An Analysis of Teacher Views on the Prestige of Teaching Profession in Turkey

Abstract

This study aimed at exploring how teachers consider the prestige of their profession in Turkish society. It was conducted using the phenomenology design, which is a qualitative research method. The study group consisted of 674 teachers who participated in the study on a voluntary basis. Participants were selected using the maximum variation sampling method. Research data was collected through interview method and a semi-structured interview form was used as data collection tool. In line with the aim of the study, content analysis was performed by the researcher and an expert, individually, to analyze the data. At the end of the study, it was found that 82% of the participants stated that teaching is not a prestigious profession in Turkey. The teachers also added that the prestige of the teaching profession in Turkey varies across regions with different socio-economic characteristics, across institutions (public-private) and according to the level of teaching, and recommended that steps should be taken to increase social awareness about the significance of the profession.