Turkish Postdoctoral Scholar Teaching Experiences and Professional Learning Opportunities From a Phenomenological Lens

The purpose of this study is to analyze the professional learning and development opportunities of postdoctoral researchers from the faculty of education with phenomenological design to discover the experiences of the Ph.D. research assistants and assistant professors working for a teaching university at non-tenure status. The data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using content analysis. The findings revealed that postdoctoral scholars experienced difficulties such as material development, teaching methods, and classroom management skills. Results suggested that postdoctoral scholars' teaching experiences mostly improved by their individual efforts and more university support is needed to to manage this stressful experience. The postgraduate's abroad experience is another factor that requires special attention in the role transition of academics since the cultural contexts of the studied and teaching may differ to a large extent. Universities should develop programs that are well-designed and include practice-based learning opportunities.