Preschool education teachers' evaluations about the problems experienced in the education process and their sources

With this research, it is aimed to reveal the evaluations of preschool teachers about the problems encountered in the education process and the sources of the problems. This research employed the basic qualitative research design. The participants of the study consist of 19 pre-school education teachers working in public and private schools providing pre-school education in Eskişehir, Turkey. The main research data were collected through semi-structured interviews with teachers. In addition, the data collected from the students' parents through the demographic information form, and researcher diaries were used. The data were analysed through descriptive and content analysis. The findings reveal that the most frequent and common problems are focusing attention, maintaining attention and exhibiting behaviours in accordance with classroom rules. Besides, it is observed that male students experience such problems more often than female students. When teachers compare their classes and students in the past years with their current classes and students, they think that there is a significant increase in the problems experienced in the education process over the years. The problems experienced in preschool education occur more frequently and commonly in public schools compared to private preschool education institutions. The most significant sources underlying the problems arising during the education process are parents, students' prevalent habits of using technology, quality of teachers, quality of educational environment, preschool curricula, student characteristics and changing life habits.