A Qualitative Research Analysis of Chaotic Circumstances Affecting the Happiness of Teachers

Abstract

In research that is carried out to analyze the effects of chaotic circumstances influenced by the human factor in educational organizations on the happiness of teachers, a situational study pattern, which is a qualitative research method, is used. In the study described in this chapter, that approach was used to study the views of 24 teachers working in different cities in Turkey in the 2018–2019 educational year. Semistructured interview forms were used to collect the data. Of the participants, 71% were women and 29% were men, and 17% of the teachers had 1–5 years of teaching experience, 17% had 6–10 years of experience, 25% had 11–15 years of experience, 12% had 16–20 years of experience, and 29% had at least 21 years of experience. Among the teachers who participated in this research, the proportion who felt happy was found to be quite high (71%). It was found that chaotic circumstances that teachers came across during their first professional appointment mostly arose from environmental–physical, occupational, and sociocultural factors. During that period, teachers mostly resorted to other teachers, school administrators, and their own efforts to help them overcome those chaotic circumstances. As a result, the source of happiness of teachers during their first professional appointment was mostly associated with the student factor. The study also found that chaotic circumstances that teachers experienced during their recent working period centered around subjects related to parents (of their students), social factors, the educational system, students, and economic factors. The teachers mostly resorted to their own efforts to overcome chaotic circumstances they experienced during that period. Another finding was that professional success and student factors significantly influenced the happiness of the teachers.