Presentation by Dr. Sibel Akın
TED University
Faculty of Education
"Identifying Essential Qualities for Elementary Teachers of the 21st Century and Effectiveness of Elementary Teacher Education Program for Developing These Qualities”
By
Dr. Sibel AKIN
Date: June 13 2017, Tuesday
Time: 14.00-14.30
Place: D126
Abstract: This study, first, investigated the essential qualities for elementary teachers of the 21st century based on the perceptions of the teacher educators, the pre-service and in-service elementary teachers, and the authorities of the Ministry of National Education (MoNE) and the Council of Higher Education (CHE) in Turkey. Drawing on this, the study further explored the effectiveness of the elementary teacher education program in Turkey for how well it develops those desired essential qualities, as perceived by the in-service elementary teachers. Employing phenomenological research design, both steps of the study were based on semi-structured interviews. Document analysis was also utilized in the second step of the study for the CHE’s curriculum of elementary teacher education. Overall, the results of the study demonstrated that elementary teachers were expected to possess certain (1) personality traits, (2) domains of qualities, and (3) domains of qualities especially in the 21st century. Regarding the effectiveness of the program, the results revealed that the program was less adequate, somewhat adequate, or more adequate for developing different domains of qualities. Furthermore, it was found that there were certain sources influencing the effectiveness of the program.
Keywords: Elementary Teachers, Teacher Qualities, Elementary Teacher Education Program, Phenomenology