Investigation of the relationship between high school English teachers' professional professionalism and perceptions of English self-efficiency

The aim of the research is to determine the level of relationship between secondary school English teachers' self-efficacy perceptions and professionalism. The study was conducted with a simple random sampling method and was conducted with high school English teachers in 8 districts of Istanbul in the 2022-2023 academic year. 220 English teachers participated in the research voluntarily. English self-efficacy scale and professional professionalism scale were used for the teachers participating in the research. In the analysis of the data, frequency and percentage statistics were used to determine the demographic characteristics of the study participants. The relational survey model, which is one of the quantitative research methods, was preferred in the study. The normal distribution of scale scores at demographic variable levels was examined. Skewness and kurtosis values were calculated while examining the normality assumption. Since there are independent variables with two levels, the independent samples t test was used when the scale scores were normally distributed at these variable levels, and the Mann Whitney U test was used when they were not normally distributed. Since there is an independent variable with more than two levels in the seniority variable, analysis of variance was used when the scale scores were normally distributed at these variable levels, and Kruskal Wallis H test was used when they were not normally distributed. In line with the findings of the study, it was observed that the levels of secondary school English teachers were similar in terms of personal development and professional sensitivity, regardless of gender. In the dimension of contribution to the institution and self-efficacy perceptions, it is seen that male teachers have higher professionalism levels of contribution to the institution and self-efficacy levels than female teachers. Teachers' self-efficacy perceptions and professionalism levels are similar depending on the type of faculty they graduated from. When we look at the seniority variable, teachers' personal development, contribution to the institution and effort levels are at similar levels regardless of the working period. According to the level of education received by teachers, it has been determined that there are significant differences in personal development levels between undergraduate, master's and doctoral graduates. It has been determined that there is a significant relationship between secondary school English teachers' self-efficacy perceptions and professional professionalism, and it can be said that as the level of teachers' professional professionalism increases, their self-efficacy perception levels increase significantly in the learning-teaching process. In the light of the findings of the study, research can be carried out on the personal development of teachers, which is determined as the lowest level in the field of professional professionalism, and as a result of the low level of professional professionalism of teachers graduated from the faculty of education, it can be suggested that studies be carried out to develop professional professionalism in the field of teacher education. As a result of the higher subject area and material development self-efficacy of master's degree English teachers obtained in the findings, it is recommended that the relevant authorities carry out supportive studies to encourage teachers to pursue postgraduate education. Since a positive relationship was detected between the increase in the professionalism levels of English teachers and their self-efficacy perception levels, practices to increase teachers' professional professionalism perceptions can be studied.