Teacher Disappointments from Teacher's Perspective

The psychological aspect of teachers in the context of the field of education has attracted significant scholarly attention in recent years due to its potential to enhance the academic achievements of students, teachers, and school leaders, as well as to cultivate a positive learning environment amidst modern uncertainties. Nonetheless, the disappointments experienced by teachers, who hold a crucial position within educational institutions, have been somewhat overlooked. The principal aim of this paper is to gain a comprehensive understanding of teachers' encounters with disappointment, specifically focusing on their daily experiences in school settings. By employing a qualitative research methodology, this investigation adopts a phenomenological framework. The application of thematic analysis enabled an in-depth exploration of teachers' experiences in relation to the phenomenon of disappointment. The analysis was rooted in data collected through semi-structured interviews with 28 teachers from schools in İzmir, Türkiye. The findings of the research reveal that the primary sources of teachers' disappointments include the education system, educational administrators, parents, students, the teaching profession, and colleagues. These key themes were meticulously examined in the study, and both the positive and negative impacts of disappointments on teachers were also deliberated.