Evaluating The Opinions of Classroom Teachers Assigned in the Training Program in Primary Schools (IYEP)

The purpose of this study is to evaluate IYEP, which has been implemented throughout the country since the academic year of 2018-2019, based on the opinions of teachers. The sample of the study, which was planned as qualitative research and conducted in case study design, consisted of 10 classroom teachers who worked in the province of Bartın and implemented the program during 2019-2020 academic year. The data were collected using a semi-structured interview form and analyzed through the content analysis method. The findings have revealed that the classroom teachers participating in the study think that the program has had a positive effect on student achievement and especially helped students participate in classroom activities, gain self-confidence and feel the sense of achievement more, which supported students’ self-improvement. The general problems of the process indicated by the teachers are problems arising from the implementation hour on weekdays, arrival and departure times of commuting students, inadequate information of parents about the program, common instruction for students with different levels, problems in meeting nutritional needs of students especially during the courses on weekdays, and teachers’ lack of knowledge about the student. Furthermore, the suggestions for the development of the program include organizing IYEP introductory events for teachers, parents and students at the beginning of the academic year, starting the program from the 2nd grade and continuing throughout the primary school education, separating the activity books as modular books and diversifying the materials, reducing the number of students in the classrooms and focusing on individual studies, planning the program in a way that includes transportation at the weekend, creating more homogeneous classes, and carrying out more studies for the psychosocial support dimension of the program.