Dream Versus Reality: The Process of Preschool Teacher's Professionallization in Turkey

Teaching as a profession starts with “a passion for teaching”, which is reflected into teaching and professional practices of the teacher. This study aims to examine the professionalization process of preschool teachers and reveal the reasons why they want to be preschool teachers, their perceptions towards the profession and the initial challenges encountered in Turkey. This study used qualitative method and face to face interviews were conducted with 47 preschool teachers. Preschool teachers’ views appeared to extend on the two following extreme spectrums: “Being the caretaker of the young population” and “having a passion to play a significant role in the future of children”. Preschool teachers’ accounts about their experiences in the career entry phase showed that all of them had the feelings of anxiety and fear.

___

Ackerman, D. J. (2004). What do teachers need? Practitioners' perspectives on early childhood professional development.Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education,24(4), 291-301,

Bakioğlu, A., & Hacıfazlıoğlu, Ö. (2011). Mentorluk süreci ve yeni eğilimler. In A.Bakioğlu (Eds.), Eğitimde mentorluk(pp.41-73). Istanbul: Nobel.

Bakioglu, A., Hacifazlioglu, O., & Ozcan, K. (2010). The influence of trust in principals’ mentoring experiences across different career phases.Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice,16(2), 245-258.

Ben-Peretz, M., & Flores, M. A. (2018). Tensions and paradoxes in teaching: implications for teacher education.European Journal of Teacher Education,41(2), 202-213.

Billett, S. (2007). Including the missing subject: Placing personal within the community. In J. Hughes, N. Jewson, & L. Unwin (Eds.), Communities of practice: Critical perspectives(pp.55-67). London: Routledge.

Caires, S., Almeida, L., & Vieira, D. (2012). Becoming a teacher: Student teachers’ experiences and perceptions about teaching practice.European Journal of Teacher Education,35(2), 163-178.

Cheng, Y. C. (2009). Paradigm shift in pre-service teacher education: Implications for innovation and practice. In C. Ping Lim, K.h Cock, G.Lock, & C. Brook (Eds.), Innovative practices in pre-service teacher education: An Asia-Pacific perspective(pp.3-22). Boston: Sense Publishers.

Clandinin, D. J., & Connelly, F. M. (2000). Narrative inquiry: Experience and story in qualitative research.California: Jossey-Bass.Clark, C. M. (2001).Talking Shop. New York: Teachers College Press.

Clark, P., & Huber, L. (2005). Enhancing early childhood teacher growth and development through professional development school partnerships.Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education,26(2), 179-186.

Connelly, F. M., & Clandinin, D. J. (1990). Stories of experience and narrative inquiry.Educational researcher,19(5), 2-14.

Craig, C. (2018). Reciprocal learning and the best loved self.Paper presentedat the IV. International Forum on Teacher Education. ISATT Regional Conference, Kazan Federal University, 21-25 May 2018.

Day, C., & Bakioğlu, A. (1996). Development and disenchantment in the professional lives of headteachers.In I.F. Goodson, &A. Hargreaves (Eds.), Teachers’ Professional Lives(pp.205-227). London: Routledge

Erkan, S., Tuğrul, B., Üstün, E., Akman, B., Şendoğdu, M., Kargı, E., Boz, M., & Güler, T. (2002). Okul öncesi öğretmenliği öğrencilerine ait türkiye profili araştırması. HacettepeÜniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi 23,108-116.

Evans, L. (2011). The ‘shape’of teacher professionalism in England: Professional standards, performance management, professional development and the changes proposed in the 2010 White Paper.British Educational Research Journal,37(5), 851-870.

Feiman-Nemser, S. (2001). Helping novices learn to teach: Lessons from an exemplary support teacher.Journal of Teacher Education,52(1), 17-30.

Fullan, M. (2007). Change theory as a force for school improvement.InBurger, J. M., Webber, C. F., & Klinck, P. (Eds.), Intelligent leadership: Constructs for thinking education leaders(pp.27-39). Dordrecht: Springer

Furlong, J., & Maynard, T. (1995). Mentoring student teachers. New York: Roudledge.

Gemeda, F. T., Fiorucci, M., & Catarci, M. (2014). Teachers’ professional development in schools: Rhetoric versus reality.Professional Development in Education,40(1), 71-88.

Gianina-Ana, M. (2013). Kindergarten Teachers’ Perceptions on in-service Training and Impact on Classroom Practice.Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences,76, 481-485.

Goodson, I. F. (2000). The principled professional.Prospects,30(2), 181-188.

Goodson, I., & Sikes, P. (2001). Life history research in educational settings: Learning from lives. Buckingham: Open University Press.

Hacıfazlıoğlu, O., K. Olson., D. Carlson, and C. M. Clark. (2017). Theory becomes practice in community: Applying community of practice theory to doctoral education. In J. Mena, A. García-Valcárcel, F. J. G. Peñalvo, & M. M. Del (Eds.) Search and research: Teacher education for contemporary contexts(pp.847-855). Algarve: University of Algarve Pub

Hacıfazlıoğlu, Ö., Türktan, Ş., & Özışık, C. (2017). Student teachers’ perspectives on teaching profession out of a multigrade classroom site visitation.Journal of Education for Life 31(1), 125-142.

Hargreaves, A. (2000). Four ages of professionalism and professional learning.Teachers and Teaching,6(2), 151-182.

Hargreaves, A., & Fullan, M. (2012). Professional capital: Transforming teaching in every school. New York: Teachers College Press.

Hodkinson, P., & Hodkinson, H. (2001). The strengths and limitations of case study research.Paper presented at the Learning and Skills Development Agency Conference at Cambridge, December, 5-7.

Huberman, M. (1988). Teacher careers and social improvement. Journal of Curriculum Studies20(2), 119-132.

Lieblich, A., Tuval-Maschiach, R., & Tamar Z. (1998). Narrative research: Reading, analysis and interpretation.London, Sage.

Lipscomb, S. T., Schmitt, S. A., & Pratt, M. E. (2015). Professional development scholarships increase qualifications of diverse providers.Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education,36(3), 232-249.

Marshall, C., & Rossman, G. R. (1999). Designing qualitative research. (3rded.). Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.

Maxwell, J. (1996). Qualitative research design. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Merriam, S. B. (1988). The case study research in education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Miles, M., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis. London: Sage Publications.

Noddings, N. (1986). Fidelity in teaching, teacher education, and research for teaching.Harvard Educational Review,56(4), 496-511.

Ölçme Seçme ve Yerleştirme Merkezi[ÖSYM], (2017). Öğrenci seçme ve yerleştirme sistemi (ösys) kılavuzu. 16 May 2018 Retrived from: http://dokuman.osym.gov.tr/pdfdokuman/2017/OSYS/LYS/KILAVUZ_18042017.pdf

Pillen, M., Beijaard, D., & Brok, P. D. (2013). Tensions in beginning teachers’ professional identity development, accompanying feelings and coping strategies.European Journal of Teacher Education,36(3), 240-260.

Riessman, C. K. (2008). Narrative methods for the human sciences.Los Angeles: Sage Publications.

Sachs, J. (2001). Teacher professional identity: Competing discourses, competing outcomes.Journal of education policy,16(2), 149-161.

Sachs, J. (2016). Teacher professionalism: Why are we still talking about it?.Teachers and Teaching,22(4), 413-425.

Schön, D. A. (1987). Educating the reflective practitioner. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Seidman, I. (1998).Interviewing as qualitative research: A guide for researchers in education and the social sciences. Newyork: Teachers college press.

Shanahan, T., Meehan, M., & Mogge, S. (1994). The professionalization of the teacher in adult literacy education.Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, National Center on Adult Literacy. Report No: NCAL-TR94-11.

Sheridan, S. M., Edwards, C. P., Marvin, C. A., & Knoche, L. L. (2009). Professional development in early childhood programs: Process issues and research needs.Early Education and Development,20(3), 377-401.

Sikes, P. J., Measor, L., & Woods, P. (1985). Teacher careers: Rises and continuities.London: Falmer Press.

Stenberg, K., Karlsson, L., Pitkaniemi, H., & Maaranen, K. (2014). Beginning student teachers’ teacher identities based on their practical theories.European Journal of Teacher Education,37(2), 204-219.

Stokking, K., Leenders, F., De Jong, J., & Van Tartwijk, J. (2003). From student to teacher: Reducing practice shock and early dropout in the teaching profession.European Journal of Teacher Education,26(3), 329-350.

Toran, M. (2012). Early childhood education in Turkey: A critical overview. InK. Inal & Akkaymak, G. (Eds.) Neoliberal Transformation of Education in Turkey(pp. 191-203). Palgrave Macmillan, New York.

Toran, M. (2019). Does sense of efficacy predict classroom management skills? An analysis of the pre-school teacher’s professional competency.Early Child Development and Care,189(8), 1271-1283.

Tütüniş, B., & Hacıfazlıoğlu, Ö. (2017). The impact of reflective practices of English language teachers on the development of a sense of agency.Paper presented at ISATT 18th Biennial Conference on Teachers and Teaching, University of Salamanca, Spain, July 3-7.

Vesay, J. P. (2008). Professional development opportunities for early childhood educators in community-based child care centers.Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education,29(4), 287-296.

Vujičić, L., & Čamber Tambolaš, A. (2017). Professional development of preschool teachers and changing the culture of the institution of early education.Early Child Development and Care,187(10), 1583-1595.

Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: Learning, meaning and identity. London: Cambridge University Press.

Wenger, E. (2009). Learning capability in social systems.EQUAL Final Report.

Whitty, G. (2008). Changing modes of teacher professionalism: Traditional, managerial, collaborative and democratic. In B. Cunningham (Eds.)Exploring professionalism, (pp.28-49). London: Institute of Education, University of London.

Wills, J. S., & Sandholtz, J. H. (2009). Constrained Professionalism: Dilemmas of Teaching in the Face of Test-Based Accountability.Teachers College Record,111(4), 1065-1114

Yıldırım, A., & Simşek, H. (2016). Sosyal bilimlerde nitel arastırma yontemleri. 10th ed. Ankara: Seçkin Yayınları.

Yükseköğretim Kurulu [YÖK], (2007). Öğretmen yetiştirme ve eğitim fakülteleri (1982-2007).Ankara: Meteksan