Parent Attitudes and Behaviors Affecting Teacher Motivation

The aim of the study was to determine the attitudes and behaviors of parents that positively or negatively affect teachers' motivation based on their perceptions. The research was conducted using a case study methodology on 19 teachers working in public secondary schools in Karatay district of Konya, Turkey. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using content analysis. The study group was determined according to the maximum diversity sampling method. As a result of analysis, six parental behaviors that increase or decrease teachers' motivation were identified: recognition and appreciation, involvement and support, communication, trust in teacher expertize valuing holistic development, and support in terms of resources and materials. Teachers observed that their motivation increased when parental attitudes and behaviors aligned with their expectations and decreased when they did not. Based on the results, two recommendations were made: (1) schools should see parents as equal partners, and (2) schools should initiate parent involvement practices that will ensure appropriate behaviour without waiting for parents' appropriate behaviour.

Teacher motivation has attracted the attention of researchers in every period.The reason for this interest is that teachers and teacher performance is one of the most important variables in schools for student achievement.One of the most important determinants of teacher performance is teacher motivation.In this study, acting with the same motivation, parent behaviours affecting teacher motivation were determined as the subject of this research.
Teacher motivation is a factor that attracts individuals to the teaching profession, makes them endure difficult training to become a teacher, and then determines how long they will stay in the profession and how much they will concentrate on their profession.This factor includes attraction, persistence and effort in relation to the teaching profession (Sinclair 2008).Research shows that teachers' motivation influences their approach to professional challenges, frustrations and rewards, their professional plans, their behaviors and, consequently, student outcomes (Abazaoğlu & Aztekin, 2016;Richardson & Watt, 2010).Dörnyei and Ushioda (2011) draw attention to the existence of frustrated, dissatisfied, or simply bored teachers at all levels of education.Accordingly, this situation, which negatively affects perseverance and effort, is a motivational crisis, and the causes of this crisis are stress, restricted autonomy, stress, ınsufficient self-efficacy, lack of intellectual challenge, ınadequate career structure.
The source of stress, which is one of the factors that cause teachers' demotivation, according to some studies (e.g.Müller et al., 2009;Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2009), is teachers' relationships with students' parents.According to these studies, the stress experienced by teachers who have difficulties in building a relationship with their parents causes their motivation to decrease.The key point to remember about demotivation is that it does not eliminate all the positive effects that underlie motivational behavior.Other motivational factors can still provide motivation despite the presence of demotivation (Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2011).In other words, the stress experienced by the teacher in his/her relationship with the parents may negatively affect the teacher's motivation, but it may not completely eliminate it.For example, a teacher who loves his/her profession very much can maintain his/her motivation by coping with the stress caused by the parents.
Studies in Türkiye also show that teachers' relationships with parents affect their motivation positively or negatively.For example, participatory (Aydemir, 2008), interested, satisfied, collaborative, competent, andeducated (Ada et al., 2013), supportive (Aydemir, 2008;Karabağ-Köse et al., 2018), and respectful (Kızıltepe, 2011) parents increase teachers' motivation.On the other hand, parents' indifference and insensitivity (Ada et al., 2013;Karabağ-Köse et al., 2018), negative attitudes (Ada et al., 2013), and confrontational behavior (Kızıltepe, 2011;Özge-Sağbaş & Özkan, 2022) cause teachers' motivation to decrease.When the researches are examined, it is observed that parent behaviours that affect or decrease teacher motivation in teacher-parent relationships are divided into various categories: interested-uninterested, sensitive-insensitive, cooperative-uncooperative, sufficient-insufficient, respectful-disrespectful, supportive-non-supportive-blocking.However, the content of these categories is not sufficiently focussed.For example, the meaning of parents' respectful behavior toward the teacher is unclear.In addition, the findings are not directly related to the relationship between parental behavior and teacher motivation, but as one of the factors affecting teacher motivation or performance in general.However, parents play an important role in teacher motivation.Comprehensive research to understand the attitudes and behaviors of parents that affect teacher motivation can provide valuable information to improve teacher-parent relationships and increase teacher motivation (Anastasiou & Papagianni, 2020).It can also contribute to policies and practices aimed at improving teacher-parent collaboration and the quality of education.
Although schools are generally considered responsible for students' academic performance, research shows that a large part of students' academic performance is explained by family characteristics (Carneiro, 2008, Coleman et al., 1966).In other words, students' academic success is based on a supportive home environment (Cabus & Ariës, 2016).However, it is not possible to completely ignore schools and what is done at school.At the very least, teachers and parents can work together to shape children's learning and therefore their upbringing, and development.It can be argued that it is imperative that parents and teachers share responsibility for supporting students' success and for promoting their overall well-being (Smith et al. 2022).Indeed, research shows that when teachers are able to share this responsibility, there are positive improvements in student achievement and behavior (e.g.Ateş, 2021;Fan & Chen, 2001;Kim et al., 2013;Pushor & Amendt 2018).However, the literature reveals that neither parents nor teachers are satisfied with the extent and depth of parental involvement in schools (Christenson, 1995;Gokturk & Dinckal, 2018).Gokturk and Dinckal (2018) attribute this to the fact that both parties have different understandings of the concept of the parental involvement.
It is possible to find the source of the different understandings identified by Gokturk and Dinckal (2018) in Schlechty's (2009) metaphors of the school as a factory, a producer of professional services, a warehouse, a prison, and a learning organization In these metaphors, Schlechty (2009) explained how the role expected of parents changes according to the different designs of the school as follows.
In schools designed as factories, students are seen as raw materials and products.Parents are the source of supply and the determinant of product quality.From this perspective, who the parents are, what the parents do, and the nature of the social and cultural trust provided by the family are the main determinants of the performance expected of children.
When a school is conceived as a professional service-producing organization, students are seen as customers and parents as guarantors and suspicious allies.In this context, teachers are experts and the parents are expected to ensure that the teachers do what they ask of their children without question.Parents who refuse to play the role expected of them are treated as outsiders and rule breakers.In such cases, the principal is usually expected to protect teachers from interference by uncooperative parents.However, for reasons such as incompetence, mistrust, view of the school, or self-perceived superiority over teachers, parents may refuse to fulfill the role of guarantor unqualifiedly.
In warehouse or prison school designs, the school has begun to have warehouse or prison features by incorporating students who do not fit into the factory system.In this design, students play the role of objects or prisoners and parents play the role of strangers.The primary role of the parent is that of sender and receiver, ensuring that the student goes to school and has a place to return to when school is over.Parents are always a dubious ally, not to be trusted.They are viewed with suspicion, treated as outsiders and forced to follow certain rules, limit their interactions, and not go where they are not invited.
In the school as a learning organization perspective, students are seen as knowledge workers and parents as partners.The role of parents as partners is to participate with teachers in the education of their children.This means, in addition to parent teacher association meetings, regular contact with teachers through intensive use of the Internet and other electronic means of communication, and having a say in their child's education together with teachers.Anastasiou and Papagianni's (2020) study revealed that teachers generally have a positive attitude about parental involvement.At the same time, this research shows that teachers' attitudes about parental involvement are negative in cases where parents interfere with their work.Comparing Anastasiou and Papagianni's (2020) findings with Schlechty's (2009) metaphors, teachers' school design is: "school is an institution that produces professional services".They do not accept parental behaviour that contradicts this design in their minds.
If there is a gap between the design of the school and parents' perception of their own role in the child's education, conflicts between parents and teachers are inevitable.To manage these conflicts properly, it is important Kıral (2019) also conducted a study in Turkey and found that educators had similar expectations from parents to those identified by Ünal (2012a), but these expectations were not met by most parents.The study by Ünal et al. (2010) also shows that educators' expectations from parents are not met.According to the data obtained by Ünal et al. (2010) in this study, educators see parents as unconscious, indifferent, not knowing what is good for their children, not cooperating enough with the school, and instinctively showing protective behavior toward their children.Another finding of the study is that educators do not see parents as stakeholders in educational activities and they expect parents to be people who accept themselves as experts, do only what they say, and do not intervene in their work.According to educators, parents' focus only on academic success, lack of interest in education, financial concerns, lack of time, communication problems, and lack of self-confidence also negatively affect communication with parents (Ünal, 2012a).Mann and Gilmore (2021) also found in their study that teachers value parent-teacher partnerships less than parents, invest less in the relationship, and participate less.Perhaps because their expectations are not met, educators may take their negative feelings and thoughts further and display rude, abusive, insulting, and scolding behavior toward parents (Ünal, 2012b).
Research results show that one of the important variables in teacher-parent interaction is the region where the school is located and the socioeconomic characteristics of the parents, which affect the mutual perception of teacherparent relationships and the quality of these relationships.For example, teachers in schools located in socioeconomically advantaged regions are more satisfied with their relationships with parents, while they believe that parents who do not cooperate with them do not value education (Bellibas & Gumus, 2013).On the other hand, as the socioeconomic characteristics of families improve, parental interaction with schools increases, but parental satisfaction with the schools decreases (Can, 2009).
Although the findings clearly show that the socio-economic characteristics of parents affect the teacher-parent relationship, there is a large body of literature on the source of barriers to healthy teacher-parent relationships reported by both parents and teachers (Mann & Gilmore, 2021).Christenson (2004), in his review, explained the parent-based foundations of the problems experienced in teacher-parent relationships under the categories of structural and psychological barriers as follows.

Structural barriers:
(1) Lack of role models, the lack of information, and the lack of knowledge about resources.
(2) Lack of supportive environment and resources (e.g.poverty, limited access to services).
(4) Lack of child care and transport.
(2) Taking a passive role, leaving education to schools.
(3) Ignorance of linguistic and cultural differences, school policies and practices, and the role of parents in education.
(4) Scepticism about how they will be treated by the educators.
(5) Perceived insensitivity to parents' needs or wishes.Christenson (2004) also identified structural and psychological barriers related to barriers arising from educators and school-family relationships.This means that parents are not the only source of problems in teacher-parent relationships.This study focused only on the attitudes and behaviours of parents that affect teacher motivation, and did not address the systemic and teacher-related issues that affect relationships.The aim of this study was to determine the attitudes and behaviors of parents that, in the view of teachers, have a positive or negative impact on teacher motivation.

Research Design
This study determines the attitudes and behaviors of parents that affect teacher motivation through the views of teachers.As the aim was to describe and analyze a limited system in depth, the study used a case study methodology in line with Merriam's (2013) explanation.The use of the case study design provided teachers with the opportunity to understand and explain in detail their experiences, thoughts and feelings about the attitudes and behaviours of parents.

Study Group
The study group of the research consists of 19 teachers working in official secondary schools and secondary schools for imams and preachers in the center of Karatay district, Konya province, Turkey.The maximum diversity sampling method, one of the purposeful sampling methods, was used to determine the participants.In this context, school type (secondary school [SS] and secondary schools for imams and preachers [SSIP]) and socioeconomic level of the environment where the school is located, gender, branch, educational status, and being a parent of a student were determined as diversity factors.The determination of the diversity factors was based on the studies of Bellibas and Gumus (2013) and Can (2009).Information about participants is presented in Table 1.The real names of the participants were kept confidential, and each was given a code name.

Data Collection
Data were collected using a semi-structured interview technique.First, a literature review was conducted and the relevant research was analyzed to prepare the interview questions.The prepared questions were presented to three different experts who have studies on parental involvement in the field of educational administration.After receiving the experts' opinions, pilot interviews were conducted.After the expert opinions were received, pilot interviews were conducted and the questions were finalised by taking these interviews into consideration.The main question decided to be asked in the semi-structured interview is as follows Do the positive/negative attitudes and behaviours exhibited by student parents have an effect on your professional motivation?
During the interview, questions such as "Can you elaborate a little more?" and "Can you explain a little more?" were also asked to allow participants to elaborate their thoughts.
The interviews were carried out face -to -face by the first researcher.Participants were contacted by phone or email before the interview.They were informed about the study.Teachers who agreed to be interviewed were also given written information before the interview.They were also asked to do a think piece on the research.The interviews were carried out in the schools where the participating teachers worked.An appointment was made in advance at a time that was convenient for the teachers.Before the interview, the participants were given the voluntary participant consent form.
The interviews were recorded with a voice recorder with the permission of the participants.During the interview, notes were taken by the interviewer.The interviewer took note of the participants' gestures and facial expressions and their verbal responses.The shortest interview lasted 12 min and the longest 21 min.The recordings of the interviews were then transcribed.There was no transcription of any information that would be an indication of the identity of the participants.The transcribed versions of the interviews were between 4,300 and 12,000 words in length.

Data Analysis
Data were analyzed using content analysis.For this purpose, the written data were first read several times.
Meaningful units were coded while preserving their integrity.The coded data were first categorized by the first researcher.The categories were then reviewed and finalized jointly by two researchers.Merriam's (2013) recommendations were taken into consideration to ensure the validity and reliability of the research.Participant confirmation was obtained during the interview to ensure the validity of the research.During the interview, the participants were also asked confirmation questions such as "Is this what you meant?" and "Is this what I should understand from your words?".To increase internal validity, interviews were continued until data saturation was reached.Purposive sampling was used to increase external validity.Participants were selected from different schools and teachers with different characteristics.In this respect, an attempt was made to make the findings of the research easily testable in similar settings.To increase external validity, an attempt has been made to have a rich and intense narrative presentation of the participants' descriptions.This was done to ensure that readers of the research could better compare the research with other research.
To ensure internal reliability, first of all, the way the data would be analyzed was determined in detail before the participants were interviewed.This was done to ensure internal reliability.In addition, during the process of analyzing the data collected during the research, the second author checked the compatibility of the data with the findings and participated in the process as a second researcher and expert experienced in parent involvement.To ensure external reliability, the research was conducted and reported transparently.In addition, throughout the entire analysis and reporting process, the process was completed by making constant comparisons about whether the findings were compatible with previous research.

Results
Based on the interviews with the teachers, parent behaviors affecting teacher motivation are given below under two headings as behaviors that affect teacher motivation positively and behaviors that affect teacher motivation negatively.

Parent Attitudes and Behaviours that Positively Affect Teacher Motivation
Recognition and appreciation: Teachers reported that when parents recognize and express their gratitude or appreciation for the work and effort they put into their children's education, it has a positive impact on their motivation.This includes parents recognizing and thanking teachers for their students' achievements, high test scores, improved behavior increased achievements, or other positive outcomes.The theme of recognition and appreciation generally emphasizes that parents' recognition and appreciation of teachers' works increase teachers' motivation.
Leyla: "I really like it when the parents thank me when the student does well in class or gets good grades in exams." Tezer: "Teacher, what have you done to our child?Our child talks about you all the time during the day, and they say that they get excited when it is time for your class.It is wonderful to hear these words from a parent.
Sezai: "When I met his father in the following process, he said that English was his favorite subject and that he tried to do the homework I gave him before his other homework.I worked hard with this student and I was very happy to be rewarded for my efforts".
Tomris: "The parent came to school immediately and brought flowers to celebrate the student's success, which made me jubilant.
Özge: "The parents' approval of my work motivated me a lot.At the end of the process, reaching even one person and bringing about a certain change in one person is the main source of motivation".
Participation and support: Teacher motivation increases when parents are actively involved in their children's learning by attending parent-teacher meetings, helping to solve problems or providing help and resources, setting goals, addressing problems together, and supporting solutions.In practice, this means: Parents show their commitment to their children's education and make teachers feel that they are not alone.For example, parents' help with homework shows that they are invested in their children's education and are willing to contribute to their academic success.This willingness increases teachers' confidence and makes them believe that they will succeed.It creates a positive environment for teachers to continue their work with enthusiasm.
Attila: "When a student is given an assignment, the parents control it as much as they can.They call and ask what they can do.In fact, I have seen parents who are very interested in their students even though they do not know much about the school".
Yahya: "The mother of a student with orthopedic disabilities asked me for permission to follow my classes with her child.She was a very interested parent.When the mother attended the classes with her child, the student's success increased significantly.Parents value education so much that they are so interested in their children".
Tomris: "Sometimes I contact the parents and tell them about the problem their student has.The parent immediately comes to the school and asks me what to do.This shows how much parents care about their students and it makes us very happy to meet such parents".
Enis: "What makes us happy is that some parents tell us that if there is a problem they are ready to do everything they can when we ask for a solution".

Communication:
This theme shows that when parents actively communicate with teachers and provide information about their children, this helps motivate teachers.When parents provide teachers with information about their children's private life, health problems, or daily life, they are better able to respond to the child's individual needs, touch the child's life more, find solutions one on one with the parents, and overcome problems by working together.
Edip: "If we establish a positive communication channel with the parents, we can touch the child's life.It does not necessarily have to be educational.It is also at this stage that we start to look at the student's abilities.We are interested in criteria such as character, behavioral development, and moral development.
The fact that the parents inform us and that we can take care of the student makes us happy".
Attila: "We are an overcrowded school in terms of the number of students.We have over 1500 students.
You cannot even learn the names of so many students, let alone their problems.In my opinion, it is a very noble behavior when a parent comes to you and opens up and expresses the problems of his/her child.
Although you do not have the opportunity to know the problem personally, the parent informs you and you can overcome the problem by working together.This is a motivating situation for the teacher.I think it is the same for the parents".
Trust in teachers' expertise: Teachers stated that parents should recognize their professional expertize and respect their authority in the classroom.Parents avoiding excessive intervention, trusting teachers judgment and allowing them to fulfill their teaching responsibilities contribute to teachers' motivation.
The emphasis of the theme is that they expect teachers expertize to be trusted and parents to empower teachers to make decisions without undue interference.In this way, the ability of teachers to fulfill their teaching responsibilities autonomously is a source of teacher motivation.
Edip: "Some of our parents have developed an awareness of education.They say that we are experts in the subject, that they will do what we say for the success of their students and that they will always show their support throughout the process".
İlhan says: " After the student misbehaves, we call the parents and explain what happened.Sometimes, after the smallest mistake, the parents come to the school and say: 'Teacher, let's do whatever it takes to prevent the problem from growing.When we have this kind of reaction, it is a great boost to our selfconfidence.
Necip: "For example, last year we got a student from our neighborhood into Science High School for the first time.In this case, the family's positive attitude toward us during the examination process was very effective.The phrases they said to us, like we are willing to do whatever you say, we are willing to sacrifice our lives according to your desires, really affected our attitude toward that student.It made us both run to school and love the profession more".
Trust in teachers' expertise also means that when teachers trust parents' professional judgment and take their advice, it increases their motivation and confidence.Trust increases teachers' motivation by making them feel supported and respected in their role.
Lale: "Parents must trust me.When I feel that, I feel more comfortable".
Göktuğ: "The main livelihood in this region is animal raising and construction work, which can affect the level of personal care our students receive.When I took the initiative to address this aspect, they expressed their gratitude by saying, 'Teacher, you are doing an excellent work', and it brought me great joy.
Some parents cannot go to the city center to provide for their children's needs.But the parents who trust us say, 'Teacher, you understand the child's needs and provide what is necessary, and we will support you.
Acting as a member of the student's family and bridging these gaps gives me immense satisfaction.
Valuing holistic development: Arts, sports and culture teachers in particular expressed that they are motivated to pursue their work with passion when parents support extra-curricular activities, promote physical and emotional well-being and recognise efforts to support pupils' holistic development.The theme implies that teachers are more motivated by parents' recognition and appreciation of the wider aspects of a child's development and well-being beyond academic achievement than by a concern solely for exam success.It underlines how important it is for teachers to help children develop intellectually but also to help them develop physically, emotionally, socially, and creatively.Teachers also indicated that they are motivated by parents who prioritize the physical and emotional wellbeing of their children.This includes parents who encourage healthy habits such as proper nutrition, regular exercise, and adequate rest.
Göktuğ: "Some parents focus on subjects such as math and science.When the parents support my work, it opens up a new field of study for the student.When I get the necessary support from my parents, I can work with more enthusiasm".
Sezai: "Conscious parents who give up the idea of preparing their children for constant competition are also motivation for us.
Cemal: "Once, I had a class counseling session.I had 25 students in my class, and we had a parent meeting.... One parent raised their hand, and I said, 'Please go ahead.' ... They said that I was constantly involved in cinema and theater and did not allocate time for other things.They said, 'I wish my child was in another class.'... After that incident, it took me three or four months to recover.I even considered quitting teaching." Enis: "We have parents who forcibly take their children to different places and prevent them from participating in sports activities.We have parents who say, 'Just don't go today' and show no concern.A lack of training can disrupt our work, but unfortunately, parents do not appreciate us as much as we would like." Resources and material support: Teachers have mentioned that providing financial support, such as assisting in acquiring necessary materials, contributing to classroom resources, or helping with equipment repairs, positively impacts the motivation and effective teaching skills of parents.Required materials for the classroom may include textbooks, workbooks, stationery supplies, art materials, science equipment, or technology tools.
Cahit: "Due to our subject, we produce tangible products.We would like our parents to visit our workshop and support us in obtaining materials." Necip: "We had a parent who graciously volunteered to meet all the material needs of the school.It is a great act of generosity for a parent to contribute to beautifying the school like this." Positive and Respectful Behavior: Teachers are motivated by parents who exhibit positive and respectful behavior both in front of their children and in direct interactions with teachers.Parents who adopt a positive and respectful communication style also contribute to a healthy teacher-parent relationship as well.
Nazım: "The knowledge that there will be no abuse, bad words or violence from parents makes me more comfortable in my job." Leyla: "Even if we have problems with a parent, the student remains unaware of it.The child continues to show you the respect you deserve.Even if the incident with the parent is negative, I am happy when they display this attitude.I believe the parent also respects me." Attila: "There is a certain boundary here, and I will not cross that boundary, and the parent will encroach on my territory.As long as the parent and teacher respect each other's personal spaces, there will not be any issues."

Parent Attitudes and Behaviors that Negatively Impact Teacher Motivation
Parent indifference and lack of involvement: The theme indicates that the lack of parental involvement in their children's education and school community negatively impacts teacher motivation.Parents who see their role as minimal or even perceive education as solely the responsibility of the school and teachers can make teachers feel unsupported and undervalued.Examples of parental indifference and lack of involvement include parents not coming to school, not inquiring about their child's progress, not participating in virtual meetings, or not knowing their child's classroom or name.
Necip: "There are parents whom I have never seen in the classroom, whose names I do not even know.I invite parents to come to school, but they never show up." Nazım: "I rarely encounter parents who come to ask about their child's progress." Leyla: "Parents do not come to school or refuse to participate in virtual meetings.I have come across parents who do not even know their child's classroom or name." Tomris: " What parents generally do is send their children to school and then take no interest in anything else.The developmental period, especially for 7th-and 8th-grade students, requires social support.The biggest negative is that parents ignore this need of the student." Teacher İlhan: "I drop off my child at school, and you educate, nurture, teach, and handle everything.Don't bother with the rest.regarding discipline issues with their children, you receive very little feedback from oblivious parents."

Blaming teachers and schools:
The theme indicates that some parents tend to shift responsibility and attribute their child's negative behavior solely to external factors such as the school or the teacher, which negatively impacts teacher motivation.These parents, instead of recognizing and addressing their child's behaviour try to blame educators for absolving themselves and their children from any responsibility.
Tezer: "Children can make mistakes, but these parents try to blame us every time by ignoring their child's faulty behavior to ease their conscience.They always support the student.While parents try to raise princes and princesses, we face the consequences." Leyla: "I provided extra resource books to my successful students who were financially struggling.I motivated them to solve more tests.I also volunteered to support them outside class hours.The parents filed a complaint with the Ministry of Education, claiming that I was not interested in their children.Since that day, I could not focus on private lessons with students." Cahit: "I noticed that a student did not bring any materials.When I asked why, he said that he was engaged in animal husbandry, that his family worked hard and that he forgot because he was busy.I phoned her mother.The mother said that she would do everything for her child's education and that they would not make him work hard at home.We talked about what they would do and hung up the phone (without any problems).The next day, the child's mother came to the principal and complained about me.The thing she complained about me was that I called her and talked about her child."

Lack of trust in teacher's professional expertize:
The theme indicates that when parents violate the boundaries of teachers' professional expertise it negatively impacts their motivation.In conversations, teachers mentioned incidents where parents interfered with their work, questioned their competence, and tried to dictate certain aspects of their teaching or classroom management.According to teachers, such boundary violations weaken their professional autonomy and expertize decreasing motivation and morale.
Lale: "Although it was not in any of the acquisitions of my lesson, (a parent) sent a message saying "Teacher, you did not teach this subject, it would have been better if you had taught it and I wish you had taught it in this way".He is even trying to decide the method and technique I will use, not to mention the subject I will teach.I was obsessed with this message in my head for two days.It really lowered my motivation.It made me feel inadequate.Anyway, after the parent says "Teacher, you know better, but", I think any word that comes after "but" is going to interfere with your work." Necip: "Once, a parent started telling me how to teach the lesson, how to communicate with the students, how to grade, and so on.I did not flinch and when they finished talking, I asked them what they do for a living.'I'm an electrician,' he said.I said, 'If I interfered with your work by saying, 'Do this here, do that there,' wouldn't you hit me on the head with the spanner in your hand?'He laughed and said, 'I would'.I said, 'Then don't interfere with my work." Göktuğ: "While inspecting the students' attire for inappropriate dress, I warned a student about their hair.
The parent came to school and, in front of everyone, reacted in a loud and inappropriate manner, asking me why I was concerned about their child's hair.This situation damaged my respect for my profession."

Unbalanced communication and lack of positive feedback:
The theme refers to the imbalance in how parents communicate with teachers and the limited or absent positive feedback from parents, which leads to a decrease in teacher motivation.In discussions, many teachers mentioned that parents often complain or criticize when their children are involved in a negative situation or face a problem.However, when students achieve success or display positive behaviors parents tend not to share or express their appreciation toward teachers.
Cemal: "Parents only seem to come to school when something bad happens.They do not inquire about their child's achievements or any school activities.It demotivates us and exhausts us professionally when parents who quickly react to negative incidents do not appreciate the good work we do.This situation pushes us toward burnout syndrome." Yahya: "Some parents can create chaos at school when any incident occurs involving their child.We face situations where they shout, scream, and even insult teachers.Parents do not fully evaluate the incident and directly blame the other party (teachers) and unfortunately, the incident does not only remain in blame.
We can be subjected to insults even in front of other teachers and students.Such incidents frequently at the school where I work.We inevitably fear that a parent will enter the classroom and cause a disturbance.
There is also the fear that a child will go home and make baseless accusations, leading to the parent coming to school and causing a fight.This situation prevents us from moving freely in the classroom.It affects not only the teacher directly involved in the incident but also other teachers." Nazım: "When there is a problem caused by a student and the parent comes to school, instead of resolving the issue, they escalate it into a bigger problem.There have been instances where a parent pulled a knife on me and other teachers.We have experienced parental violence firsthand.The parent was called to the school because of his child's indiscipline.The incident ended with the parent pulling a knife on the teachers." Disregard for teachers' personal lives: The theme indicates that parents' behaviour of disregarding teachers' personal lives negatively impacts teacher motivation.The statements obtained from discussions emphasize that parents exhibit behavior that crosses these boundaries and disregards teachers' personal well-being, which in turn negatively affects teacher motivation.These behaviors include the constant expectation of accessibility and a lack of respect for teachers' personal lives.
Özge: "A parent asked me about their child's exam results through WhatsApp.Even though the parents could access the results through the e-school system, they felt entitled to ask me about it in the middle of the night.I contacted him, wondering if she had access to the system.She said they could access it but wanted me to send the results.Unfortunately, parents try to establish excessive familiarity with teachers through social media.This certainly affects our morale.When a parent behaves like this, the student eventually starts to lose respect for the teacher." Lale: "The parent of a student for whom I am the class advisor messaged me at 10:00-PM asking about homework.I had previously informed my parents that I may not respond to messages sent after a certain hour.When they did not receive a response, they messaged again at midnight.When I still did not respond, they attempted to call me.When I asked why they were calling at this hour, they used disrespectful language, saying that it was my duty to answer.As if that was not enough, the next day they complained about me to the school administration, claiming that I was not helpful to them." The illiterature and understanding of parents: The theme refers to the limited knowledge and awareness of parents regarding their children's education and the general education system.This illiterature and understanding can negatively impact teacher motivation.
Leyla: "In my experience, the root cause of the problems I face lies in the parents' illiterature or their lack of knowledge about their child's educational process.It is easier for a parent who is at least somewhat educated or has a diploma to empathize with their child." Enis: "I believe that parents who display negative behavior have not received sufficient education or have never sat in these classrooms." İlhan: "In ignorant parents, there is usually a tendency like this: 'I drop off my child at school, you educate, teach, do everything, look after their appearance, solve their problems.Don't bother me with the rest.'When their child has a problem, you receive very little feedback from oblivious parents." Edip: "We have parents who are incapable of fulfilling their duties as mothers and fathers.When parents become more aware in this regard, it will increase our motivation as well."

Discussion, Conclusion & Suggestions
Based on the findings from teacher interviews, two conclusions can be drawn regarding parental attitudes and behaviors that affect teacher motivation.First, when parents recognize and appreciate teachers' work, participate in school activities and provide support, engage in effective communication, demonstrate trust in their expertize value holistic development, provide resources and material support, and exhibit respectful behavior it positively impacts teacher motivation.Second, when parents act in a neglectful manner and do not participate in their child's education, blame teachers and schools for educational outcomes, show distrust in teachers' expertise, engage in unbalanced communication, and disregard teachers' personal lives, it negatively affects teacher motivation.The findings align with previous research results that indicate both positive (Ada et al., 2013;Aydemir, 2008;Christenson, 2004;Karabağ-Köse et al., 2018;Kıral, 2019;Kızıltepe, 2011;Mann & Gilmore, 2021;Ünal, 2012a,b) and negative (Ada et al., 2013;Christenson, 2004;Karabağ-Köse et al., 2018;Kızıltepe, 2011;Mann & Gilmore, 2021;Özge-Sağbaş & Özkan, 2022) parental behaviors that impact teacher motivation.Additionally, it can be stated that the results largely support Anastasiou and Papagianni's (2020) finding that teachers support parental involvement but do not want parents to interfere in their work.
When analyzing the parental behaviors that affect teacher motivation, based on the findings from teacher interviews, seven parental behaviors can be identified: recognition and appreciation, participation and support, communication, trust in teacher expertize valuing holistic development, and resource and material support.
Recognition and Appreciation: Expressing gratitude and appreciation for teachers' efforts positively influence their motivation.Feeling valued and appreciated by parents enhances teachers' sense of accomplishment and encourages them to continue working hard.On the other hand, the lack of recognition or appreciation can decrease teacher motivation, making them feel undervalued and unappreciated.
Participation and Support: Active parental involvement and support in their children's education create a positive environment that motivates teachers.Parents who attend meetings, collaborate in problem solving, and provide resources demonstrate their commitment to their children's education, which in turn boosts teacher motivation.
Conversely, the lack of participation and support can lead to feelings of being unsupported and overwhelmed, negatively impacting teacher motivation.
Communication: Open and informative communication between parents and teachers is crucial for understanding each other's perspectives and working together effectively.When parents communicate openly and provide information about their child's situation, it allows teachers to meet the individual needs of the student and overcome challenges.Conversely, unbalanced communication that focuses primarily on criticism without providing constructive feedback can create a hostile environment and decrease teacher motivation.
Trust in Teacher Expertise: Trusting and respecting teachers' professional expertize is vital for teacher motivation.When parents accept and trust teachers' knowledge and skills, it enables teachers to exercise their professional autonomy and make decisions that benefit students.On the other hand, parents who question or excessively interfere with teachers' competence undermine professional boundaries and hinder teacher motivation.
Additionally, when parents reach the point of blaming teachers or schools for their child's problems, it can make teachers feel unappreciated and unjustly targeted, leading to a decrease in motivation.
Valuing Holistic Development: Parents who support their child's holistic development and appreciate teachers' efforts in fostering various aspects of growth have a positive impact on teacher motivation.Recognizing the importance of extracurricular activities and promoting students' overall well-being creates a positive partnership between parents and teachers.Conversely, parents who fail to appreciate the significance of holistic development may undermine teachers' efforts in these areas, particularly for teachers of subjects such as art and sports, leading to a decline in motivation.
Resource and Material Support: Financial contributions from parents for classroom materials alleviate resource constraints and positively influence teacher motivation.Parents providing the necessary supplies for their children and contributing to the procurement of classroom materials enable teachers to create a conducive learning environment.The recognition of both parental interest and support, along with the availability of an appropriate educational setting, naturally enhances a teacher's enthusiasm.Conversely, the lack of resources and materials can generate concerns about failure due to limited resources, resulting in disappointment and decreased motivation for teachers.
Positive and Respectful Behaviour: Parents who exhibit positive and respectful behavior including respecting teachers' personal lives, promote a healthy teacher-parent relationship.This positive relationship creates a supportive and collaborative environment that motivates teachers to perform at their best.Conversely, parents' negative or disrespectful behaviours can strain the relationship and negatively impact teacher motivation.
When analyzing parental behaviors that positively or negatively affect teacher motivation, the impact of these behaviors can vary depending on the teacher and the context.Additionally, it should be recognized that these behaviors are not mutually exclusive and can coexist within the same parent.For example, a parent may exhibit supportive behavior in certain situations while displaying negative behavior in others.The impact of parental behavior on teacher motivation can vary based on the frequency and intensity of these behaviors All the parental behaviors that influence teacher motivation indicates that teachers perceive schools as professional institutions that produce professional services.In other words, teachers see themselves as experts and expect parents to be allies who do what is expected of them without questioning.However, in today's school design as a learning organization, parents are expected to be partners.The role of parents in a learning organization entails their active involvement in their children's education, regular communication with teachers, and having a say in their child's education.While the themes of communication, parental participation and support in this study may suggest that teachers' mental model of the school design aligns with a learning organization, teachers' perspectives reveal that the expected communication and participation from parents are seen more as subordinates who simply do as the teacher says.This finding aligns with the study conducted by Ünal et al. (2010), which indicates that educators do not view parents as stakeholders in educational activities, but rather expect them to be passive individuals who accept their expertize and do not intervene in their work.Therefore, it can be inferred that there has been no change in the school and parent design in educators' perspectives over time.This lack of change is natural as there has been no explicit discussion or policy change regarding school design in Turkey during this period.
The main contribution of this research to the literature lies precisely in this point.Teachers develop expectations from parents based on their mental model of the school, and when parental attitudes and behaviors align with their expectations, their motivation increases.Conversely, when parental attitudes and behaviors diverge from their expectations, their motivation decreases.In this sense, teachers' motivation may be the result of themselves not perceiving parents as equal partners in line with their mental model of the school.When teachers correctly position the school, themselves, and parents, some motivation problems can be resolved.Christenson (2004) identified "lack of training for educators on how to establish and maintain partnerships with families" as a barrier to the parent involvement.This lack of training also applies to Turkey.In Turkey, teachers do not receive education on how to establish partnerships with families, how to maintain communication and collaboration with them, neither during their pre-service nor in-service training.It is clear that teacher candidates and teachers need to be trained on how to establish partnerships with families, how to maintain communication and collaboration.
Although the findings include the illiterature and understanding of parents as one of the parental behaviors that negatively affect teacher motivation, it is not explicitly mentioned as one of the six effective parental behaviors on teacher motivation.The reason for this is that the lack of parental education and understanding is not a behavior of parents but rather a characteristic.Therefore, it seems more accurate to consider the lack of parental education and understanding as a factor that increases parental behaviors that decrease teacher motivation, rather than labeling it as a parental behavior that negatively affects teacher motivation.Based on the perceptions of teachers whose motivation is affected by the lack of parental education and understanding, it can be said that schools are designed as factories.
According to this design, parents are seen as determinants of student performance (Schlechty, 2009).This implies that the views that attribute most students' academic success to family characteristics (Carneiro, 2008;Coleman et al., 1966), which are accepted by policymakers and teachers, overshadow what can be done at school.This acceptance can be observed in the statement of the participant Edip, "We have parents who are incapable of fulfilling their parental duties.When parents become aware, our motivation will also increase."This situation may lead teachers to value and invest less in parent-teacher relationships with socioeconomically disadvantaged parents (Bellibas & Gumus, 2013), as evidenced by their lower investment in the relationship (Mann & Gilmore, 2021;Ünal, 2012b).In other words, teachers who claim that their motivation decreases due to the lack of parental education and understanding may actually be igniting the fuze of parental behaviors that decrease their own motivation by not sufficiently investing in their parent-teacher relationships.
Another assessment related to the theme of parental education and understanding is linked to teachers' academic optimism.Hoy (2008) highlighted the importance of academic optimism in teacher motivation.Teacher academic optimism refers to a self-directed positive belief system regarding the capacity to teach all students despite difficulties, establishing trusting relationships with students and parents, and prioritizing academic tasks (Woolfolk Hoy et al., 2008).In their study, Üzüm and Ünal (2023) found that the fundamental determinant of teacher academic optimism is the teacher's experience of success or failure in their profession.It is natural for teachers who perceive schools and parents as determinants of performance (Schlechty, 2009) to experience failure or worry about potential failure, which can lead to a decrease in motivation.What is unnatural is accepting this situation without trying to create a new school design and provide teacher training on the parental involvement.In fact, researchers such as Swap (1990), Grolnick andSlowiaczek (1994), andEpstein (1995) have proposed models to ensure that parental involvement is not left to chance and that schools take specific measures to guarantee parental participation.For example, Epstein's (1995) model highlights the importance of parent education in eliminating the illiterature and understanding that teachers complain about.In other words, schools and teachers should not only complain about the illiterature and understanding of parents or mention how these factors affect their motivation but also implement practices aimed at addressing these issues.It is expected that policymakers and school administrators design schools as learning organizations and develop training programs that make parents equal partners according to this design.
The contribution of the research to practitioners lies precisely at this point.Schools should be designed in a way that views parents as equal partners.Schools should establish parental involvement policies that implement this design without waiting for appropriate behavior from parents, aiming to both enhance teacher motivation and promote parental participation.Teacher training on the parental involvement also appears necessary for the effective implementation of these policies.
The research has four notable limitations.Firstly, the small sample size of just 19 teachers from a specific region in Turkey limits the generalizability of the findings to different regions and school types.Secondly, relying solely on teacher perspectives may not fully capture the actual attitudes and behaviors of parents affecting teacher motivation, warranting a more comprehensive approach involving parents, students, and school administrators.Thirdly, purposeful sampling with a focus on specific factors may introduce sampling bias, potentially undermining the study's representativeness of parent attitudes and behaviors.Lastly, the exclusive use of semi-structured interviews as the data collection method, conducted in person, could lead to response bias and omitted topics due to time constraints, possibly introducing social desirability bias.
to know what roles the school design assigns to parents and what roles parents assign to the school, and what mutual expectations they have.Research conducted by Ünal (2012a) revealed that there are six types of expectations from parents in school-parent relationships in Turkey: Supporting educational activities: Parents check their children's homework and help them with their homework.Participation in social activities: Parents should participate in and financially support school ceremonies and social events.Taking part in decision making and following instructions: Parents should make suggestions to the school management and follow the school's policies.Communication: Parents should be in constant communication with the school management and teachers about their children and should take action regarding the student as directed by the teachers.Financial Contribution: Parents should contribute financially to the school to meet its physical and educational needs.Meeting their children's educational needs: Parents should send their children to school by meeting their needs.

Table 1 :
Personal and professional characteristics of the study group