A case study on the problems of teacher training system based on the opinions of faculty members, school administrators, teachers, and unionists in North Cyprus

Abstract

The aim of this study is to establish the problems in training teachers who will be working at primary schools in the North Cyprus based on the opinions of faculty members, school administrators, teachers, and unionists. Using the qualitative research approach, open-ended, semi-structured questions developed by the authors were directed to the participants in order to establish the “teacher training problems” and to obtain data. The study group of the research was made up of six primary school teachers of the Ministry of National Education of North Cyprus, six school principals, six unionists from the administrative board of the Cyprus Turkish Teachers Union, and six faculty members from universities in the North Cyprus, which makes up a total of 24 people. The data obtained were analyzed using the inductive content analysis technique. The research revealed problems such as the inadequacy of application lessons in the teacher training system in the North Cyprus, the existence of selecting teacher candidates without a control or criteria, inadequacy of the pedagogical formation education, existence of teacher candidates entitled to get into permanent teaching positions after working as temporary teachers for 36 months, problems of supervision during the years of candidacy, appointing teachers for political interests, a teacher training process becoming a business for profit, inadequacy of faculty members in developing themselves, and in-service trainings not being implemented in a planned manner. In conclusion, recommendations were developed for educational faculties and the Ministry of National Education towards solving the problems of the system.