scale was used to measure the extent of participants’ internal or external locus of control. Results are reported in detail in the body of the article.

WOMEN AND MEN TEACHERS' APPROACHES TO LEADERSHIP STYLES

This study aimed to find out how frequently teachers at compulsory-education level school – primary and junior high schools – perceived that they would adopt various leadership styles in their schools if they were the principal and if this frequency was gender related. Data were collected from 321 teachers from compulsory-education schools by means of the Leadership Questionnaire (Bowers & Seashore, 1966) measuring four leadership styles – support, interaction facilitation, goal emphasis, and work facilitation. The questionnaire was translated and reliability analyses for teachers in Turkey were carried out. On average the teachers scored at a very high level for leadership style in goal emphasis; and at a high level in interaction facilitation, support and work facilitation. The highest score was for goal emphasis, the lowest for work facilitation. Men scored at higher levels than women did in all leadership styles. Suggestions are made about what should be done to achieve effective leadership in schools, to help teachers have a positive approach to more participative leadership styles, and to remove gender inequity among school principals and leaders.

A professional development program for primary school English language teachers in Turkey: designing a materials bank

This paper presents and discusses an in-service teacher development program that focussed on establishing a materials bank for English language teachers at a private primary school in Ankara, Turkey, and teachers’ evaluations of the program. The program aimed to lead to teacher change as growth and learning, to address school-based needs, and to provide overall quality improvement. Feedback obtained during the professional development program and after its completion demonstrates that teachers improved their knowledge and skills on materials design and curriculum related issues as well as improving the overall quality of instruction and developing a positive attitude towards professional development.

An analysis of burnout and job satisfaction among Turkish special school headteachers and teachers, and the factors effecting their burnout and job satisfaction

This study explores issues of burnout and job satisfaction among special school headteachers and teachers in Turkey. The purpose of the study is to determine whether there is a difference between headteachers' and teachers' burnout and job satisfaction in terms of work status, gender and work experiences, and to analyse the factors effecting their burnout and job satisfaction. In this paper, a quantitative approach has been used: 295 subjects (33 special school headteachers and 262 special school teachers) responded to the survey. As the research instruments, the Job Satisfaction Scale and Maslach Burnout Inventory were used to measure job satisfaction and burnout levels in terms of the dimensions of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal accomplishment. The study results indicated that special school headteachers felt less personal accomplishment than special school teachers. However, there were no significant differences between headteachers and teachers on two burnout dimensions, namely emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, and job satisfaction. In terms of gender, males have less emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment but higher depersonalization than their female counterparts. Females have higher job satisfaction than their male counterparts. In relation to their work experiences, more experienced subjects have higher emotional exhaustion and depersonalization than their less experienced colleagues, and also less job satisfaction than less experienced counterparts. However, more experienced subjects who participated in the study felt higher personal accomplishment than the others.

In-service training of teachers in turkey at the beginning of the 2000s

Abstract The In-service Training Department of the Ministry of National Education is responsible for the teachers' in-service training at the preschool, primary and secondary education levels in Turkey. Important developments in in-service training have occurred since 1960: the foundation of the In-service Training Department. In 2000, 4292 in-service training activities were held locally as well as centrally. A total of 213,444 teachers attended these activities. However, in a survey, it was found that although most of the teachers stated they needed professional development, only a small number of teachers attended in-service training programs willingly. Today, in spite of the developments, there are still some important problems to be solved and essential measures to be taken about the in-service training of teachers in Turkey.

In-service training of teachers in Turkey at the beginning of the 2000s

The In-service Training Department of the Ministry of National Education is responsible for the teachers' in-service training at the preschool, primary and secondary education levels in Turkey. Important developments in in-service training have occurred since 1960: the foundation of the In-service Training Department. In 2000, 4292 in-service training activities were held locally as well as centrally. A total of 213,444 teachers attended these activities. However, in a survey, it was found that although most of the teachers stated they needed professional development, only a small number of teachers attended in-service training programs willingly. Today, in spite of the developments, there are still some important problems to be solved and essential measures to be taken about the in-service training of teachers in Turkey.

Instructional Planning in a Centralized School System: Lessons of a Study Among Primary School Teachers in Turkey

The purpose of the study described in this article was to assess teachers' planning practices at the primary-school level in Turkey. Altogether 210 schools were surveyed, a questionnaire was distributed to all teachers in these schools, and 1194 teachers responded to the questionnaire. The results indicated that the main sources of influence on daily and unit plans are teachers' experience, the national curriculum and the course textbooks. In daily planning, teachers assigned the highest level of importance to student characteristics and availability of learning materials, and the lowest level of importance to evaluation procedures and writing objectives. The main problems faced by teachers in planning were: the gap between the national curriculum and the classroom needs, difficulties in using the standard format for preparing plans, shortage of time and resources, insufficient support from principals and inspectors, and lack of cooperation among teachers.

Measurement of the confidence, attitudes, and self‐image of Turkish student‐teachers in relation to chemistry education

Instruments were used to measure the confidence, attitudes, and self‐image of 34 final year initial student teachers in Turkey in relation to chemistry education. Nineteen items were used to measure the students’ level of confidence in teaching chemistry. Two main concepts, ‘chemistry as a high school subject’ and ‘chemistry in modern society’ were used to elicit attitudes towards chemistry. Three concepts ‘myself teaching chemistry’, ‘myself learning chemistry’ and ‘my ideal teacher’ ‐‐ were used to explore their self‐image of teaching and learning chemistry. The study revealed that there are high correlations between measures reflecting ‘self‐image of learning chemistry’ and ‘self‐image of teaching chemistry’.