Teacher images in Spain and Turkey: a cross-cultural study

The purpose of this study was to investigate the metaphorical images of “teacher” produced by 55 Spanish and 72 Turkish preservice teachers at Universitat de Barcelona, in Barcelona, Spain, and at Ege University, in İzmir, Turkey. It is based on a theory of teacher socialization which affirms that cultural values have an impact on the teaching and learning environment, as well as on the teachers within their cultures (Richards in Beyond training: perspectives on language teacher education, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1998). The prompt was “A teacher is like….because….” In this research the data were analyzed qualitatively. Metaphors were identified, and five conceptual themes were developed. The results indicated that: Spanish participants described “teacher” as a guide contributing to society, democratic values and citizenship; Turkish participants focused instead on traditional values, dedication, enlightenment and emotional support.