When and How Teachers Become Competent Experts: Case of Geography Teachers

Abstract

Teachers start their professional careers in similar condi-tions, as novice teachers. However, not every teacher attains the level of competent expertise in their professional lives. In this study, teachers’ process of being competent professionals; their career developments and how they learn the profession during their careers are examined in the case of geography teachers in Turkey. 25 geography teachers working in different school types across Turkey participated in the study. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews. Content analysis was carried out by using QDA Miner Lite 2.0.5 quali-tative analysis software. According to the results of the study, it was found that the majority of the participants did not make an easy induction to the profession and they generally learned about their profession from their role models (i.e. teachers from their own school years) and through their own experienc-es. Furthermore, the participants’ motivations for professional development are usually low and their professional develop-ment is generally not supported by different stakeholders. It is observed that the participants have usually not been able to reach the level of competent professionalism. However, they seemed to had completed three career stages: Novitiate, transi-tion to expertise, expertise.

Keywords

• Coğrafya öğretmenleri
• kariyer gelişimi
• profesyonelleşme
• yetkin uzmanlık