University-School Cooperation Model for The Professional Development of Primary School Teachers

The objective of this study is to increase primary school teachers’ attitudes towards professional development through university-school cooperation method, support their professional development and create a model based on university-school cooperation. The study was carried out by adopting embedded experimental design among mixed research methods. In total, 49 primary school teachers took part in the study, who work at the primary schools in three different settlement areas, i.e., village, district and city, that have a disadvantageous position in Eskişehir province. As for the locations and socio-economic status of the schools where the attendant primary school teachers work, it can be stated that these schools are disadvantageous in terms of participation to professional development activities. In the study, a professional development attitude scale and an in-service attitude scale were applied to the teachers at the beginning and end of the training process in the data collection stage. And then the opinions of the teachers regarding the professional development trainings were obtained and the training diaries, which were kept in this process by the teachers, were used. At the end of the study, it was determined that there was a positive difference in the attitudes of the primary school teachers regarding the Professional development and in-service trainings thanks to the professional development activities performed. It was further found out that the teachers considered the performed activities useful, productive and efficient and a model was revealed for professional development carried out within the scope of university-school cooperation.