Teacher Training Institutions and Teacher Training Models
In Türkiye, pre-service teacher education for pre-primary, primary and secondary education has been conducted by universities since 1982. The main method applied in teacher education is the ‘concurrent’ model and the main institutions are the faculties of education. All undergraduate teacher training programs offer general culture, content knowledge and teacher formation courses.
In addition, Pedagogical Formation Education Certificate programs are being carried out for the students who have graduated from the departments that constitute a source for teaching, starting from the Spring semester of the 2022-2023 academic year, depending on their demands. The main steering body of teacher education in terms of structure and programs is the Council of Higher Education (YÖK). As of 2020, it is delegated to the relevant higher education institutions to update the teaching undergraduate programs by taking into account the Turkish Qualifications Framework and the General Qualifications for the Teaching Profession determined by the Ministry of National Education.
The Law on the Teaching Profession, which regulates the selection, training, appointment, rights, duties and responsibilities, rewards and punishments, advancement in career steps and other issues related to the teaching profession and the establishment, duties, organizational structure and personnel of National Education Academy, was published on 18.10.2024. In line with the provisions of the Law, teachers to be employed after 01.09.2025 are subjected to pre-service preparatory training for three or four semesters consisting of theoretical and practical courses determined within the framework of teaching profession competencies at National Education Academy before taking office. Pre-service teachers are paid an amount determined during the preparatory training period.
Admission Requirements
As in all higher education programs in Türkiye, the entrance to higher education programs that train teachers require graduating from a secondary education institution and being successful in centralized exams. Higher Education Institutions Exam (YKS) is conducted by the Student Selection and Placement Center ÖSYM) in order to select students to be admitted to associate degree programs and to place them according to their preferences. Detailed information about YKS and admission requirements is given under Undergraduate Admission Requirements (7.2.2.2.2 Admission Requirements). In order to be placed in teaching programs that admit students through the central exam, a minimum rank of 300 thousandth is required, and a minimum rank of 800 thousandth is required to be able to prefer or pre-register for teaching programs that admit students through a special talent exam.
As of 01.09.2025, teacher candidates will be admitted to the preparatory education to be given by National Education Academy, within the quota determined by fields, according to the superiority of the Ministry of National Education Academy Entrance Examination (MEB-AGS) score conducted by ÖSYM for each teaching field.
MEB-AGS will be organized in 2 sessions: Academy Entrance Examination (AGS) and Teaching Field Knowledge Test (ÖABT). Accordingly, prospective teachers of biology, geography, science/science and technology, physics, elementary mathematics, chemistry/chemistry technology, mathematics, pre-primary, guidance, classroom teaching, social sciences, history, Turkish, Turkish language and literature, physical education, religious culture and ethics, religious culture and ethics/ vocational courses of imam hatip high school will participate in both sessions. For foreign language teacher candidates, AGS and Foreign Language Placement Test (YDS or e-YDS) will be taken as basis. For other teacher candidacies for which no ÖABT or YDS is planned, the MEB-AGS score will be based only on the AGS.
Curriculum, Level of Specialization and Learning Outcomes
Undergraduate teacher training programs consist of subject education, teaching professional knowledge and general culture courses. The time allocated to teaching professional knowledge courses (theoretical and practical) varies between 30-35% of the total teaching time in both basic and secondary education teaching programs. In this context, students studying in the faculty of education/educational sciences complete 72 hours of practice and students in other faculties, which are the source of the teaching profession, complete 96 hours of practice as practice students in schools affiliated to the Ministry of National Education.
The preparatory education, which will be applied to prospective teachers at National Education Academy as of 01/09/2025, consists of theoretical and practical courses determined within the framework of the teaching profession competencies, including the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values required by the teaching profession. The duration of the preparatory education is four semesters. This period can be applied as three semesters depending on the higher education program graduated by the prospective teacher.
Faculty Members and Staff
Educational personnel (teaching staff) working in institutions where teachers are trained at all levels of education (including pre-primary education) are trained through postgraduate education (master’s and doctorate) programs. In addition, in the process of training pre-service teachers, selected/experienced teachers who have worked in schools affiliated to the Ministry of National Education are assigned as advisors to pre service teachers on professional issues. Faculty members working in universities, teacher administrators and other personnel working in the Ministry of National Education will be able to work on a contract basis in the preparatory education.
Qualifications, Assessment and Certificates
In the course of pre-service teacher education, students’ achievements in courses are measured and evaluated through written exams, homework assignments, portfolio evaluations, observation of teaching performance, etc. The students of the faculties of Education/Educational Sciences are monitored and evaluated by the faculty members and the teachers of the courses in the schools where they do their teaching practice. In order to graduate, it is necessary to obtain the prescribed total credits and to be successful in the teaching practice course. Students are given a diploma indicating the fields they have graduated from and a “diploma supplement” with ECTS credits.
In accordance with the provisions of the Law on the Teaching Profession, prospective teachers who wish to be appointed as contracted teachers after 1/9/2025 must successfully complete the preparatory training at the Academy. At the end of the preparatory training, forty percent of the arithmetic average of the success grades of the theoretical courses and sixty percent of the arithmetic average of the success grades of the practical courses are added together to determine the success score for appointment. Candidates are assigned to educational institutions by taking into account their preferences and according to the superiority of the success score based on the assignment.