Examining Positive Teacher Characteristics in Terms of Career Adaptability and Happiness Increasing Strategies

Purpose: It was aimed to examine the relationship between positive teacher characteristics and teachers' career adaptability, the strategies they use to increase happiness. Design/Methodology/Approach: In the study, the relationships between the variables were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis techniques. The research was carried out with teachers actively working in various public secondary education institutions. The gender of the teachers participating in the study is 180 female and 58 male. The ages of the teachers are between 24 and 50. Their average age is 32.07. The data of the study were collected through the "Positive Teacher Scale, Career Adaptability Scale and Happiness Increasing Strategies Scale" . Findings: According to the results of the research, it was seen that positive teacher characteristics were positively related to career exploration, to respond positively to the environment


INTRODUCTION
In the formal education system, starting from the pre-school period until the high school period, students have certain developmental tasks.In order for students to fulfill these developmental tasks in a healthy way, teachers have important roles.In particular, it has been demonstrated that teachers have a significant effect over students' feelings, thoughts and behaviors (Spilt, Koomen, & Thijs, 2011;Tsouloupas, Carson, Matthews, Grawitch, & Barber, 2010;Eryılmaz & Bek, 2018).According to Seligman et al. (2009), positive education actually means using this power of teachers to provide students with traditional education and teaching skills on the one hand and to provide educational activities to reach happiness on the other hand.It has been revealed in a study that teachers have an effect of approximately twenty-five percent on the academic achievement and general happiness of students in their schools (Eryılmaz, 2014).Positive education actually helps students to expand their perspectives and improve themselves by showing reactions that will bring positive emotions to students in the classroom environment.At the same time, it can reduce the negative effects of the past on individuals (Fredrickson, 1998).Based on this information, it is very important for the role of teachers that teachers have the effect to reveal positive emotions in students (Eyılmaz & Bek, 2018).
One of the important elements of the positive education process is positive teachers.Positive teachers are those who increase positive emotions and decrease negative emotions in students (Eryılmaz, 2017;Eyılmaz & Bek, 2018;Özbağır, 2019).There are some features that distinguish positive teachers from other teachers.Among these important traits is extroversion and also positive teachers have extrovert personality traits (Eryılmaz, 2017;Eyılmaz & Bek, 2018).According to the five factor model, individuals have two personality traits that are closely related to their level of well-being.It has been concluded that individuals with extrovert personality trait, which is one of them, feel happier in daily life (Myers & Diener, 1995).Having this feature has a significant impact on the well-being of not only teachers but also students (Eryılmaz, 2014;Eryılmaz & Öğülmüş, 2010;Kim, Dar-Nimrod, & MacCann, 2018;Vorkapić & Peloza, 2017).
Positive teachers are also teachers who satisfy students' competence needs.The innate need for competence includes the sense of ability and competence (Ryan & Deci, 2000).As individuals satisfy their competence needs, their well-being levels increase (Deci & Richard, 2000;Ryan & Deci, 2000;Reis, Sheldon, Gable, Roscoe & Ryan, 2018).Positive teachers seem to understand the importance of satisfying this need both intuitively and experientially.As a natural consequence of this situation, they try to satisfy the competency needs of the students in the lessons.
At the same time, by explaining the subjects at a level that students can understand, they also cause students to experience flow (Eryılmaz, 2017).Flow theory refers to a person's being controlled and focused, that is, motivation, while overcoming the difficulties they encounter in order to fulfill their duties in life (Csikszentmihalyi, 1988;Egbert, 2004).As a result of the researches, it was found that doing flow activities in daily life increases the subjective well-being of individuals in general (Moneta, 2004).
Another characteristic of positive teachers is positive relationships with students (Eryılmaz, 2017;Eyılmaz & Bek, 2018;Özbağır, 2019).As a result of the researches, it has been concluded that teacher support is very effective in the success and motivation of students (Klem & Connell, 2004).Teachers' interest in their students, being prepared for the lesson, and taking care of their students contributed positively to the development of students (Skinner et al., 2008;Furrer & Skinner, 2003;Skinner & Belmont, 1993).
Another positive teacher characteristic is that they increase their students' engagement to the lesson (Eryılmaz, 2017;Eyılmaz & Bek, 2018;Özbağır, 2019).Fredickson (2003) states that while the teacher carries out learning and teaching activities in the classroom, it is necessary to create an environment in which students will feel happy, and to ensure the participation of students in the lesson.In this way, learning is increased by the teacher he wants to learn.As a result, when students establish an emotional bond with the school and the school environment, their adaptation to school and learning processes are positively affected (Mouton & Hawkins, 1996).
Positive teachers differ from other teachers because they concretize the subject in the teaching process (Eyılmaz & Bek, 2018).Concrete learning according to Kolb's learning style model; it is important for students to involve themselves in new experiences, to observe these experiences, and to form theories as a result of their observations (Kolb, 1976).Positive teachers embody the subject and encourage students by encouraging them to overcome difficulties.Thus, students have some skills to overcome difficulties (Özbağır, 2019).
While individuals are performing their jobs, there is a need for tools to facilitate this process.One of these tools is career adaptability.Career adaptability is the state of adapting to the changes and transformations experienced by individuals during the professional development process.Individuals can resolve the changes in career fields, emerging crises or confusions, career decision-making processes by using their adaptability skills (Savickas, 2005;Stumpf, Colarelli, & Hartmann, 1983;Zikic & Klehe, 2006).In general, career adaptation and career development desires and expectations of teachers are closely related to the learning service they provide to their students and their contribution to society (Steger, Pickering, Shin, & Dik, 2010).The increase in teachers' career adaptability positively affects their students' academic success and social emotional development (Eryılmaz & Kara, 2017;Sapsağlam, Karabulut & Ekici, 2021).Although the importance of career adaptability for teachers and students is clear (Eryılmaz & Kara, 2021;Eryılmaz, Satici & Deniz, 2020), it is seen that studies examining career adaptability and positive teacher characteristics are not available in the literature.
Positive teachers are those who create positive emotions in students (Eyılmaz & Bek, 2018).In addition to all these, positive teachers also need to increase their own level of well-being like every human being.In this context, we come across strategies that increase the happiness or well-being of individuals.Strategies to increase happiness have been discussed by many researchers (Fordyce, 1983;Eryılmaz, 2010, Eryılmaz, 2017;Tkach & Lyubomirsky, 2006).Adults increase their happiness by reacting positively to the environment, satisfying their desires, performing mental control, fulfilling the requirements of religious belief, resting their bodies and exhibiting happiness oriented behaviors (Eryılmaz, 2017).
Positive education and training practices enable the development of academic skills and increase the level of happiness.It is aimed to give traditional education gains with positive education practices and to use and encourage skills to increase happiness (Seligman, et al., 2009).It is very important for both students and teachers to be happy in the educational environment in terms of achieving the purpose of education.In studies on teachers' happiness, it is found that teacher happiness or well-being is related with a sense of meaning (Lavy & Bocker, 2018), strategy use (De Stercke, Goyette & Robertson, 2015) teacher health (Benevene et al., 2019), gratitude and forgiveness (Chan, 2013).However, there are no studies examining the relationship between teachers' use of happiness-enhancing strategies and positive teacher characteristics.However, the happiness strategies used by positive teachers will inevitably reflect on their teaching characteristics.
The teaching profession is a profession that contributes directly and indirectly to the lives of individuals.Teachers who carry out this profession are examined under various headings (Eryılmaz, 2014).Teachers who are effective in students' learning and happiness are called positive teachers (Eryılmaz & Bek, 2018).Studies show that the characteristics of teachers have a significant effect on student success and happiness (Amon & Reichel, 2007;Eryılmaz, 2014Grieve, 2010;Polk, 2006).The teaching profession consists of activities that are tiring, emotionally exhausting and involve a long process (Eryılmaz & Kara, 2021).Having positive characteristics such as confidence, self-efficacy, optimism, extroversion, hope and psychological resilience that make teachers strong and resilient can help them both be happy and be successful in their profession (Eryılmaz, 2013).One of the mentioned positive characteristics is positive teacher characteristics.Identifying the factors affecting positive teacher characteristics can be an important tool for teacher education and teaching practices and student success.As a result, in this study, it was aimed to examine the relationship between positive teacher characteristics and teachers' career adaptability, strategies they use to increase happiness.

Research Design
This research is a quantitative study.The dependent variable of the study is positive teacher characteristics; the independent variables are career adaptability and strategies to increase happiness.The study was carried out on teachers.As inclusion criteria, the criteria of not having any psychiatric diagnosis, being between the ages of 24-50 and working in an institution as a teacher were determined.The data in the study were collected on the principle of voluntariness.Ethics committee approval was obtained for the study.
In the study, the relationships between the variables were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis techniques.Before starting the regression analysis, the data were examined according to the regression preconditions.In the study, first of all, skewness and kurtosis values were examined.As seen in Table 1, the skewness and kurtosis values are close to the normal distribution.The homogeneity of variances was also examined in order to decide on the analysis method in the study.Levene statistics were used for homogeneity.According to the results of the analysis, the variances of the strategies of satisfying wishes and fulfilling the requirements of religious belief are not homogeneously distributed according to positive teacher characteristics.It was concluded that other variables were homogeneously distributed (Table 2).Based on these results, two dimensions were excluded in the study.With the remaining variables, it was concluded that parametric analysis methods should be used.In the analysis of the data, descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and regression analysis were used.

Studying Group
This study was carried out with teachers who teach in various public secondary education institutions.A total of 238 teachers in 6 branches took part in the study.The branches of the teachers are Turkish Language and Literature (26), Mathematics (43), Physics (43), Chemistry (42), English (40) and Geography (44).180 of the teachers are women and 58 of them are men.The ages of the teachers are between 24 and 50.Their average age is 32.07.

Measuring Tools
Positive Teacher Scale: The scale developed by Eryılmaz and Bek (2018) is a scale answered from teachers' own perspectives.Although the scale is a five-point Likert-type scale consisting of 21 items, the items are answered as "1=Not at all, 2=Very little, 3=A little, 4=Mostly, 5=A lot".The validity and reliability study was applied to 448 teachers and as a result of this study, explanatory factor analysis was performed and 5 sub-dimensions consisting of 20 items emerged.These; "having an extrovert personality trait", "concretizing the subject", "establishing a positive relationship with the student", "involving the student in the lesson" and "making a flow in the lesson".In this study, which was evaluated over the total score, these factors explained 63,230% of the total variance.The reliability of the scale was analyzed with the Cronbach Alpha technique and the reliability value was found to be 0.89.It was also observed that the scale was adapted to the group to which it was applied by performing the confirmatory factor analysis (Eryılmaz & Bek, 2018).
Career Adaptability Scale: This scale was developed by Eryılmaz and Kara (2016).It has two dimensions: Career Discovery and Career Plan.Internal consistency, test-retest method, exploratory factor analysis and construct validity studies were conducted by Eryılmaz and Kara (2016).The reliability of the scale was determined by internal consistency and test-retest method.The internal consistency coefficient of the career exploration sub-dimension of the scale was 0.84, the internal consistency coefficient of the career plan sub-dimension was 0.71, and the internal consistency coefficient of the whole scale was 0.85.The reliability coefficients made by the test-retest method were found to be 0.82 for career exploration and 0.87 for career planning.According to the results of the exploratory factor analysis, a two-dimensional scale with a total explained variance of 55.87% was obtained.The factor loads of this scale vary between 0.57 and 0.80.Confirmatory factor analysis was performed for construct validity.According to the analysis results, the RMSEA value of the two-dimensional scale was 0.071.

Strategies to Increase Happiness Scale:
The reliability of the Adult Happiness Enhancing Strategies Scale was determined by the Cronbach Alpha internal consistency technique.Accordingly, the internal consistency coefficient of the sub-dimension responding positively to the environment was 0.84; the internal consistency coefficient of resting the body dimension was 0.83; internal consistency coefficient of saturating requests sub-dimension is 0.69; the internal consistency coefficient of the dimension of exhibiting behaviors towards happiness directly is 0.81.The internal consistency coefficient of the mental control sub-dimension was found to be 0.83, and the internal consistency coefficient of the sub-dimension of fulfilling the requirements of religious belief was found to be 0.83.The internal consistency coefficient of the entire scale was found to be 0.89.According to the results of confirmatory factor analysis, RMSEA value was 0.063, Chi-square value was 599.79 and degree of freedom was 335.The ratio obtained by dividing the chi-square value by the degrees of freedom was found to be 1.79.FINDING According to the study findings, the career exploration dimension had the highest correlation with the total score of the positive teacher characteristics scale (r = 0.471; p<0.01).The second highest correlation between the positive teacher characteristics scale and the total score was the directly dimension of behavior towards happiness (r = 0.410; p<0.01).The scale of positive teacher characteristics yielded the third highest correlation with the total score, the dimension of reacting positively to the environment (r = 0.388; p<0.01).The fourth highest correlation with the positive teacher characteristics scale total score was the mental control dimension (r = 0.368; p<0.01).The fifth highest correlation between the positive teacher characteristics scale and the total score was given by the career plan dimension (r = 0.298; p<0.01).A significant and significant relationship was not found between the total score of the positive teacher characteristics scale and the rest the body dimension (r = .760;p<0.01).(R=.59, R2 =.35, F=21.15, p<.00).Firstly, the positive teacher characteristics were explained at the highest level by career exploration (β= -.29; p= .00).Secondly, behavior towards happiness directly one of the strategies to increase happiness explains positive teacher characteristics (β= .22;p= .00).Thirdly, the mental control strategy one of the strategies to increase happiness explains the positive teacher characteristics (β= .14;p= .02).Fourthly, the strategy of reacting positively to the environment one of the strategies to increase happiness explains positive teacher characteristics (β= .13;p= .00).Finally, the rest the body strategy one of the strategies to increase happiness explains the positive teacher characteristics (β= -.12; p= .04).

DISCUSSION
In this study, it was seen that positive teacher characteristics were positively related to the career exploration dimension of career adaptability.On the other hand, it was concluded that the relationship between career plan and positive teacher characteristics was not significant.Three of the strategies to increase happiness revealed positive teacher characteristics, and one of them revealed negatively significant.
There is an increase in studies examining variables associated with positive teacher characteristics.For example, in a study conducted in Iran, it was found that positive teacher characteristics are also valid for Iranian culture (Dezaki, Nadi & Sajjadian, 2022).In another study, the relationships between mindfulness-based teaching and positive teacher characteristics were examined (Gördesli & Örnek, 2022).Similarly, another study investigated positive teacher characteristics to help students with learning difficulties (Oğuz et al., 2020).Despite all this, no study has been found that examines the relationships between the variables in this study and positive teacher characteristics.At this point, it can be said that this study contributed to the literature.
Career adaptability of teachers in have been found related with self-efficacy and career optimism (McLennan, McIlveen & Perera, 2017), family effects and learning situations (McLennan et al., 2019).In the national literature, career adaptability of teachers have been found related with personality traits (Eryılmaz & Kara, 2017), emotional intelligence and goal striving (Eryılmaz, Seller & Deniz, 2020), loneliness and burnout (Eryılmaz & Kara, 2021).However, there is no study examining the relationship between positive teacher characteristics and career adaptability.In general, it can be said that this study contributed to the literature in terms of showing the direction and strength of the relationship between these two variables.
Career adaptability was found to be associated with positive teacher characteristics.When an assessment is made in general, the increase in career adaptability actually means that teachers are adaptable with their profession.This increased adaptability can increase their motivation because the increase in the motivation of the teachers reflects positively on the students.That is, teachers with increased motivation also exhibit features such as motivating the student and making an effort for the student (Roeser et al., 2000).A positive teacher naturally contains these features.
The fact that positive teacher characteristics are positively related to the career exploration dimension of career adaptability can be addressed in many ways.The exploration dimension of career adaptability means that the person discovers himself and his profession (Eryılmaz & Kara, 2017;Stumpf, Colarelli & Hartman, 1983).Primarily, the teachers involved in this study are between the ages of 24 and 50.These teachers can experience self-exploration from many points compared to advanced adults.In addition, since new information is constantly being produced in the modern world, they have to experience exploration for their profession.In addition to all these, it can be said that being a positive teacher requires making exploration in order to both make students happy, help them learn, participate in the lesson and make them successful.For all these reasons, positive teacher characteristics and career exploration may have been positively related in this study.
On the other hand, one of the important reasons why the relationship between career plan and positive teacher characteristics is not significant may be that the teaching profession is not considered as a career profession so far in Turkey.In a profession where there are no career steps, teachers are not expected to make plans.In addition, positive teachers who love the teaching profession are not expected to have a plan to turn to another profession.
The results of this study show that positive teachers' characteristics increase as they respond positively to the environment, act directly towards happiness, and perform mental control.This finding can be considered in terms of strategies to increase happiness.In general, using strategies to increase happiness makes individuals happy (Eryılmaz, 2014;Tkach & Lyubomirsky, 2006).Positive teachers are happier when they use these three strategies.These positive emotions may have activated their positive teacher characteristics.Because, according to Expanding and Building Positive Emotions Theory, experiencing positive emotions frequently helps individuals to build their capacities and broaden their perspectives (Fredrickson, 2004).At this point, positive teacher characteristics can also be considered as capacities to be expanded and built.
One of the interesting findings of this study is that as the use of the body rest strategy increases, positive teacher characteristics decrease.At this point, positive teachers have to be active.In fact, when we look at the positive teacher characteristics; it is seen that the features such as engaging the student in the lesson, concretizing the lesson, establishing a positive relationship with the student, helping the student to experience flow and establishing positive relationships with students are important (Eryılmaz & Bek, 2018).Bringing these features into life already requires being physically active.In addition, according to the philosophy of happiness, Aristotle states that happiness is not something one is exposed to and requires active effort (Eryılmaz, 2014).Being physically passive does not fit Aristotle's philosophy of happiness.Positive teachers seem to have adopted this philosophy.It can be said that this study has revealed the means of having positive teacher characteristics in one respect.At this point, it is necessary to develop positive teacher characteristics.In addition, it is important for teachers to be effective teachers.Duckworth, Quinn, and Seligman, (2009) concluded that teachers' happiness will affect effective teacher behaviors.Increasing positive teacher characteristics by using happiness-enhancing strategies can help teachers to be both happy and effective teachers.This study shows that the teaching profession should be a career profession.Conducting similar studies on positive teachers who practice their profession, especially in countries with teacher career ladders, may help us to see the relationship between career adaptability and positive teacher characteristics from a wider perspective.Because, according to the results of their research, Tösten and Özgan (2017) concluded that teachers' having a positive perspective increases their school happiness.As a result of another study, it was concluded that having a positive perspective is important for teachers' self-actualization and happiness (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000).
As a result, it is necessary to carry out the necessary vocational guidance studies in order for the students to choose the most suitable profession for their personality traits, starting from the pre-school period until the period when the choice of profession is expected.If we think about this issue in the teaching profession, individuals who are suitable for the teaching profession and who have positive teaching characteristics will serve the teachers to use the strategies to increase happiness in a way that will have a positive effect on their subjective well-being.
Considering the results of the research, in-service training studies, psycho-educational studies, group guidance training studies and workshops that can improve the positive teaching characteristics of individuals should be planned and implemented.When the field writing studies conducted as a result of the research were evaluated, it was observed that the studies were few in quantity.New research results can be brought to the literature by investigating concepts such as "positive teacher, strategies to increase happiness and career adaptability", which are very important for the teaching profession, with different variables.In particular, according to the results determined as a result of the research, it will contribute to the experimental studies that will be made according to the needs of the society and school structure, sensitive to culture.It can be applied as a result of experimental studies, and training programs that serve functional teachers to perform their profession more qualified can be created.
Considering the results of the research, the suggestions deemed appropriate by the researchers are as follows.Starting from the pre-school period until the period when the choice of profession is expected, the necessary vocational guidance studies should be carried out in order for the students to choose the most suitable profession for their personal characteristics.If we think about this issue in the teaching profession, individuals who are suitable for the teaching profession and who have positive teaching characteristics will serve the teachers to use the strategies to increase happiness in a way that will have a positive effect on their subjective well-being.In addition, it has been concluded that career adaptability will be positively affected if teachers have the personality traits required by the profession.As a result of the high career adaptability, the way for students to receive training from more qualified teachers will be paved.This is very important for the educational activities to reach their goals.

Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research, author-ship, and/or publication of this article.

Statements of publication ethics
I/We hereby declare that the study has not unethical issues and that research and publication ethics have been observed carefully.

Researchers' contribution rate
The study was conducted and reported with equal collaboration of the researchers.

Ethics Committee Approval Information
The date of Ethics Committee Approval Document" is 24.06.2021", and the number is 2021/04

Table - 2
Homogeneity test results

Table - 4
Correlation analysis results According to the research findings, career adaptability and strategies to increase happiness significantly explain positive teacher characteristics