Status of Teaching Profession from the Perspective of the Teachers

Purpose: The status of the teaching profession is essential because it can affect teachers ' perspective on the profession, motivation levels, and professional disciplines. This study aims to investigate which direction the status of the teaching profession has changed from past to present, factors affecting the change in the status, and what can be done to increase the status of the teaching profession. Methods: A total of 54 voluntary teachers from 18 districts in Trabzon province participated in this study. In light of the conceptual framework, a semi-structured interview form was used to collect data. Data were resolved and interpreted by content analysis. Findings: In this research, all teachers affirmed that the status of the teaching profession has changed from past to present negatively. Teachers expressed the factors that affect this change most, the policies followed by the system, the value of teachers in society, the loss of prestige and the low income of teachers. Teachers 'opinions on what can be done to increase the status of the teaching profession, most of all, the Ministry of National Education (MoNE) values the teacher, teachers' working and personal rights to improve, teachers self-development statements are prominent. Implications for Research and Practice: The findings obtained in this study suggest that teachers should conduct a wider range of research and take measures to improve their status levels using different methods.