Identifying the views of Burdur Girls' Teacher Training School graduates on teacher education: A narrative study

The aim of this study is to reveal the opinions and experiences of the graduates of Burdur Girls' Teacher Training School regarding the teacher education process through a narrative-based approach. Girls' teacher training schools, which held a significant place in teacher education in Turkey starting from the early years of the Republic, played a crucial role in expanding educational services, particularly in rural areas. In this context, the professional identity formation of Burdur Girls' Teacher Training School graduates, the pedagogical approaches during their education, their perspectives on the teaching profession, and their evaluations of the education system were examined in this study. At the beginning of the research, a literature review on the subject was conducted, and a semi-structured interview form was prepared for the participants. Expert opinions from academics in the field were consulted during the preparation of this form in order to increase the validity and reliability of the study. Pseudonyms (e.g., T.1, T.2) were used instead of real names of the participating teachers. The study was conducted using the narrative method, which is one of the qualitative research designs. The participants consisted of 10 teachers selected through purposive sampling. The responses given by the participants were categorized under 20 different codes. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using narrative analysis. The findings indicate that the education the graduates received at teacher training schools significantly contributed to their professional lives, that their commitment to and idealism about the teaching profession were strong, yet they expressed critical views regarding the current teacher education system. These results suggest that past experiences in teacher education can provide valuable insights for current educational policies.