Exploring the Challenges Faced by Public Elementary Teachers in Legal Disputes

This study aimed to explore the challenges facing elementary school teachers who experience legal disputes. For this purpose, in-depth interviews were conducted with eight teachers and two principals. During the legal proceedings, teachers encountered issues with untrustworthy offices of education and uncooperative schools. The professional crises were exacerbated by the phenomenon of judicialization of education, wherein educational issues were sought to be resolved through judicial means. The teachers also suffered from psychological and emotional distress, and these hardships persisted even after the end of the legal conflicts. Furthermore, the legal disputes hindered the teachers’ educational activities, and they faced additional conflicts. As alternatives to address these difficulties, institutional efforts at the school and educational authority levels are recommended. Specifically, school administrators, including principals, are urged to adopt proactive approaches, while educational authorities are called upon to enhance their systemic capacity to handle legal issues. Based on these results, this study suggests addressing the judicialization of education, systematizing institutional responses at the organizational level, and deploying experts in legal matters within the education system.