Determination of teachers' competitive attitude levels and examination of faktors affecting professional competition

Competition is a phenomenon that has begun to make itself felt more and more in educational organizations, as in all other organizations. In this study, it was aimed to determine the competitive attitude levels of teachers and to examine the factors affecting their professional competition. At the same time, in the research; It is also aimed to examine whether the competitive attitude levels of teachers differ significantly according to various independent variables and how professional competition reflects on school, teachers, parents, students and professional practices. In the context of this purpose, a mixed method in which quantitative and qualitative research methods are used together, and an explanatory sequential design as a design were used in order to obtain more comprehensive findings about the problem situation, to investigate various aspects of the study, and to have a clearer perspective for the researcher. Descriptive survey model was used in the quantitative part of the research, and qualitative content analysis was used in the qualitative part. The sample of the study consists of 401 pre-school, primary, secondary and high school teachers working in public and private schools in the city center of Düzce in the 2022-2023 academic year, determined by using the easily accessible sampling method. In order to support the quantitative data in the research, the qualitative study group consists of 16 teachers in the universe determined by the maximum variety and criterion sampling, which is one of the purposive sampling methods. In order to collect quantitative data in the research, the Personal Information Form designed to determine the demographic variables of the participants and the Competitiveness of Teachers Scale developed by Kahveci (2021) were used to determine the professional competitiveness levels of teachers. In order to collect qualitative data, a Semi-Structured Interview Form, which also includes the demographic information of the participants, was used. In the study, it was determined that the professional competition perception levels of the teachers were at the moderate level of indecisiveness. In the study, a significant difference was found between teachers' perceptions of professional competition and their gender in favor of male teachers. In the research, teachers work with professional competition; No significant difference was found between school type, school level, average socioeconomic levels of parents in schools according to Turkish conditions, age ranges and professional seniority of teachers and professional competition. At the same time, there was no significant difference between the number of teachers, the number of students and the type of secondary education in the schools where teachers work, and professional competition. In addition, the data obtained from the qualitative data shows that classroom teaching is in the first place and pre-school teaching is in the second place as the branch with the most intense competition. Factors that create competition; personality traits, need to be appreciated, parent profile, school environment, social media posts, factors originating from students, professional characteristics, fear of being labeled, obtaining professional satisfaction and parental pressure. professional competition; positive reflection of teachers on their professional practices is less frequent than negative reflections, and its reflection on parents is positive; While it is seen in the form of change and innovation and self-sacrifice, in a negative sense; the teacher's reflection on the students, in the form of comparing children with jealousy and restlessness, in a positive sense; in increasing academic success and providing motivation, in a negative sense; In the form of superior performance expectation, disappointment and competitive behaviors, the relations between teachers in a positive sense: in the form of increasing the sharing among them, in the negative sense; It is seen that it is reflected in the deterioration of relations between colleagues, the belittlement of colleagues, hiding activities and imitating each other in activities.