Identifying the in-service training needs of the social studies teachers within the context of lifelong learning

Professional Development Needs of Turkish Teachers in an Era of National Reforms

“…One possible reason might be that participating in too much compulsory and low quality training on the curricular and transition system changes has alienated teachers since they do not see the training programs on educational reforms as helpful (Oztaskin, 2010;Yalin, 2001). These results give key feedback to MNE by suggesting that the teaching force sees little potential value in attending short in-service workshops that concentrate on developing stronger content knowledge, since content knowledge development takes a relatively long time and may expose professional weaknesses that teachers are reluctant to reveal.…”

“…For example, Turkish social studies teachers have reported needing training on material and activity development, the use of materials, and contemporary issues in social studies education (Oztaskin, 2010). Turkish teachers who graduated from degree programs other than teacher education have reported training needs regarding preparing yearly plans, preparing for course sessions, using instructional materials, and managing crowded classrooms (Gokce, 2010;Uney, 2006).…”