The Study into Teachers’ Value Perceptions in Terms of Various Variables

Öğretmenlerin Değer Tercihlerinin Bazı Değişkenler Açısından İncelenmesi

Abstract

The aim of this research is to investigate if value judgments of teachers differ in terms of a various variables such as gender, working years and marital status. Research sampling has basic two variables; dependent and independent. The independent variables are teachers’ genders; working years and marital status. Dependent variables are teachers’ humanistic values (power, success, pleasure, stimulation, self-control, universality, hospitability, conventionality, adaption, security). In the research, those teachers’ humanistic values differ depending on variables such as gender, marital status and working years were searched. The population of the study consisted of teachers working in Konya in 2009 and the number is 5311. Since elementary school teachers have similar characteristics, random sampling method was applied. 482 elementary school teachers that were randomly chosen composed the study group. In the research, a personal information form was used to collect teachers’ personal information. The Value List developed by Schwartz (1992) was used to teachers’ value preferences which include 57 values. After the participants read 57 values and explanation given in the parentheses, they ticked the values ranging between 1 (contradicting with my values) and 7 (the most important) depending their own value principles on the scale. 57 values were grouped under 16 groups. These sub-dimensions are power, success, pleasure, stimulation, self-control, universality, hospitality, conventionality, adaption and safety. In the research by Kuşdil and Kağıtçıbaşı (2000), reliability coefficient concerning value dimensions was computed. Reliability coefficient for value dimension was between 0.51 and 0.77. The statistical analyses that were used are: t-test was used to analyze the difference between teachers’ humanistic value average scores and significance control. One way anova was used to find out the difference between teachers’ working years and marital status and their humanistic value dimensions. Tukey test technique was used to find the significant group among other groups. In educational researches, mostly significance level is 0, 05 (Balcı, 2004). For this reason, the significance level in this research is 0, 05. The aim of the research is significant to contribute to the field considering the subject. Because the things that bring people together are collective values. Shared values have great importance in constituting societies and developing them (Kızılçelik, 1994). Thus, every day more and more researches are conducted on this subject by educators (Özsoy, 2007). Values are representations that are accepted as guiding principles and that motivate people (Rohan, 2000). In other words, values are measures and standards to define goodness, rights and nice (Özkalp and Kırel, 2003). Humanistic values working people have help a strong institutional culture and working ambiance develop. In institutions where humanistic values are dominated, staff needs are better understood which help their potential and successes appear. And in these places people give more importance to their feelings (Stallard and Pankau, 2008). Teachers have important roles to discover natural talents and to realize students’ aims (Jackson, Boostrom and Hansen, 1998). Especially, teachers’ values are very important considering their positions. Teachers’ roles are not only consistent with their job. Their roles cover whole school. So, teachers should see students as a person and give value. They should try to help them learn and improve considering their social and cultural differences, their interests and practices. And they should perform similar behavior that they want students to have since there are many researches showing that teacher values affect student behaviors (Brophy & Good, 1986; Dickinson, 1990; Gözütok, 1995). Therefore, it is important to understand teacher values and describe. As result of statistical analyses, these findings were found. Female teachers’ average scores concerning universality, hospitality, adaption and safety were significantly higher than male teachers’ average scores. Depending on this result, it could be mentioned that female teachers preferred values such as uni versality, hospitality, adaption and safety more than male teachers. There was no significant difference between gender and other average score values. Considering analyses concerning marital status, there was a significant difference among all dimensions except power dimension. Considering working year, teachers’ value preferences showed significant differences in terms of power, success, pleasure, stimulation, self-control, universality, hospitality, conventionality, adaption, safety. In general, teachers working between 1 and 5 years had higher value dimensions than others. Depending on research findings, teachers’ behaviors inside and outside the institutions can be predicted according to their genders, working year and marital status. And institutional culture can be better understood. This research can be carried out with different sampling and different school types.

Özet

Bu araştırmanın amacı, öğretmenlerin değerler tercihlerinin bazı değişkenlere göre farklılaşıp farklılaşmadığını saptamaktır. Araştırma, ilişkisel tarama modelindedir. Modelde, bağımlı ve bağımsız olmak üzere iki temel değişken vardır. Öğretmenlerin; cinsiyetleri, kıdem yılları, medeni durumları araştırma modelinin bağımsız değişkenlerini; insani değer boyutları (güç, başarı, hazcılık, uyarılma, özdenetim, evrensellik, yardımseverlik, geleneksellik, uyum, güvenlik) ise araştırma modelinin bağımlı değişkenlerini oluşturmaktadır. Araştırmanın evreni, 2009 yıllında Konya ilinde çalışan toplam 5311 ilköğretim öğretmenidir. Bu evren arasından tesadüfî küme örnekleme yoluyla seçilen toplam 482 ilköğretim öğretmeni, araştırmanın çalışma grubunu oluşturmuştur.Araştırmanın sonuçlarına göre kadın öğretmenlerin evrensellik, yardımseverlik, uyum ve güvenlik boyutlarının puan ortalaması erkek öğretmelerin puan ortalamasından anlamlı bir şekilde yüksektir. Medeni durum değişkenine göre güç boyutu hariç tüm boyutlarda anlamlı bir farklılaşma gözlenmiştir. Kıdem değişkenine göre ise öğretmenlerin değer tercihleri tüm değer boyutlarında anlamlı düzeyde farklılık göstermiştir.