Determining the perceptions of elementary school English teachers on subject area competencies

The aim of this study is to determine the perceptions of elementary school English teachers on subject area competencies and to identify whether their perceptions of competencies differ or not in terms of some variables. In this study relational scanning model was used. The subject area competencies of English teachers determined by Ministry of Education (MEB) were taken into account while preparing the scale of English teachers? subject area competencies for data collection. The first part of the scale involves five questions about personal information and the second part has twenty-six questions about English teachers? subject area competencies. The universe of the study includes 437 permanent English teachers working at state and private schools in the city center and the towns of Zonguldak. Totally 235 teachers could be accessed and among them only 195?s questionnaires were evaluated. Frequency, percentage, arithmetical mean, t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to analyze the data obtained from the study. According to the findings of the study, the perceptions of English teachers on subject area competencies were found quite high. According to seniority and taking an in-service course, no significant difference was found in any of the areas of competencies. According to gender, in Development of language skills (DBG) and Cooperation with the school, family and society (OATİY) competency areas, in favor of female teachers; according to university graduation ,in Monitoring and Evaluation of Language Development (DGID) competency area, in favor of the graduates of educational faculty and according to the school they are working, in Development of language skills (DBG ) competency area, in favor of private school teachers significant differences were found. Based on the results of the study some recommendations were made.