Research Article
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Kuram ve Uygulama Arasında Köprü Kurmak: Araştırmalarda Az İncelenmiş Bir Bağlamda Türk Hizmet İçi İngilizce Öğretmenlerinin Lisansüstü Eğitime Yönelik Motivasyonları ve Deneyimleri

Year 2025, Volume: 21 Issue: 2, 248 - 269, 30.12.2025
https://doi.org/10.17244/eku.1816770
https://izlik.org/JA54LP23YG

Abstract

Batı bağlamlarında öğretmenlerin mesleki gelişimi üzerine kapsamlı araştırmalar yapılmış olmasına rağmen, yeterince incelenmemiş bölgelerin sesleri hâlâ marjinalleştirilmektedir. Bu nitel fenomenolojik çalışma, Türkiye’nin güneydoğusundaki uzak bir bölge olan Hakkâri’de yüksek lisans (MA) eğitimi alan 13 hizmet içi İngilizce öğretmeninin motivasyonlarını ve deneyimlerini incelemektedir. Yüz yüze yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmelerin tematik analizi yüksek değerlendiriciler arası güvenirlik ile (Miles & Huberman = 0.91) mezuniyet eğitiminin, sınırlı maddi teşviklere (yalnızca %5 maaş artışı) rağmen, özellikle öğrenme sevgisi (%38.5) ve mesleki durgunluk (%30.8) gibi içsel motivasyonlarla yönlendirildiğini ortaya koymuştur. MA programı; yansıtıcı uygulama gelişimini (%84.6), özgüven artışını (%46.2) ve öğretmen-araştırmacı kimliğinin oluşumunu (%38.5) önemli ölçüde desteklemiştir. Katılımcıların %76.9’u öğretme ve öğrenme arasında güçlü bir karşılıklı ilişki bulunduğunu belirtmiş; öğretim deneyiminin kuramı somut ve anlaşılır hâle getirdiğini ifade etmiştir (en baskın tema, %53.8). Her ne kadar katılımcıların %38.5’i zaman ve iş yükünü yönetmede zorluk yaşadığını belirtse de, tamamı bu zorluklara rağmen programın faydalarının daha ağır bastığını vurgulamıştır. Bu çalışma, kaynak açısından kısıtlı ortamlarda mesleki gelişimin ortak örüntülerinin bağlamsal farklılıklarla ortaya çıktığını göstererek, Küresel Güney’de öğretmen eğitimi araştırmalarındaki önemli bir boşluğu doldurmakta ve dünyanın uzak bölgelerindeki lisansüstü öğretmen eğitimi politikalarına ışık tutmaktadır.

Supporting Institution

Yazarlar, bu araştırmanın kamu, ticari veya kâr amacı gütmeyen herhangi bir finansman kuruluşundan özel bir hibe almadığını beyan etmişlerdir.

References

  • Adler, S. A. (1991). The reflective practitioner and the curriculum of teacher education. Journal of Education for Teaching, 17(2), 139–150. https://doi.org/10.1080/0260747910170203
  • Appova, A., & Arbaugh, F. (2018). Teachers’ motivation to learn: Implications for supporting professional growth. Professional Development in Education, 44(1), 5–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2017.1280524
  • Avalos, B. (2011). Teacher professional development in teaching and teacher education over ten years. Teaching and Teacher Education, 27(1), 10–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2010.08.007
  • Aydemir Altaş, E., & Babacan, T. (2025). From training to transformation: The impact of online ICT training on Turkish EFL teachers’ TPACK competences and innovative teaching practices. Journal of Pedagogical Research, 9(4), 173–201. https://doi.org/10.33902/JPR.202535200
  • Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Prentice-Hall.
  • Beijaard, D., Meijer, P. C., & Verloop, N. (2004). Reconsidering research on teachers’ professional identity. Teaching and Teacher Education, 20(2), 107–128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2003.07.001
  • Belay, S., & Melesse, T. (2024). Exploring the link between teachers’ motivation for continuous professional development and professional learning communities: A structural equation modeling approach. Sage Open, 14(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440241281855
  • Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
  • Clarke, D., & Hollingsworth, H. (2002). Elaborating a model of teacher professional growth. Teaching and Teacher Education, 18(8), 947–967. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0742-051X(02)00053-7
  • Creswell, J. W., & Plano Clark, V. L. (2011). Designing and conducting mixed methods research (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications.
  • Darling-Hammond, L., Hyler, M. E., & Gardner, M. (2017). Effective teacher professional development. Learning Policy Institute. https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/teacher-prof-dev
  • Day, C., Kington, A., Stobart, G., & Sammons, P. (2006). The personal and professional selves of teachers: Stable and unstable identities. British Educational Research Journal, 32(4), 601–616. https://doi.org/10.1080/01411920600775316
  • Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior. Plenum. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-2271-7
  • Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2008). Facilitating optimal motivation and psychological well-being across life’s domains. Canadian Psychology / Psychologie Canadienne, 49(1), 14–23. https://doi.org/10.1037/0708-5591.49.1.14
  • Desimone, L. M. (2009). Improving impact studies of teachers’ professional development: Toward better conceptualizations and measures. Educational Researcher, 38(3), 181–199. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X08331140
  • Dewey, J. (1933). How we think: A restatement of the relation of reflective thinking to the educative process. D.C. Heath and Company.
  • Doğan, S., & Adams, A. (2020). Augmenting the effect of professional development on effective instruction through professional communities. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 26(3–4), 326–349. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2020.1832064 Fang, G., Chan, P. W. K., & Kalogeropoulos, P. (2021). Secondary school teachers’ professional development in Australia and Shanghai: Needs, support, and barriers. SAGE Open, 11(3), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211026951
  • Gagné, M., & Deci, E. L. (2005). Self-determination theory and work motivation. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 26(4), 331–362. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.322
  • Gorozidis, G., & Papaioannou, A. G. (2014). Teachers’ motivation to participate in training and to implement innovations. Teaching and Teacher Education, 39, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2013.12.001
  • Hatton, N., & Smith, D. (1995). Reflection in teacher education: Towards definition and implementation. Teaching and Teacher Education, 11(1), 33–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/0742-051X(94)00012-U
  • Knowles, M. S. (1980). The modern practice of adult education: From pedagogy to andragogy (2nd ed.). Cambridge Books.
  • Korthagen, F. A. J. (2010). The relationship between theory and practice in teacher education. In P. Peterson, E. Baker, & B. McGaw (Eds.), International encyclopedia of education (3rd ed., pp. 669–675). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-044894-7.00638-2
  • Korthagen, F. A. J., & Kessels, J. P. A. M. (1999). Linking theory and practice: Changing the pedagogy of teacher education. Educational Researcher, 28(4), 4–17. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X028004004
  • Lin, W., Yin, H., & Liu, Z. (2022). The roles of transformational leadership and growth mindset in teacher professional development: The mediation of teacher self-efficacy. Sustainability, 14(11), 6489. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14116489
  • Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. SAGE Publications.
  • Mantai, L. (2019). “Feeling more academic now”: Doctoral stories of becoming an academic. Australian Educational Researcher, 46(1), 137–153. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-018-0283-x
  • Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications.
  • Nowell, L. S., Norris, J. M., White, D. E., & Moules, N. J. (2017). Thematic analysis: Striving to meet the trustworthiness criteria. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406917733847
  • Onyefulu, C., Madalinska-Michalak, J., & Bavli, B. (2022). Teachers’ motivation to choose teaching and remain in the profession: A comparative mixed methods study in Jamaica, Poland and Turkey. Power and Education, 15(1), 37–65. https://doi.org/10.1177/17577438221109907
  • Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research and evaluation methods (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
  • Richter, D., Kleinknecht, M., & Gröschner, A. (2019). What motivates teachers to participate in professional development? An empirical investigation of motivational orientations and the uptake of formal learning opportunities. Teaching and Teacher Education, 86, 102929. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2019.102929
  • Rushton, E. A. C., Rawlings Smith, E., Steadman, S., & Towers, E. (2023). Understanding teacher identity in teachers’ professional lives: A systematic review of the literature. Review of Education, 11(2), e3417. https://doi.org/10.1002/rev3.3417
  • Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2020). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation from a self-determination theory perspective: Definitions, theory, practices, and future directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 61, 101860. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2020.101860
  • Sachs, J. (2005). Teacher education and the development of professional identity: Learning to be a teacher. In P. Denicolo & M. Kompf (Eds.), Connecting policy and practice: Challenges for teaching and learning in schools and universities (pp. 5–21). Routledge.
  • Schachter, R. E., Gerde, H., & Hatton-Bowers, H. (2019). Guidelines for selecting professional development for early childhood teachers. Early Childhood Education Journal, 47, 395–408. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-019-00942-8
  • Schön, D. A. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. Basic Books.
  • Schön, D. A. (1987). Educating the reflective practitioner: Toward a new design for teaching and learning in the professions. Jossey-Bass.
  • Simsek-Rackelmann, T., Kibar, E. P., Aybek, S., & Okan, Z. (2024). A practice turn in teacher education in Turkey: Is a balanced practicum at risk? European Journal of Teacher Education, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619768.2024.2337631
  • Smith, J., Billot, J., Clouder, L., & King, V. (2019). Juggling competing activities: Academic staff as doctoral candidates. Higher Education Research & Development, 39(3), 591–605. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2019.1685945
  • Smith, J. A., Flowers, P., & Larkin, M. (2009). Interpretative phenomenological analysis: Theory, method and research. SAGE.
  • UNESCO. (2020). Global Education Monitoring Report 2020: Inclusion and education: All means all. UNESCO. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000373721
  • Van Manen, M. (2016). Phenomenology of practice: Meaning-giving methods in phenomenological research and writing. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315422657
  • Zeichner, K. (2010). Rethinking the connections between campus courses and field experiences in college and university-based teacher education. Journal of Teacher Education, 61(1–2), 89–99. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022487109347671
  • Zhang, H., Lyu, X., & Qiu, Y. (2024). Effective teacher professional development and its influencing factors: A cross-national comparison of the United States, China, Finland, and Singapore. Journal of Teacher Education, 75(5), 502–515. https://doi.org/10.1177/00224871241254779
  • Zhang, X., Admiraal, W., & Saab, N. (2022). Teacher autonomous motivation for continuous professional development: The relationship with perceived workplace conditions. Teachers and Teaching, 28(8), 909–924. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2022.2137128

Bridging Theory and Practice: Turkish In-Service EFL Teachers’ Motivations and Experiences in Graduate Education in an Underresearched Context

Year 2025, Volume: 21 Issue: 2, 248 - 269, 30.12.2025
https://doi.org/10.17244/eku.1816770
https://izlik.org/JA54LP23YG

Abstract

Voices from understudied regions continue to be marginalized despite the fact that teacher professional development has been thoroughly examined in Western contexts. The motivations and experiences of 13 in-service EFL teachers pursuing Master of Arts (MA) degrees in Hakkari, a remote area of southeast Türkiye, are investigated in this qualitative phenomenological study. The results of thematic analysis of in-person semi-structured interviews with high inter-rater reliability (Miles-Huberman = 0.91) show that graduate pursuit is driven by intrinsic motivations, especially a love of learning (38.5%) and professional stagnation (30.8%), even in the face of meager financial incentives (a 5% pay increase). Through the development of reflective practice (84.6%), confidence building (46.2%), and teacher-researcher identity (38.5%), the MA program had a significant impact on teaching practice. Most importantly, 76.9% of participants stated that teaching and learning have strong reciprocal influences, with teaching experience helping to make theory tangible and understandable (the strongest single theme, 53.8%). Even though 38.5% of participants reported having trouble managing their time and workload, everyone who did so stressed that the advantages outweighed the drawbacks. By showing that common patterns of professional development appear with significant contextual variations in resource-constrained settings, this study fills important gaps in the research on teacher education in the Global South. The results guide graduate teacher education policies in remote areas across the globe.

Supporting Institution

The authors declared that this research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

References

  • Adler, S. A. (1991). The reflective practitioner and the curriculum of teacher education. Journal of Education for Teaching, 17(2), 139–150. https://doi.org/10.1080/0260747910170203
  • Appova, A., & Arbaugh, F. (2018). Teachers’ motivation to learn: Implications for supporting professional growth. Professional Development in Education, 44(1), 5–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2017.1280524
  • Avalos, B. (2011). Teacher professional development in teaching and teacher education over ten years. Teaching and Teacher Education, 27(1), 10–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2010.08.007
  • Aydemir Altaş, E., & Babacan, T. (2025). From training to transformation: The impact of online ICT training on Turkish EFL teachers’ TPACK competences and innovative teaching practices. Journal of Pedagogical Research, 9(4), 173–201. https://doi.org/10.33902/JPR.202535200
  • Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Prentice-Hall.
  • Beijaard, D., Meijer, P. C., & Verloop, N. (2004). Reconsidering research on teachers’ professional identity. Teaching and Teacher Education, 20(2), 107–128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2003.07.001
  • Belay, S., & Melesse, T. (2024). Exploring the link between teachers’ motivation for continuous professional development and professional learning communities: A structural equation modeling approach. Sage Open, 14(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440241281855
  • Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
  • Clarke, D., & Hollingsworth, H. (2002). Elaborating a model of teacher professional growth. Teaching and Teacher Education, 18(8), 947–967. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0742-051X(02)00053-7
  • Creswell, J. W., & Plano Clark, V. L. (2011). Designing and conducting mixed methods research (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications.
  • Darling-Hammond, L., Hyler, M. E., & Gardner, M. (2017). Effective teacher professional development. Learning Policy Institute. https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/teacher-prof-dev
  • Day, C., Kington, A., Stobart, G., & Sammons, P. (2006). The personal and professional selves of teachers: Stable and unstable identities. British Educational Research Journal, 32(4), 601–616. https://doi.org/10.1080/01411920600775316
  • Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior. Plenum. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-2271-7
  • Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2008). Facilitating optimal motivation and psychological well-being across life’s domains. Canadian Psychology / Psychologie Canadienne, 49(1), 14–23. https://doi.org/10.1037/0708-5591.49.1.14
  • Desimone, L. M. (2009). Improving impact studies of teachers’ professional development: Toward better conceptualizations and measures. Educational Researcher, 38(3), 181–199. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X08331140
  • Dewey, J. (1933). How we think: A restatement of the relation of reflective thinking to the educative process. D.C. Heath and Company.
  • Doğan, S., & Adams, A. (2020). Augmenting the effect of professional development on effective instruction through professional communities. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 26(3–4), 326–349. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2020.1832064 Fang, G., Chan, P. W. K., & Kalogeropoulos, P. (2021). Secondary school teachers’ professional development in Australia and Shanghai: Needs, support, and barriers. SAGE Open, 11(3), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211026951
  • Gagné, M., & Deci, E. L. (2005). Self-determination theory and work motivation. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 26(4), 331–362. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.322
  • Gorozidis, G., & Papaioannou, A. G. (2014). Teachers’ motivation to participate in training and to implement innovations. Teaching and Teacher Education, 39, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2013.12.001
  • Hatton, N., & Smith, D. (1995). Reflection in teacher education: Towards definition and implementation. Teaching and Teacher Education, 11(1), 33–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/0742-051X(94)00012-U
  • Knowles, M. S. (1980). The modern practice of adult education: From pedagogy to andragogy (2nd ed.). Cambridge Books.
  • Korthagen, F. A. J. (2010). The relationship between theory and practice in teacher education. In P. Peterson, E. Baker, & B. McGaw (Eds.), International encyclopedia of education (3rd ed., pp. 669–675). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-044894-7.00638-2
  • Korthagen, F. A. J., & Kessels, J. P. A. M. (1999). Linking theory and practice: Changing the pedagogy of teacher education. Educational Researcher, 28(4), 4–17. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X028004004
  • Lin, W., Yin, H., & Liu, Z. (2022). The roles of transformational leadership and growth mindset in teacher professional development: The mediation of teacher self-efficacy. Sustainability, 14(11), 6489. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14116489
  • Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. SAGE Publications.
  • Mantai, L. (2019). “Feeling more academic now”: Doctoral stories of becoming an academic. Australian Educational Researcher, 46(1), 137–153. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-018-0283-x
  • Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications.
  • Nowell, L. S., Norris, J. M., White, D. E., & Moules, N. J. (2017). Thematic analysis: Striving to meet the trustworthiness criteria. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406917733847
  • Onyefulu, C., Madalinska-Michalak, J., & Bavli, B. (2022). Teachers’ motivation to choose teaching and remain in the profession: A comparative mixed methods study in Jamaica, Poland and Turkey. Power and Education, 15(1), 37–65. https://doi.org/10.1177/17577438221109907
  • Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research and evaluation methods (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
  • Richter, D., Kleinknecht, M., & Gröschner, A. (2019). What motivates teachers to participate in professional development? An empirical investigation of motivational orientations and the uptake of formal learning opportunities. Teaching and Teacher Education, 86, 102929. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2019.102929
  • Rushton, E. A. C., Rawlings Smith, E., Steadman, S., & Towers, E. (2023). Understanding teacher identity in teachers’ professional lives: A systematic review of the literature. Review of Education, 11(2), e3417. https://doi.org/10.1002/rev3.3417
  • Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2020). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation from a self-determination theory perspective: Definitions, theory, practices, and future directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 61, 101860. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2020.101860
  • Sachs, J. (2005). Teacher education and the development of professional identity: Learning to be a teacher. In P. Denicolo & M. Kompf (Eds.), Connecting policy and practice: Challenges for teaching and learning in schools and universities (pp. 5–21). Routledge.
  • Schachter, R. E., Gerde, H., & Hatton-Bowers, H. (2019). Guidelines for selecting professional development for early childhood teachers. Early Childhood Education Journal, 47, 395–408. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-019-00942-8
  • Schön, D. A. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. Basic Books.
  • Schön, D. A. (1987). Educating the reflective practitioner: Toward a new design for teaching and learning in the professions. Jossey-Bass.
  • Simsek-Rackelmann, T., Kibar, E. P., Aybek, S., & Okan, Z. (2024). A practice turn in teacher education in Turkey: Is a balanced practicum at risk? European Journal of Teacher Education, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619768.2024.2337631
  • Smith, J., Billot, J., Clouder, L., & King, V. (2019). Juggling competing activities: Academic staff as doctoral candidates. Higher Education Research & Development, 39(3), 591–605. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2019.1685945
  • Smith, J. A., Flowers, P., & Larkin, M. (2009). Interpretative phenomenological analysis: Theory, method and research. SAGE.
  • UNESCO. (2020). Global Education Monitoring Report 2020: Inclusion and education: All means all. UNESCO. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000373721
  • Van Manen, M. (2016). Phenomenology of practice: Meaning-giving methods in phenomenological research and writing. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315422657
  • Zeichner, K. (2010). Rethinking the connections between campus courses and field experiences in college and university-based teacher education. Journal of Teacher Education, 61(1–2), 89–99. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022487109347671
  • Zhang, H., Lyu, X., & Qiu, Y. (2024). Effective teacher professional development and its influencing factors: A cross-national comparison of the United States, China, Finland, and Singapore. Journal of Teacher Education, 75(5), 502–515. https://doi.org/10.1177/00224871241254779
  • Zhang, X., Admiraal, W., & Saab, N. (2022). Teacher autonomous motivation for continuous professional development: The relationship with perceived workplace conditions. Teachers and Teaching, 28(8), 909–924. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2022.2137128
There are 45 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Higher Education Studies (Other)
Journal Section Research Article
Authors

Ferzan Atay 0000-0001-7412-8646

Submission Date November 3, 2025
Acceptance Date December 17, 2025
Publication Date December 30, 2025
DOI https://doi.org/10.17244/eku.1816770
IZ https://izlik.org/JA54LP23YG
Published in Issue Year 2025 Volume: 21 Issue: 2

Cite

APA Atay, F. (2025). Bridging Theory and Practice: Turkish In-Service EFL Teachers’ Motivations and Experiences in Graduate Education in an Underresearched Context. Eğitimde Kuram Ve Uygulama, 21(2), 248-269. https://doi.org/10.17244/eku.1816770