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A Phenomenological Investigation of the Effectiveness of the Elementary Teacher Education Program in Turkey

Year: 2021
Type: article
Abstract: This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of the pre-service elementary teacher education program in Turkey. The study aims to explore how well, as perceived by graduates who have begun working as beginning elementary teachers, the program develops the essential qualities for elementary teachers in the 21st century. Employing criterion and maximum variation sampling strategies, 22 in-service elementary teachers participated in the study. Using phenomenological research design, the data were collected through semi-structured in-depth individual interviews, and this process was supported by a document analysis of the elementary teacher education curriculum. The data were analyzed through content analysis method with the help of NVivo 10 software. Regarding the effectiveness of the program, the participants indicated that the program was relatively ‘less adequate’, ‘somewhat adequate’, or ‘more adequate’ for developing the different domains of certain qualities (e.g., students with special needs, differentiation, and professional development, respectively). The results of the study provide policymakers, curriculum developers, and teacher educators with essential insights into how to improve elementary teacher education to better prepare elementary teachers in the search of raising the quality of teachers and improving teacher education. Keywords: Elementary teachers, elementary teacher education program, pre-service teacher education, beginning teachers, phenomenology. REFERENCES Adnot, M., Dee, T., Katz, V., & Wyckoff, J. (2017). Teacher turnover, teacher quality, and student achievement in DCPS. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 39(1), 54-76. Akdoğdu, E., & Uşun, S. (2017). 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Language: English
Subfield: Education
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7220126514
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