Invisible Educators: Understanding the Role and Impact of Casual Relief Teachers in Turkish Schools

Year 2024, Volume: 12 Issue: 1, 455 - 499, 29.03.2024

Kübra Yenel Ali Duran

https://doi.org/10.46778/goputeb.1430405

Abstract

Casual relief teachers (CRTs) are teachers who take the place of regular classroom teachers (RCTs) in primary schools when they are absent from school for various reasons such as illness, professional development activities, or annual leave. Casual relief teaching, which is not defined as an official duty in the legislation of the Turkish education system, usually occurs when surplus teachers nominated to the provincial order are assigned to crowded schools in provincial district centers. CRTs contribute to the sustainability of education activities in the absence of RCTs. The working conditions of these teachers vary, and they teach in different grade levels. In this study, the working conditions of CRTs in the context of the Turkish education system are analyzed from the perspective of different stakeholders. This study was conducted with the phenomenological research design, one of the qualitative research designs. The participants of the study consisted of school administrators (principals and vice principals), RCTs, CRTs and parents. The data obtained through qualitative interviews using individual semi-structured forms were analyzed using the content analysis method. According to the findings, CRTs were found to suffer from not having a fixed classroom, not being able to adapt to different teaching methods, experiencing various problems in classroom management, and facing disrespect from their colleagues from time to time. While serving as a CRT is an advantage for some CRTs due to family reasons, disadvantages occur in terms of having problems adapting to the school culture and forming organizational commitment. RCTs see CRTs as an important part of the education system and think that they contribute to the sustainability of teaching processes. School administrators, on the other hand, see CRTs as useful stakeholders of the school system. For school administrators, CRTs contribute to the school in terms of providing teacher flexibility and sometimes helping with administrative tasks.

Keywords

Substitute Teachers, Sustainability of Teaching, Teacher Absenteeism, Surplus Teacher, Turkish Education System

Görünmez Eğitimciler: Türkiye'deki Okullarda Yedek Öğretmenlerin Rolünü ve Etkisini Anlamak

Abstract

Yedek öğretmenler, ilkokullarda hastalık, mesleki gelişim faaliyeti veya yıllık izin gibi çeşitli nedenlerle sınıf öğretmenlerinin okula gelemediği durumlarda onların yerini alan öğretmenlerdir. Türk eğitim sistemi mevzuatında resmi bir görev olarak tanımlanmayan yedek öğretmenlik, il emrine atanan norm fazlası öğretmenlerin genellikle il-ilçe merkezlerinde kalabalık okullarda görevlendirilmeleri ile ortaya çıkmaktadır. Yedek öğretmenler, sınıf öğretmeninin yokluğunda eğitim-öğretim faaliyetlerinin sürdürülebilirliğine katkıda bulunmaktadır. Bu öğretmenlerin çalışma koşulları çeşitlilik göstermekte ve farklı düzey sınıflarda derse girmektedirler. Bu çalışmada, Türk eğitim sistemi bağlamında yedek öğretmenlerin çalışma durumları farklı paydaşların bakış açısından incelenmektedir. Bu araştırma, nitel araştırma desenlerinden fenomenoloji araştırma deseni ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. Çalışmanın katılımcıları, okul yöneticileri (müdür-müdür yardımcısı), sınıf öğretmenleri, yedek öğretmenler ve velilerden oluşmaktadır. Bireysel yarı-yapılandırılmış formlar kullanılarak yapılan nitel görüşmeler aracılığı ile elde edilen veriler içerik analizi yöntemi ile analiz edilmiştir. Elde edilen bulgulara göre, yedek öğretmenlerin, sabit bir sınıfının olmaması, farklı öğretim yöntemlerine uyum sağlayamamaları, sınıf yönetiminde çeşitli sorunlar yaşamaları ve meslektaşlarının zaman zaman saygısızlıklarıyla karşı karşıya kalmaları ön plana çıkan sonuçlar arasındadır. Yedek öğretmen olarak görev yapmak bazı yedek öğretmenler için ailevi nedenlerle avantaj olurken, okul kültürüne uyumda sorun yaşama, örgütsel bağlılık oluşturma gibi açılardan dezavantajlar meydana gelmektedir. Sınıf öğretmenleri, yedek öğretmenleri eğitim sisteminin önemli bir parçası olarak görmekte ve öğretim süreçlerinin sürdürülebilirliğine katkıda bulunduklarını düşünmektedir. Okul yöneticileri ise yedek öğretmenleri, okul sisteminin faydalı birer paydaşı olarak görmektedirler. Okul yöneticileri için yedek öğretmenler, öğretmen esnekliği sağlama ve zaman zaman da idari işlere yardımcı olma gibi açılardan okula katkı sunmaktadır.

Keywords

Yedek Öğretmenler, Öğretimin Sürekliliği, Öğretmen Devamsızlığı, Norm Fazlası Öğretmen, Türk Eğitim Sistemi

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