Turkish teachers' opinions on central examinations

The Turkish education system has witnessed numerous transformations and reforms throughout its historical course. Particularly in recent years, the increase in standardization and centralized assessment in education has become one of the most prominent examples of these changes. In this context, centralized exams play a pivotal role in determining the quality and standards of education. This study aims to comprehensively analyze the reactions (views) of Turkish language teachers towards these critical components of the Turkish education system, along with their perceptions. Central to the research are the general views of Turkish language teachers on the exam system, innovations introduced by the exam, teachers' reactions to these innovations, effects of the exam on students, the quality of exam questions, the relationship between the Turkish course and the exam, and ultimately, views on how well the exam reflects the cognitive and affective characteristics of students. The significance of this study hinges on three main points: Firstly, how centralized exams are evaluated by teachers across various dimensions; secondly, what the positive or negative views on these exams are; and lastly, determining whether centralized exams potentially pose an impediment to the educational process. The fundamental assumption of this research is that the participating Turkish language teachers have answered the research questions sincerely, reflecting their genuine views. However, there are certain limitations to this comprehensive study. Primarily, the sample of the research is solely composed of Turkish language teachers working in Istanbul. Therefore, it's important to note that the findings cannot be directly generalized for teachers in other regions of Turkey or for different education systems. Furthermore, due to pandemic conditions, all research data was collected via online platforms. This collection method has certain restrictions, mainly because a full feedback control could not be performed. In conclusion, this study elucidates the in-depth views of Turkish language teachers on centralized examination systems, providing an extensive analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of this critical component in education.