Examination of information technologies guidance teachers in terms of role perceptions, technology coaching and professional problems

Today, the importance of information technologies (IT) in education is rapidly increasing. With the presence of technology in education, there may be a need for individuals who can guide in this regard. At this point, it is understandable that ICT teachers are suitable for this role due to their job responsibilities. With this research, it was aimed to determine the relationship between the role perceptions, technology coaching, and professional problems of ICT teachers in schools in order to reveal how ICT teachers, who are in a position of need in schools, can be more beneficial to the institution, students and teachers. Mixed method was used in the study. In the quantitative research part, two scales were applied to 253 ICT teachers to measure the role perceptions and technology coaching levels of ICT teachers. Scale results were analyzed with SPSS. In the qualitative research part, two separate semi-structured interview forms prepared by the researcher were used to be applied to ICT teachers and administrative management-branch teachers. The interviews were conducted with a total of 80 teachers, including ICT teachers, administrative management and branch teachers. Interviews were conducted face-to-face via audio recording or online conference. As a result of the analysis, answers to 10 research questions were sought. As a result, when the technology coaching levels of ICT teachers are analyzed, it is revealed that the averages of the participants whose branch is IT teacher are higher than the other branches. It was seen that the average of role perception and technology coaching levels of the ICT teachers participating in the research were high and the difference in terms of gender was significant in favor of women. As the common point of the opinions received from ICT teachers, administrative management and branch teachers about the professional problems of ICT teachers, it was determined that the most prominent professional problems of ICT teachers are the lack of clear task boundaries, insufficient technical equipment support, high expectations outside of their duties, demotivating working hours and conditions, and perception of administrative work as their duties. The lack of an official staff and the inability to draw the boundaries of duties may cause the emergence of professional problems of ICT teachers. With the regulations that can be made in this regard, it can be thought that the professional problems of teachers who work as ICT teachers can be prevented.