National Education Academy: How Do Education Faculty Students Perceive It?

The Teacher Profession Act, which came into effect in Turkey in 2024, marked the beginning of a new era in teacher training and employment. From now on, teacher training and employment will be carried out through the National Education Academy, which will be established in accordance with the law. This new application has particularly affected education faculty students. At this point, the main objective of the research is to reveal the perceptions of education faculty students towards the National Education Academy. Conducted according to qualitative research methodology, the data in this research was obtained from interviews with education faculty students. The study group of the research was determined according to criterion sampling and convenience sampling, which are purposeful sampling methods. The study group consisted of 183 final-year students enrolled in the education faculty of a state university in Turkey in the fall semester of 2025-2026. The data obtained in the research were analyzed using the content analysis method, one of the qualitative data analysis methods. The research findings show that very few final-year education faculty students have a positive perception of the National Education Academy. These students perceive the National Education Academy as a structure that enables teacher development, an effective structure for teacher selection, and an alternative structure for teacher selection. On the other hand, the findings also show that most final-year education faculty students have negative perceptions of the National Education Academy. These students perceive the National Education Academy as a structure that destroys their hopes of entering the profession, an unfair structure, a structure that renders education faculties dysfunctional, a structure that lowers the status of the profession, a structure that delays entry into the profession, an ineffective structure, a structure that harbors uncertainties, and a structure that harbors difficulties. The research provides decision-makers with important insights regarding the future and desirability of education faculties.