The Floor Is (Y)Ours: Auxiliary Staff Voices Their Persona

Abstract

The current study investigated the perspectives of auxiliary staff regarding their profession. This study used a holistic multiple‐case study design and a qualitative research method. The sample consisted of 45 auxiliary staff who worked in various K12 public schools in the central districts of a city in Turkey and voluntarily participated in the study. The study's participants, which was designed using a case study design, consisted of 45 auxiliary staff working in 11 K12 public schools in the central districts of a province in Turkey who voluntarily participated in the study. A maximum variation sampling strategy, a purposeful sampling technique, was employed for sample selection. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with each participant to gather data for this study. An inductive content analysis method was used to analyze the collected data, and the findings were interpreted accordingly. The results revealed that auxiliary staff perform multiple roles, such as sanitation, kitchen duties, environmental monitoring, administrative tasks, and technical work. Moreover, the auxiliary staff perceived that their various roles contributed to the overall well‐being of the school community in schools.