Determination of level of initatives that elementary school?s teachers take in instructional process (Elazığ-Muş-Şırnak)

In Turkey, as time passes, teaching professions become more and more centralized. Curriculum, materials, books are provided for teachers by Education Ministry and teachers use them in all teaching process. Of course, this make easy for teachers. Well, how does this convenience effect initiatives and decisions taking related with their implementation of teachers. Are teachers going to be like technician workers who implement central decisions? It can be said that taking initiative play critique role in teaching professions. And aim of this study is to determine level of taking these initiatives of teachers in their teaching professions.To determine these levels are important because there is risk about deskilling of teachers by the central policy based on restriction of developing materials and strategies shaped by teachers? decisions, questioning and initiatives. Assumption of this thesis acted on that the way being better teacher is not to follow procedures in teacher?s books and activities sheets and test books, on the contrary, most important things in instructions are to take decisions and initiatives in critical points occurred during teaching process. To say in another way, thesis acted on that teachers should be profession rather than technician who implement others? decisions.In this study, qualitative method was used. A survey prepared by David Kauffman was translated in Turkish and used as data collection instrument. The survey was examined by experts in the field in terms of language and content and some additions were made regarding recommendations from these experts. The survey administered at Elazığ, Muş and Şırnak on 452 primary and secondary school teachers. In data analysis process; frequencies, percentages, means, chi-square test, independent samples T-test, one-way Anova, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Mann Whitney U tests were used.In data analyze, it was found that teachers use materials, especially teacher books, in their instruction very often. Also they believe in advantages and efficacy of materials but they do not find them adequate and for this reason they, sometimes, make additions and changes in contents of materials. Another found in analyze was about detailing of how and what would be teaching in curriculum materials. Teachers think that materials define more details of what and how would be teaching in class. Besides, teachers, although, believe in advantages and efficacy of materials, they, at the same time, say that using of these materials are seen compulsive by them. One of other interesting findings in analyze was contradiction of teachers? thoughts about being limited by materials and freedom on initiatives. Teachers feel to be limited, when using these materials, in creativity, in taking own decisions, teaching in own ways etc.., however, their thought about level of directions and freedom about initiatives given them in their job is ?as it should be?.It can be concluded that teachers, so ever, think materials limit them in some aspects, they are, generally, content with their situations. Accordingly, teachers did not see this situation as their deskilling.Key Words: Initiative of teachers, Teacher?s books, Opinions of teachers.