Motivation and expectations: EFL teachers reporting from Turkey

Abstract

Public schools in Turkey are state property and are managed by principals appointed by the Ministry of National Education (MONE). It is very well-known that institutional culture is ubiquitous and important for one’s success in career development. How such culture is reflected by English teachers working in Turkish public schools is the concern of this paper. Twenty English language teachers volunteered to be data sources in stating their motivation and expectations from their institutions. They were asked to complete and elaborate on two sentences in a semi-structured interview: (a) I work for a Ministry of National Education school because…; and (b) What I expect from my institution is …. The answers to these items were analysed qualitatively and quantitatively, revealing that most of the participant teachers prefer working at public schools due to lack of better alternatives. They also expect mostly financial support from the Ministry, not only for their service but also for improving the infrastructure of schools to teach English more effectively.