Change and motivation in the education system: The case of primary school teachers in Gümüşhane province

Change has always existed and has affected all fields. In today's world, where every second seems to bring about a transformation, it is almost impossible for organizations to maintain a static structure. Social, political, economic, technological, and many other areas are experiencing constant change. In such a continuously evolving and dynamic environment, it is inevitable that educational and school systems are influenced by certain changes and innovations In an era where change is central to all fields, transformation within the educational sector has also become a necessity. Numerous factors influence whether changes in education achieve their intended outcomes, and motivation plays a significant role in this process. Motivation is associated with contextual elements related to cultural and individual tendencies and is defined as the willingness to exert a high level of effort to achieve organizational goals. Many variables affect work motivation, and change is among these factors. This study examines the impact of changes in the Turkish education system on teachers' work motivation. The research was conducted using a phenomenological approach, a qualitative research method, through semi-structured interviews with 20 teachers working in primary schools under the Ministry of National Education in the Şiran district of Gümüşhane Province. While organizational change and work motivation have been extensively studied separately in the literature, there is a scarcity of qualitative research exploring the effect of one variable on the other. One of the aims of this study is to contribute to this gap in the literature. Keywords: Education system, Phenomenological approach, Work motivation, Teacher, Organizational change