Teachers' Expectations from In-Service Training and the Project &quot;No Limit to Teach(er)&quot;
Author: Akçadag, Tuncay
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Inservice Teacher Education,Classroom Techniques,Foreign Countries,Communication Skills,Nongovernmental Organizations,Teacher Attitudes,Expectation,Program Evaluation,Qualitative Research,Questionnaires,Content Analysis,Positive Attitudes,Special Education,Drama,Educational Games,Child Psychology,Parent Education,Material Development,Teaching Methods,Educational Environment,Semi Structured Interviews

Problem Statement: Training qualified teachers is possible through pre-service and in-service training programs. The in-service training of teachers in Turkey is primarily planned and delivered by the Directorate of In-Service Office at the Ministry of National Education (MoNE). In addition to this, some Non Governmental Organizations (NGO) collaborate with MoNE taking the initiatives to enhance the quality of education in Turkey. One such initiative is the project &quot;No Limit to Teach(er)&quot;, which is run by the Teachers Academy Foundation. The objective of this project is to deliver in-service training to 100,000 teachers by the end of 2014, focusing on teachers' communication skills, classroom management, and measurement and evaluation. By the end of 2011, a total of 48,250 teachers from almost every city in Turkey were given this training. Purpose of Study: The purpose of this study was to define teachers' justified expectations of these in-service training programs and to understand how these expectations developed based on their evaluations about the programs. It was also aimed to find out what other in-service training programs they need with reasons. Methods: This study was conducted using qualitative methods. The results were obtained by qualitative analysis of the data obtained. To this end, 65 teachers randomly selected from different cities in Turkey were administrated a semi-structured questionnaire form with open ended questions. Teachers written evaluations about the in-service training program were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Findings and Results: The results showed that the teachers place special emphasis on the content and methodology of the training programs, and the expertise and positive attitudes of the trainers, and that they set these criteria as expectations. Among the subjects teachers recommended for other in-service training were--in the order of consistency--class management, communication skills, special education, learning games and drama, child psychology, parents' training, design and application of teaching materials, training school administrators, instructional methods and techniques, and some personal development issues. Conclusions and Recommendations: Based on teachers' views, it was concluded that the in-service training is more effective when active participation of participants is ensured and when an exciting positive learning environment is created. Based on these results, it can be suggested that specialized and enthusiastic trainers should be entrusted to create a learning environment where there is a moderate amount of sense of humor and active participation.