SHEDDING A LIGHT ON EDUCATION INSPECTORS’ WORKLOAD IN TURKISH EDUCATION SYSTEM

This research aimed at investigating the subjective perceptions of education inspectors related to their real and ideal workloads, the impact of their current workloads on their private lives, the challenges they face in managing their workloads, possible steps to be taken to manage their workloads and the comparison of their workload and incomes. The research was designed as a qualitative and phenomenological approach with a semi-structured interview form including 36 education inspectors. In general, participants complained about the intense working schedule including the evenings and weekends. Almost all the inspectors had difficulties in managing their workloads. One of the main reasons of these difficulties stems from the hierarchical relationships with Provincial Directorate of National Education and constant additions to the current workloads. Besides, administrative and political pressures during legal investigations cause difficulties in managing the workloads of inspectors. Most of the working hours of inspectors are filled with investigation issues so as leaving very limited time and effort for guiding and improvement activities to the teachers and school administrators. Most of the inspectors find their incomes low when they compare with their workloads. It can be concluded that the psychological workload of the inspectors are heavy since the nature of their work requires a flexible time management and working in the evenings and at the weekends. Such a tiring work time tempo complicates the ideal roles of inspectors such as improving education by guidance and professional help to the teachers. To manage their workloads more successfully, inspectors mostly suggest a division of labour in terms of the separate working areas of inspectors such as supervision, guiding and investigation