Analysis of secondary school teachers' views on work-life balance

The aim of this research is to analyze of the secondary school teachers' views on work-life balance. In that study, the case study design of qualitative research method was used. Criterion sampling and maximum diversity of purposive sampling methods were used in that study. Related to the determinated problem, 28 secondary school teachers who working in private and public schools formes as a working group in Çankaya, Elmadağ and Mamak district in Ankara. To provide diversity, the teachers have been selected from schools which they have different socio-economic status. In that study, the basic criteria in the selection of teachers is that thay have at least 3 years of experience. In that research, a half structured interview form developed by the researchers was used to determine the teachers' views on work-life balance. The texts acquired from the interviews were divided into themes and sub-themes determined in accordance with the conceptual framework and the statements were made into tables. Descriptive analysis and content analysis were used in analyzing the data. According to the opinions of the secondary school teachers, the determinants of work-life balance, what teachers to do to provide work-life balance, difficulties in sustaining work-life balance and the results of achieving work-life balance were analyzed. In maintaining work-life balance, the study concluded that there are more than one personal and organizational determinants such as working area, school culture, workload and working hours, economic income, management style of the school administrators, chidcare and experience. It has beeen detected that to maintain the balance, teachers get support from their family members and act in a planned way. Teachers stated that they have more difficulties in maintaining work-life balance, overloading and working hours, school administration and childcare. It is concluded that, to maintain the balance of work-life provides significant benefits for teachers such as happiness, peace, spending time with family, productivity and job satisfaction. According to the results of the research, teachers can be supported by practises aimed at maintaining work-life balance. An understanding, facilitates the teachers' individual and family life, can be made a part of the school culture. At schools, fair, participatory, fiduciary, communication and emphaty-oriented management approach should be prevailed. To practice their professional work at school, suitable working conditions can be created and thus, they can be prevented from bringing works to home. Moreover, extracurricular responsibilities such as administrative affairs and paperwork can be reduced.