Ministry of National Education reward system: A holistic review based on educators' views
Authors
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Sevgi YıldızFaculty of Education, Ordu University, Ordu, Türkiye
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Serkan ŞekerFaculty of Education, Ordu University, Ordu, Türkiye
DOI:
10.58583/EM.4.1.12Keywords:
Ministry of National Education, Reward system, Provincial organization, Employee motivationAbstract
Rewarding plays a crucial role in motivating employees, increasing productivity, and ensuring success in educational organizations. The Ministry of National Education's (MoNE) reward system consists of three stages: achievement certificates, superior achievement certificates, and rewards (salary awards). This study aims to reveal the views of employees of MoNE’s provincial organizations, including teachers, school principals, branch managers, and district national education directors, on the current reward system. The study was designed as qualitative research with a basic qualitative research pattern. The study group consisted of 20 participants, including six teachers, six school principals, five branch managers, and three district national education directors, all working in Ordu province during the 2024-2025 academic year. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews using an interview form prepared by the researchers. The participants were selected based on the maximum variation sampling method, a purposive sampling technique, and the data were analysed through content analysis. The results indicated that while the MEB reward system positively affects the motivation of employees, there were differences in views between administrators and teachers regarding the fairness of evaluations. It was suggested that additional points should be awarded in certain cases, provided the certificates were earned justly. The current reward system was found to be deemed appropriate by administrators but not by teachers. Employees believed that achievement certificates were not granted based on objective criteria, and it would be more appropriate to increase the influence of school or district management in issuing these certificates. Furthermore, it was noted that there were different practices regarding achievement certificates and rewards across various provinces and districts, and standardization was needed in this regard. In conclusion, recommendations were made to align the reward system with the goals and personnel of the Ministry of National Education, ensuring that the process is carried out in an objective, fair, and transparent manner.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Sevgi Yıldız, Serkan Şeker
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