Professional Autonomy Visited: Pre-Service Teachers’ Perspectives During Practice Teaching

Abstract

This study focuses on the pre-service teacher’s professional autonomy in an English language teacher education program of a foundation university in İstanbul, Türkiye. It explores whether practice teaching period had an influence on the pre-service teachers’ professional autonomy and the factors that might have a role in their understanding of autonomy. Thirty-seven pre-service teachers answered professional autonomy questionnaire and ten volunteered to participate in the semi-structured in-depth interviews. The overall study findings indicated that the participants had a high level of autonomy in terms of internal and external drives and motives, capability and collaboration with colleagues. The practice teaching experience had an impact on their perspectives about internal and external motivational sources, managing time and their capacity for professional development, whereas their opinions for collaboration did not change over practicum period. The participants’ comments indicated that mentor teachers, feedback and extra teaching experiences were the factors that led to the changes in their autonomy.

Keywords

• Professional autonomy
• pre-service teachers
• teacher education

Mesleki Özerklik: Öğretmen Adaylarının Uygulama Sırasındaki Görüşleri

Abstract

Bu çalışma, İstanbul'daki bir vakıf üniversitesinin İngilizce Öğretmenliği programındaki öğretmen adaylarının mesleki özerkliklerine odaklanmaktadır. Öğretmenlik uygulaması döneminin öğretmen adaylarının mesleki özerkliği üzerinde bir etkisi olup olmadığını ve özerklik anlayışlarında rol oynayabilecek faktörleri araştırmaktadır. Otuz yedi öğretmen adayı mesleki özerklik anketini yanıtlamış ve on öğretmen adayı yarı yapılandırılmış derinlemesine görüşmelere katılmaya gönüllü olmuştur. Çalışmanın genel bulguları, katılımcıların içsel ve dışsal dürtüler ve güdüler, yeterlilik ve meslektaşlarla işbirliği açısından yüksek düzeyde özerkliğe sahip olduğunu göstermiştir. Uygulama öğretmenliği deneyimi, iç ve dış motivasyon kaynakları, zamanı yönetme ve mesleki gelişim kapasiteleri hakkındaki bakış açıları üzerinde etkili olurken, işbirliği konusundaki görüşleri uygulama süresi boyunca değişmemiştir. Katılımcıların yorumları, uygulama öğretmenleri, geribildirim ve ekstra öğretim deneyimlerinin özerkliklerinde değişikliğe yol açan faktörler olduğunu göstermiştir.

Keywords

• Mesleki özerklik
• öğretmen adayları
• öğretmen eğitimi

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