This section of the chapter concerns the in-service education processes of the early childhood education teachers, the organisational aspects of the continuing professional development and the incentives for participation in continuing professional development activities in Turkey.

Organisational Aspects

The continuing professional development and further education and development of the teachers (excluding higher education staff) in Turkey are governed and executed in accordance with Articles 48 and 49 of the Basic Law of National Education (Milli Eğitim Temel Kanunu), with 214th Article of the 657th Law and the article 312 of the Presidency Decree  as well as the regulation concerning in-service trainings of the Ministry of National Education. The need for the in-service education is identified by the Ministry by evaluating the developments in science and technology, administrative reports, inspection reports, demands of the personnel, research results, advices of the boards concerned, questionnaire survey results,  action plans and other relevant documents of the centralized bodies. The General Directorate of Teacher Training and Development and General Directorate of Human Resources plan and implement the annual programs nationally, and Province Level National Education Directorates plan and implement the annual program locally. By means of the in-service training programs, teachers of state schools are provided with courses concerning; candidateship, induction, knowledge polishing, development and preparation for upper posts, field change, pedagogic formation, foreign language, computer, special education and personal development. 

Incentives for Participation in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Activities

Continuing professional development for teachers begin with the candidateship process of the teachers in a comprehensive way. Offered first in 2016, incoming teachers are offered mentorship via seminars given by the veteran teachers within the program for candidate teacher education in the Ministry. Within this program, candidate teachers are observed in the course hours, provided with preparation and evaluation tasks in and outside the classroom as a part of an intensive training period. With the supervision of the veteran teachers, candidate teachers are expected to cover seminal books and materials about their professions, watch movies that possess an aesthetic quality and attend seminars and conferences to update their academic competencies. Those activities aim at equipping state teachers with the necessary skills, knowledge, attitude and values that are commonly acknowledged to be acquired by primary and secondary teachers.

In-service provisions are planned and implemented in line with the regulation “In-service Training Regulation” published on Official Newspaper numbered 22252 on 8 April 1995 and the regulation “Centers for In-service Training Regulation” published on Official Newspaper numbered 22161 on 2007/57 as well as Ministry’s Declarations numbered 2008/73. Professional development activities are identified by an online survey questionnaire administered to the teachers. The results yielded are shared with the Ministry, Provencal directorates so that annual in-service programs can be planned and designed. Centers for in-service provisions are designed centrally and actualized in certain institutions for in-service such as Ankara, Aksaray, Erzurum, Mersin, Rize-Çayeli, İstanbul and Yalova-Esenköy. Local training programs are mostly carried out in teachers’ houses (hostels for teachers) and schools. Via CPD training activities such as changing the field, pedagogical proficiency, foreign language, computer, special education and so forth, teachers are provided with training on being candidate, renewal of information, development and preparation for higher duties. In-service training activities are planned and executed by the Directorate for Teacher Education and Development at central level and by the Governors' Offices at the local level. At the end of the CPD trainings, the participants are given a questionnaire to monitor and evaluate the educational activities.

General Statistical Information Concerning the Central/Local CPD Trainings 2009-2018

(*)The data concerned include the CPD training event merely for teachers. 

(***)  In-service training hours per teacher =1.047.477/800.000*30=39,3

(***)  Number of teachers in 2018 is 920.524. In-service training hours per teacher = 1.181.246 / 920.524 * 30 = 38.5 hours

(****) Number of teachers in 2019 is 907.567. In-service training hours per teacher = 1.593.998/946 = 32,4

****** This data is repetitive in that teachers may attend more than one seminar.

****** This data relates to individual teacher's participation without any repetition.

In line with a protocol signed by MoNE and universities, teachers or administrators of the MoNE who are accepted to academic organizations such as congresses, symposiums, panels and similar events with a paper or poster presentation are supported financially by their institution.

Development activities at school are governed in accordance with the Regulation for Primary Education Institutions (İlköğretim Kurumları Yönetmeliği). Within this scope, three seminars are held per year for vocational development of the teachers and the participation of these seminars is compulsory (At the beginning of the educational year, within the educational year and at the end of the educational year). On the other hand, MoNE has a tendency to use the e-learning methods for the vocational development of the teachers in a more widespread manner. The Ministry embarked on the studies for the training of the central and local personnel to have them get equipped with the rapidly developing distance education technologies, both online and face to face models covered by 2005. Distance education as well as face to face trainings has been offered by the Ministry. All of those studies are coordinated by the General Directorate of Teacher Education and Development and the affiliated Ministry directorates, universities and civic associations, cooperation of whom has already resulted in various preparation studies and project. Participation to the in-service-training activities (except primary education seminaries) is not compulsory. However, in the placement to some positions, in-service training related with that position may be reason of preference. Additionally, in moving up the steps of career, in service and upper level trainings of the teachers are also credited (Basic Law of National Education/Milli Eğitim Temel Kanunu, Article 43).