A Heuristic Inquiry into the Experience of Not Realizing Our Ideal Teaching

Abstract

Purpose: The inability of a teacher to realize their ideal teaching is a phenomenon that is obviously experienced but has not yet been clearly researched. Research on this topic has generally focused on teachers’ working conditions, teacher identity change, autonomy, disempowerment and deskilling. It is apparent that no research has yet been conducted to explain this phenomenon experienced by teachers based on their experiences without the limitations of theoretical frameworks. The purpose of our study is to understand and explain to the readers the essence and significance of the experience of "not realizing one’s ideal teaching" based on the statements of a group of teachers, including the first author.

Method: The participants in this study, which was based on a heuristic research design, were 11 teachers, diversified by gender and teaching field, who felt that they could not realize their ideal teaching.

Findings: When the experiences of the participating teachers are analyzed, three themes emerge: “I feel blocked,” “I lose motivation,” and “I am in despair.”

Implications: The results of the research provided data for a better understanding of the impact of the physical conditions and insufficient equipment of schools on the teaching process, for planning measures to increase teachers' autonomy, for a better understanding and review of the impact of the examination system on the teaching process and for planning qualified training for teachers on the issues with which they have professional difficulties.

Keywords: Ideal teaching, teachers, heuristic inquiry