Factors Affecting Teachers' Participation in Professional Learning Activities
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FACTORS AFFECTING TEACHERS’ PARTICIPATION IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES IN TURKEY A Dissertation Proposal Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School at the University of Missouri In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy by ADEM BAYAR Dr. Peggy Placier, Dissertation Advisor May 2013 © Copyright by Adem Bayar 2013 All Rights Reserved The undersigned, appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School, have examined the dissertation entitled FACTORS AFFECTING TEACHERS’ PARTICIPATION IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES IN TURKEY Presented by Adem Bayar, A candidate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, And hereby certify that, in their opinion, it is worthy of acceptance. _________________________________________________________ Associate Professor Dr. Peggy Placier _________________________________________________________ Professor Dr. Joe Donaldson _________________________________________________________ Assistant Professor Dr. Sarah Diem _________________________________________________________ Assistant Professor Dr. Eileen Bjornstrom …… To My Family ACKNOWLEDEGMENTS I know there are not enough words to show my thanks to all of you for your help along my successful journey. However, I will say a few words. First, I would like to express my deepest thanks to Dr. Peggy Placier, my advisor, for her great guidance, mentorship, encouragement, and kindness. She sacrificed her time to encourage and guide me in developing my research and completing my dissertation. She was always there for me whenever I struggled with my professional and personal lives. She is more than just an advisor; more like a second mom. Thank you very much for providing me the opportunity to fulfill my dreams… Next, I would like to thank Dr. Joe F. Donaldson, who helped me from the first day of my graduate education/dissertation to the last. Particularly, I will never forget his guidance and encouragement in helping me frame my dissertation proposal. He was always available for me. Thank you very much for everything, Dr. Donaldson. You are a great person... I also would like to express my appreciation to Dr. Sarah Diem, who enhanced my understanding in education. She always supported me, and her smile brightened my journey. I will never forget your support and smiling face… Furthermore, I would like to extend a special thanks to Dr. Eileen Bjornstrom, who advised me specifically on my methodology and data analysis. Her expertise and insight in quantitative research design and statistical analysis provided me with useful suggestions and helped me to develop a strong, reliable quantitative research project. She added more than enough to my professional development and my dissertation. Thank you ii very much for all your kindness and help… Additionally, I would like to thank to my former committee member Dr. Jeffrey Brooks, who always supported me when he was at University of Missouri. I am fortunate to have known him both personally and professionally. Thank you very much for your constructive comments and helpful suggestions. A sincere thank you must be offered to my government. Without their financial support, the opportunity to study in the United States might not have been possible. I also would like to thank to Dr. Bayram Cetin, Mahmut Aydin and Metin Kut who helped me realize my dream. You are unforgettable people. I will never forget all of your support. Without you, I know that getting a PhD in the United States would be little more than a dream. Additionally, I would like to thank Mustafa Camsari, who helped me make 600 paper copies of my survey after the feedback from my pilot study indicated that online surveys would not be well received by the teachers in Osmaniye. His generous donation of time and copy services was integral to my successful survey administration. In regards to my survey implementation, I am very grateful to the Directorate of National Education of Osmaniye for granting me permission to conduct my survey with the teachers of the Center district. I am especially very thankful to Fahri Calik, who is the Director of National Education of Osmaniye and Ramazan Ozturk, who works at the Directorate of National Education of Osmaniye. Both of them facilitated the process of my survey implementation. Furthermore, I would like to thank the principals and assistant principals at the participating elementary schools in the Center district for allowing the survey administration and the teachers for participating in it. The statistical iii data collected from this survey revealed interesting research findings. Therefore, without all of your help and willingness, I really do not know how I would have conducted my study. Moreover, I am personally grateful for two great people (and colleagues) in my life…Dr. James Howard Kerns and MaryShannon Williams. Dr. James Howard Kerns, my adopted elder brother, supported me and was always there to see me through any difficulties. Also, I really appreciate MaryShannon Williams, my best friend, who sacrificed her time for me; editing my dissertation while she was busy working on her PhD. I really do not know how I would have overcome the difficulties in my life and finished my dissertation in such a short time without both of you. Thank you very much for everything. Honestly, you are gift to me from God… Additionally, I would like to thank Helene “Mama Dig” and JJ “Bop” Williams, my adopted aunt and uncle for their support and encouragement. They welcomed me into a special new family in the US, and I will be forever indebted to them. Finally, I would be remiss, if I did not thank my family. They are the most important people to me, not just for my dissertation, but in every aspect of my life. That is why, I extend my greatest thanks to them. Your unconditional love gives me a glimpse of Heaven to come. Sadly my journey in the US took me away from home and caused me to miss some important family events. However, through it all, you supported me with great patience each step of the way. Additionally, you taught me the benefits of teamwork. I know that without you I could never have completed my research in such a short time. There are no words to communicate to you just how thankful I am and how much I love all of you. Thank you for everything. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDEGMENTS .................................................................................................... ii LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................................... ix LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................. xi ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................. xii CHAPTER I - INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... 1 Background of the Problem .............................................................................................................. 1 Statement of the Problem .................................................................................................................. 3 Purpose of the Study ........................................................................................................................... 6 Design of the Study .............................................................................................................................. 6 Research Questions ............................................................................................................................. 7 Rationale for the Choice of Topic .................................................................................................... 8 Theoretical Framework of the Study .............................................................................................. 9 The Importance of Study ................................................................................................................ 10 Limitations of the Study .................................................................................................................. 10 Assumptions of the Study ............................................................................................................... 11 Definition of Terms .......................................................................................................................... 11 Summary ............................................................................................................................................ 12 Organization of the Remaining Chapters ................................................................................... 13 CHAPTER II - LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................ 14 Purpose and Organization of the Literature Review ................................................................ 14 Definition of Professional Development ...................................................................................... 14 Growth of Professional Development ........................................................................................... 16 v Theories Explaining Participation in Professional Development .......................................... 18 1. The Theory of Reasoned Action (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975) ................................................ 19 2. Recruitment Paradigm (Rubenson, 1977) ...............................................................................