Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
HITIT THEOLOGY JOURNAL, cilt.22, sa.2, ss.652-674, 2023 (ESCI)
This study examines the notion of believing in education as a composite concept, positing that it serves as a shield against negative emotions and behaviors. Teachers, who struggle with various adverse emotions and behaviors while striving to nurture capable individuals, rectify societal deficiencies, and instill values of goodness and morality, require a robust defense against professional burnout and detachment from their profession. Hence, it is argued that believing in education equips teachers with the necessary strength. Additionally, the affirmative traits intrinsic to believing in education will form a constructive facet of a teacher's outlook on the process of education and instruction, leading to contentment in their vocation. Believing in education and job satisfaction can be regarded as pivotal constructs instrumental in a teacher's fulfillment of their professional obligations. Revisiting job satisfaction within a sample of teachers and elucidating its relationship with believing in education is of paramount significance in academic discourse. The absence of studies explicating this interconnection in the relevant literature underscores a research lacuna, magnifying the import of this study's discoveries. Furthermore, the inclusion of religious education teachers in the sample group bolsters the study's originality. Religious education should not be misconstrued as a subject where curriculum is methodically dispensed. Instead, it should be recognized as a subject of paramount import in comprehending the existential reality coexistent with the aim of nurturing well-rounded individuals vital for societal morality, unity, and order. Framing the perspective on religious education as a prophetic profession further elucidates the responsibility incumbent on its practitioners. Consequently, instructors of this subject should exhibit greater proficiency relative to their peers in other disciplines, and accord heightened value to their role-model status. The findings of this study will be immensely significant in terms of delineating the parameters requisite for religious education teachers to achieve job satisfaction and demonstrating that these parameters are integral to the construct of believing in education. To this end, the research was executed in an explanatory sequential design, employing a mixed-method approach. For quantitative data collection, non-administrative religious education teachers were approached, resulting in a sample of 181 participants, comprising 106 males and 75 females. Among the sample selected for the quantitative dimension, 18 Religious Culture and Ethics Teachers and 13 Imam Hatip High School Vocational Course Teachers, a total of 31 participants were determined as the working group of the qualitative dimension. The sample group selection employed the criterion sampling method. Quantitative data was gathered using the "Teachers' Belief in Education Level Scale" and "Teachers' Job Satisfaction Scale," while a semi-structured interview form was utilized for the qualitative dimension. Since the quantitative data exhibited a normal distribution, parametric tests were applied, including independent samples t-tests and one-way analysis of variance. Pearson correlation analysis was used to ascertain the relationship between religious education teachers' belief in education levels and job satisfaction. Additionally, regression analysis was performed to discern the impact of belief in education level on job satisfaction. In the qualitative dimension of the study, an initial thematic examination was conducted, resulting in the creation of categories and codes, which were subsequently compared for content analysis. As a result of the research, it is determined that the participants' level of belief in education and job satisfaction are at a medium level and the qualitative findings explain this result. It is determined that there is a moderate positive relationship between religious teachers' level of belief in education and their level of job satisfaction. In addition, it is concluded that religious teachers' level of belief in education significantly predicts their level of job satisfaction. In light of the research's findings, it is recommended that enhancing professional and individual competencies fostering the practice of believing in education be prioritized to heighten levels of job satisfaction among teachers, enabling them to concentrate more effectively on their educational objectives.