Become a teacher in the village: A phenomenological study

In the research, it is aimed to determine the perceptions of teachers who come from different cultural and social environments and work in villages, based on their daily experiences. In the research, the meanings attributed by the teachers to being a teacher in the village were tried to be determined through the experiences of the teachers and were made with the method of phenomenology. It consists of 11 classroom teachers who teach in village schools with combined classrooms and reside in the villages where they work. The data were collected with the developed observation and semi-structured interview form. Content analysis technique was used in the analysis of the data. The data were obtained by In Vivo coding, interpreted using categories and themes, and direct quotations from the participants were included. When the important results of the research were examined, it was revealed that the low socio-economic level before the appointment and the economic freedom were effective in choosing the profession, their first days in the village were perceived as a new beginning, and they felt alienated and lonely. Regarding life in the village, it was revealed that the participants could not adequately mix with the village people and isolated themselves from the people. When the school is examined within the scope of teaching life, it has been revealed that the interest of the parents is insufficient and the teachers stay within the boundaries of the school. When examined in terms of village-school-environment interactions, it is revealed that environmental and climatic conditions affect education negatively, the public expects economic support from teachers, education is carried out only by teachers, and teacher behaviors affect the status of the teaching profession. It is seen that all teachers are deficient in the implementation of multi-grade classes, and although teachers show sufficient self-sacrifice academically, they cannot be socially productive.