Abstract:

Abstract enThe aim of this study was to investigate the levels of organizational commitment of physical education and primary school teachers. The study examined whether the teachers’ perceptions of organizational commitment levels differed in terms of theirteaching branch, gender, years of teaching experience, working region, age and marital status. A total of 300 teachers, 150 primary school teachers and 150 physical education teachers, completed the survey which couldbe reached via the Internet throughout Turkey. Survey technique was used to collect data. The "Organizational Commitment" survey which was developed by Allen and Meyer (1990) and which was used in the master’s thesis of Demirkıran (2004) was completed by the teachers. Kruskal Vallis and Mann Whitney U tests were used for the statistical analysis. When the levels of organizational commitment of teachers were examined in terms of teaching branch, no statistically significant difference was found between branches (p>0.05). Teachers' organizational commitment levels were not different with respect to years of teaching experience (p>0.05). When the levels of organizational commitment of teachers were examined in terms of working region; the affective commitment scores of teachers who were working in the city centers were higher than the teachers' working in countryside, towns and villages (p<0.0125). No significant difference was found when the subjects' perception levels of organizational commitment was examined in terms of teachers’ age (p>0.05). When the organizational commitment perception levels were examined in terms of marital status, Normative Commitment subscale and Affective Commitment subscale were found to be higher in married teachers than unmarried ones (p<0.05). It was concluded that level of organizational commitment did not change in terms of teaching branch but changed in terms of working region and marital status. The level of affective, continuance and normative subscale scores were all at “uncertain” level. This shows that the teachers have lowlevels of organizational commitment. Therefore, measures should be taken to improve this situation

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