ERIC_NO: ED397024
TITLE: Exploring Elementary
School Teachers' Perceptions of Professional Development: The Turkish Case.
AUTHOR: Seferoglu, Suleyman Sadi
PUBLICATION_DATE: 1996
ABSTRACT:
This paper reports on a study of teacher development
practices in Turkey, exploring teachers' perceptions of professional development
opportunities in the Turkish elementary school, and the extent to which
elementary school teachers believe that these opportunities have helped them
improve their instructional practices. Of the 500 teachers from 52 schools in
the sample, 313 (64 percent) returned usable questionnaires. Data analysis
revealed that most teachers had participated in inservice training only once or
twice during their careers, and that rural teachers had less access to inservice
training activities than urban school teachers. Survey respondents
overwhelmingly agreed that more inservice training activities should be
organized and made available, and that the evaluation reports prepared by
administrators and supervisors were not very encouraging in helping teachers to
grow professionally. Almost half believed that experienced teachers do not help
new teachers, although they felt that experienced teachers should give such
help. A majority of respondents said that they got together occasionally for
professional purposes; most teachers reported they do not have access to
professional publications. Findings suggested that some inservice training
workshops were conducted just for formality's sake, and that teachers did not
apply what they had learned. Results of the study indicated that teachers in
Turkey are willing to share their expertise although systems are not organized
and structured to make this happen. (Contains 20 references.) (ND)
MAJOR_DESCRIPTORS: Collegiality; Elementary School Teachers;
Faculty Development; Inservice Teacher Education; Teacher Attitudes; Teacher
Improvement;
MINOR DESCRIPTORS: Elementary Education; Foreign Countries;
Higher Education; Instructional Improvement; Teacher Administrator Relationship;
Theory Practice Relationship;
IDENTIFIERS: *Turkey
PUBLICATION_TYPE:
143; 150