THE SOCIAL WORK PERCEPTION OF PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS AND SCHOOL SOCIAL WORK

This study aims to highlight the importance of school social work oriented towards the increasing problems in the school-age children, present the views and attitudes of the primary school teachers, who have close relationships with the students, towards the social problems in the school, determine the perceptions of primary school teachers towards the social work and provide academic contributions to the sustainable school social service. 180 primary school teachers working in district schools at different socio-economic levels in the Kucukcekmece County, Istanbul participated in the study. Socio-demographic, educational and professional information of teachers, as well as their views and attitudes towards the social problems in the schools, their perception of social work, their views and solutions towards both problems and school social work are determined with the interview form developed by the researcher. The problems encountered in the schools, as well as the quantitative and qualitative insufficiency of current psycho-social support for these problems, were revealed in the study. Besides, it was detected that the knowledge of teachers about the social work profession is insufficient, considering the aim and scope of their profession. However, their perception of social work was found to be mostly positive, and they viewed school social work as a necessity for solving the problems in the schools.