Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the metaphorical images of “teacher” produced by 55 Spanish and 72 Turkish preservice teachers at Universitat de Barcelona, in Barcelona, Spain, and at Ege University, in İzmir, Turkey. It is based on a theory of teacher socialization which affirms that cultural values have an impact on the teaching and learning environment, as well as on the teachers within their cultures (Richards in Beyond training: perspectives on language teacher education, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1998). The prompt was “A teacher is like….because….” In this research the data were analyzed qualitatively. Metaphors were identified, and five conceptual themes were developed. The results indicated that: Spanish participants described “teacher” as a guide contributing to society, democratic values and citizenship; Turkish participants focused instead on traditional values, dedication, enlightenment and emotional support.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Akşit, N. (2007). Educational reform in Turkey. International Journal of Educational Development, 27(2007), 129–137.
Aslan, N. (2004). Gender, women and leisure: A study on Turkish Women. In M. Kaila, G. Berger & H. Theodoropoulou (Eds.), Greek- Turkish approaches: Re-defining the female identity. Apranos: Keimena.
Aslan, N. (2009). An examination of family leisure and family satisfaction among traditional Turkish families. Journal of Leisure Research, 41(2), 157–176.
Aslan, N., & Arslan Cansever, B. (2009). Eğitimde yaratıcılığın kullanımına ilişkin öğretmen tutumları (The primary school teachers’ attitudes for creativity in education). TUBAV Bilim Dergisi, 2(3), 333–340.
Aslan, N., & Arslan Cansever, B. (2012). Ergenlerin boş zaman değerlendirme algısı. Hacettepe Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi (H.U. Journal of Education), 42, 23–35.
Al-Issa, A. (2005). When the West teaches the East: Analyzing intercultural conflict in the classroom. Intercultural Communication Studies, 14(4), 149–168.
Atkinson, P., & Delamont, S. (1985). Socialization into teaching: The research which lost its way. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 6, 307–322.
Barker, C. (2004). The SAGE dictionary of cultural studies. Thousand Oaks: Sage publications.
Battersby, D. (1983). The politics of teacher socialization. In R. K. Brown & L. E. Foster (Eds.), Sociology of education (3rd ed., pp. 325–335). Melbourne: Macmillan.
Berger, J. (2011). Is it a melting pot, salad or buffet? Culture and its impact on teaching. In Paper presented at the Midwest research-to-practice conference in adult, continuing, and community education, Underwood University, Sept. 21–23.
Blase, J. (1986). Socialization as humanization: One side of becoming a teacher. Sociology of Education, 59, 100–113.
Bruner, J. (1996). The culture of education. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Bullough, R. V, Jr. (1991). Exploring personal teaching metaphors in preservice teacher education. Journal of Teacher Education, 42(1), 42–51.
Bullough, R. V., Knowles, J. G., & Crow, N. A. (1992). Emerging as a teacher. New York: Routledge.
Connelly, F., Michael, D., Clandinin, Jean, & He, Ming Fang. (1997). Teachers’ personal practical knowledge on the professional knowledge landscape. Teaching and Teacher Education, 13, 665–674.
Edgar, D., & Warren, R. (1969). Power and autonomy in teacher socialization. Sociology of Education, 42, 386–399.
Elias, M., Celorrio, X. M., Vallès, N., Palma, F. L.,& Recasens, F. (2013). Etnies, diferències culturals i educació. Immigració i educació. Diversitat cultural i models d’integració escolar. Sociologia de l’educació, Universitat de Barcelona.
Evans, R. D., & Evans, G. E. (1989). Cognitive mechanism in learning from metaphors. Journal of Experimental Education, 58(1), 5–19.
Fişek, G. D. (1982). Psychopathology and the Turkish family: A family systems theory analysis. In Ç. Kağıtçıbaşı (Ed.), Sex roles, family and community in Turkey (pp. 295–321). Indiana University Turkish Studies.
Furio, C., Vilches, A., Guisasola, J., & Romo, V. (2002). Spanish teachers’ views of the goals of science education in secondary education. Research in Science & Technological Education, 20, 39–52.
Garcia-Castano, F. J., & Pulido Moyano, R. A. (1993). Multicultural education: Some reflections on the Spanish case. European Journal of Intercultural Studies, 4(2), 67–80.
Giroux, H. (1981). Ideology, culture and the process of schooling. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
Groves, T. (2013). Teachers and the struggle for democracy in Spain, 1970–1985. London: The Palgrave Macmillan.
Guerrero, M. C. M., & Villamil, O. S. (2002). Metaphorical conceptualizations of ESL teaching and learning. Language Teaching Research, 6, 95–120.
Gundry, L. K., & Kickul, J. R. (1996). Flights of imagination: Fostering creativity through experimental learning. Simulation and Gaming, 27(3), 334–349.
Hall, E. T. (1976). Beyond culture. New york: Doubleday.
Hardcastle, B., Yamamoto, K., Parkay, F. W., & Chan, J. (1985). Metaphorical views of school: A cross-cultural comparison of college students. Teaching and Teacher Education, 1(4), 309–315.
Henderson, K. A., & Allen, K. R. (1991). The ethic of care: Leisure possibilities and constraints for women. Society and Leisure, 14, 97–113.
Hofstede, G. (2001). Cultures consequences: Comparing values, behaviors, institutions and organizations across nations (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Hofstede, G. (2011). Dimensionalizing cultures: The Hofstede model in context. Online Readings in Psychology and Culture,. doi:10.9707/2307-0919.1014.
Hofstede, G., & McCrae, R. R. (2004). Personality and culture revisited: Linking traits and dimensions of culture. Cross-Cultural Research, 38(1), 52–88.
Inbar, D. E. (1996). The free educational prison: Metaphors and images. Educational Research, 38(1), 77–92.
Jensen, D. F. N. (2006). Metaphors as a bridge to understanding educational and social contexts. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 5(1), 1–17.
Kağıtçıbaşı, Ç. (1981). Çocuğun değeri: Türkiye’de değerler ve doğurganlık (the value of children: Values and fertility in Turkey). Istanbul: Bogaziçi Univ. Publication.
Kağıtçıbaşı, Ç. (1996). Family and human development across cultures: A view from the other side. Hillsdale: Lawrence Eribaum.
Kağıtçıbaşı, Ç. (2002). A model of family change in cultural context. In W. J. Lonner, D. L. Dinnel, S. A. Hayes, & D. N. Sattler (Eds.), Online readings in psychology and culture. Unit 13, Chapter 1. Retrieved May 8, 2005 from http://www.edu/culture. Center for Cross-Cultural Research, Western Washington University, Bellingham.
Kağıtçıbaşı, Ç. (2010). Benlik, aile ve insan gelişimi—Kültürel psikoloji (Self, family and human development across cultures–Cultural psychology). İstanbul: Koç Üniversitesi Yay.
Kocatürk, U. (1971). Atatürk’ün fikir ve düşünceleri (Atatürk’s ideas and thoughts). Ankara: Edebiyat Yayınevi.
Kongar, E. (1986). Turkey’s cultural transformation. In G. Renda & C. M. Kortepeter (Eds.), The transformation of Turkish culture, the Atatürk legacy (pp. 19–68). Princton: The Kingston Press, Inc.
Kongar, E. (1998). Atatürk’s understanding and practice of sovereignty of people. Paper presented in Atatürk view of popular sovereignty and current Turkish political reality. Library of Congress, Washington.
Kongar, E. (2001). Türkiye’nin kültürel öz-anlayışı: Avrupa Birliği için bir zenginlik (Turkey’s cultural understanding: A richness for E.U.). Avrupa Yolunda Türkiye ve Polonya Değişim Sürecinde iki AB Aday Ülkesi Sempozyumu. ODTU, Ankara.
Kongar, E. (2007). Demokrasimizle yüzleşmek (Facing with our democracy) (6th ed.). İstanbul: Remzi Kitabevi.
Lacey, C. (1977). The socialization of teachers. London: Methuen.
Lacorte, M., & Canabal, E. (2005). Teacher beliefs and practices in advanced Spanish classrooms. Heritage Language Journal, 3(1), 83–107.
Lakoff, G., & Johnson, M. (1980). Metaphors we live by. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Lakoff, G., & Johnson, M. (1999). Philosophy in the flesh. New York: Basic Books.
Mac Cormac, E. R. (1990). A cognitive theory of metaphor. Cambridge: MIT Press.
MacDonald, J. B., & Purpel, D. E. (1987). Curriculum and planing: Visions and metaphors. Journal of Curriculum and Supervision, 2(2), 178–192.
Mahlios, M., & Maxson, M. (1998). Metaphors as structures for elementary and secondary preservice teachers’ thinking. International Journal of Educational Research, 29, 227–240.
Mahlios, M., Shaw, D. M., & Barry, A. (2010). Making sense of teaching through metaphors: A review across three studies. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 16(1), 49–71.
Martinez, M. A., Sauleda, N., & Huber, G. I. (2001). Metaphors as blueprints of thinking about teaching and learning. Teaching and Teacher Education, 17, 965–977.
Massengill, D., Mahlios, M., & Barry, A. (2005). Metaphors and sense of teaching: How these constructs influence novice teachers. Teaching Education, 16(3), 213–229.
McOmie, W. (1990). Expanding the intercultural perspective. CrossCurrent, 40(3), 177–185.
Miles, H. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). An expanded sourcebook qualitative data analysis. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
MONE, (2001). Turkish education system and developments in education. Forty-sixth session of the international conference on education for all learning to live together: Contents and learning strategies—Problems and solutions. http://www.ibe.unesco.org/International/ICE/natrap/Turkey
Narayanan, S. (1997). A computational model of metaphoric reasoning about events. http://www.icsi.berkeley.edu/-snarayan/metaphor.html
Nias, J. (1986). Teacher socialization: The individual in the system. Geelong: Deakin University Press.
Oxford, R. L., Tomlinson, S., Barcelos, A., Harrington, C., Lavine, R. Z., Saleh, A., & Longhini, A. (1998). Clashing metaphors about classroom teachers: Toward a systematic typology for the language teaching field. System, 26(1), 3–50.
ÖYEGM—Öğretmen Yetiştirme ve Eğitimi Genel Müdürlüğü (2003). Öğretmen yeterlilikleri. http://oyegm.meb.gov.tr/yet
Parsons, S. C., Brown, P. U., & Worley, V. (2004). A metaphor analysis of preservice teachers’ reflective writings about diversity. Curriculum and Teaching Dialogue, 6(1), 49–58.
Perry, C., & Cooper, M. (2001). Metaphors are good mirrors: Reflecting on change for teacher educators. Reflective Practice, 2(1), 41–52.
Richards, J. C. (1998). Beyond training: Perspectives on language teacher education. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Richardson, V. (1996). The role of attitudes and beliefs in learning to teach. In J. Sikula (Ed.), Handbook of research on teacher education (pp. 102–119). New York: Macmillan.
Saban, A. (2006). Functions of metaphor in teaching and teacher education: A review essay. Teaching Education, 17(4), 299–315.
Saban, A. (2010). Prospective teachers’ metaphorical conceptualizations of learner. Teacher and Teacher Education, 26, 290–305.
Saban, A., Kocbeker, B. N., & Saban, A. (2007). Prospective teachers’ conceptions of teaching and learning revealed through metaphor analysis. Learning and Instruction, 17(2), 123–139.
Santos Rego, M. A., & Nieto, S. (2000). Multicultural/intercultural teacher education in two contexts: Lessons from the United States and Spain. Teaching and Teacher Education, 16, 413–427.
Sergiovanni, T. J. (1987). The metaphorical use of theories and models in supervision: Building a science. Journal of Curriculum and Supervision, 2(3), 221–232.
Solsten, E., & Meditz, S. W. (Eds.). (1988). Spain: A country study. Washington: GPO for the Library of Congress.
Sönmez, S. (2009). Ebü’l-Kasım Mahmud Al-Zemahşeri ve eseri mukaddimetü’l-edeb’in didaktik değeri. [Ebü’l-Kasım Mahmud Al- Zemahşeri and didactical value of his book titled Mukaddimetü’l-Edeb]. Atatürk Üniversitesi Türkiyat Araştırmaları Enstitüsü Dergisi, 40, 147–169.
Talim Terbiye Kurulu. (2005). İlkÖğretim 1–5. sınıf programları tanıtım el kitabı. MEB, Ankara.
Thornbury, S. (1991). Metaphors we work by: EFL and its metaphors. ELT Journal, 45(3), 193–200.
Tobin, K. (1990). Changing metaphors and beliefs: A master switch for teaching? Theory into Practice, 29(2), 122–127.
Üskül, A. K., Hynie, M., & Lalonde, R. N. (2004). Interdependence as a mediator between culture and interpersonal closeness for Euro-Canadians and Turks. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 35(2), 174–191.
Vadeboncoeur, J. A., & Torres, M. N. (2003). Constructing and reconstructing teaching roles: A focus on generative metaphors and dichotomies. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 24(1), 87–103.
Wexler, P. (1987). Social analysis of education: After the new sociology. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
Yob, I. M. (2003). Thinking constructively with metaphors. Studies in Philosophy and Education, 22, 127–138.
Zeichner, K., & Gore, J. (1990). Teacher socialization. In W. R. Houston, M. Haberman, & J. Sikula (Eds.), Handbook of research on teacher education (pp. 329–348). New York: Macmillan.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Aslan, N. Teacher images in Spain and Turkey: a cross-cultural study. Asia Pacific Educ. Rev. 17, 253–266 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-016-9423-z
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-016-9423-z