MOTIVATION, CHALLENGES, AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES OF NON-EDUCATION FACULTY GRADUATES WHOSE FIRST ASSIGNMENT WAS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHING

It is possible that teachers from different disciplines can bring new perspectives and teaching methodologies to the classroom environment. Diversity can expose students to a broader range of knowledge and enrich the educational process. However, this difference also leads to some adaptation difficulties, especially regarding pedagogical preparation and classroom management. Teaching is defined as a special branch of expertise that carries out educational activities and administrative affairs in this field, according to the National Education Fundamental Law No. 1739. Teaching, as a special field of expertise, undertakes an important task in achieving the ultimate goals of educational institutions. Although the teaching profession is such an important and separate field of specialization, in Turkey's recent history for different reasons, graduates of different higher education programs, regardless of whether they are related to education or not, have been appointed as teachers through short-term in-service training and the need for teachers has been tried to be met in this way. In Turkey, it may be possible for individuals who have not received teaching formation to be appointed as teachers or to be deemed competent and appointed in a field through the additional courses they take during their teacher training. The discrepancy between the field in which teachers are trained and the task they are assigned to may initially cause adaptation problems and low productivity. In addition, assignments outside the field may cause deficiencies in courses or pedagogical approaches that require specialization, which may negatively affect the academic success of students. Teacher deficiencies in these areas can lead to gaps in student learning and quality problems in education. In this context, it is of great importance that education policies and teacher training programs are shaped by taking into account the needs of teachers.