Influential Factors in Classifying Professionalism Levels of Teachers in Turkey

Abstract

Teaching is a profession that requires professionalism. Professionalism is considered as a concept related to the improvement of teachers’ work quality, professional standards and public image. The development of professionalism depends on the identification of variables that may be associated with it. Current study aims to determine the order of importance of the influential factors in classifying teachers’ professionalism levels. For this purpose, data were collected from 500 teachers working in a city with metropolitan status in Central Anatolia. In the research, the Teacher Professionalism Scale was used to determine the professionalism levels of teachers, and the Happiness Scale was used to determine the level of happiness, one of the predictive variables. In the research; the data on the predictive variables were collected with the personal information form prepared by the researchers. Artificial neural networks were used in data analysis. In data analysis, 1000 different artificial neural network models were established for each sub-dimension and total score of professionalism. The importance mean of each predictor variable in classifying the professionalism sub-dimensions and total score was calculated in all models and the importance ranking of the variables was obtained. According to the findings obtained from the research, the level of happiness is determined as the most effective variable in classifying the professionalism total score, occupational awareness, contribution to the organization and emotional labor sub-dimensions. It was determined that the level of satisfaction with school is the most effective variable in classifying the personal development sub-dimension. Gender is the least effective variable in classifying the total score of teachers' professionalism; seniority is the least effective variable in classifying personal development and emotional labor sub-dimensions. In addition, it was determined that the weekly course load has the least effect in classifying the sub-dimensions of occupational awareness and contribution to the institution. Suggestions were presented in line with the findings obtained from the research.