ERIC Number: EJ1034034
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
Reference Count: 39
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1303-0485
Deskilling of Teachers: The Case of Turkey
Gür, Bekir S.
Educational Sciences: Theory and Practice, v14 n3 p887-904 2014
Studies in various Western countries since the 1980s established that teachers find themselves increasingly more subjected to outside control and are often reduced to enforcers of decisions made by others. This study presents findings from a qualitative study with 20 teachers in an attempt to discover i) whether teachers' work is being transformed and ii) what type of transformation, if any, takes place. It first analyzes the debate on changes in teachers' skills in advanced industrial societies and moves onto a discussion of the nature of teachers' work, the transformation thereof and the alleged deskilling of teachers. The study later presents findings from a qualitative research indicating that there are significant similarities and differences between teachers' experiences in Turkey and in developed countries. This study reveals that the deskilling approach fails to adequately account for Turkish teachers' experiences, agency and adaptability. Furthermore, while teachers do not regard rather detailed curricula and guidebooks as a restriction of their professional domain, they express the opposite view regarding interventions by parents, inspectors and others. Finally, the study demonstrates that educators in Turkey have strong concerns regarding the future of their profession.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Elementary School Teachers, Secondary School Teachers, Teaching Skills, Teaching Experience, Professional Autonomy, Qualitative Research, Decision Making, Guides, Professional Identity, Social Control, Influences, Faculty Workload, Teaching Conditions, Collegiality, Teacher Surveys, Teacher Attitudes, Semi Structured Interviews
Educational Consultancy, Ltd (EDAM). Kisikli Mh. Alemdag Cd. Yan Yol Sk., SBK Is Merkezi No:5 Kat:1, Uskudar-Istanbul, 34692 Turkey. Tel: +90-216-481-30-23; Fax: +90-216-481-31-36; e-mail: editor@edam.com.tr; Web site: http://www.edam.com.tr/estp.asp
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers: Turkey (Ankara)

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