WHAT DID THE SCHOOL PRINCIPALS LEARN FROM THE PANDEMIC IN TURKEY? - Experiences During the Process

Oct 15, 2026

The study examines how school principals in Turkey experienced the COVID-19 pandemic and what they learned during the process. Motivated by principals’ active guidance role for school stakeholders coping with the crisis, it applies a qualitative phenomenological approach using focus group interviews. The research highlights panic, fear, and uncertainty, and notes conflicts arising from decisions made without stakeholder participation. Post-pandemic expectations include local decision-making, efficient management, parent training, improved technological competence, and stronger techno-pedagogic and communication mechanisms.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Methodology

Participants and data collection

WHAT DID THE SCHOOL PRINCIPALS LEARN FROM THE PANDEMIC IN TURKEY? EXPERIENCES DURING THE PROCESS YEŞIM ÖZER ÖZKAN Gaziantep University, Turkey METIN ÖZKAN Gaziantep University, Turkey SELAHATTIN TURAN Bursa Uludağ University, Turkey ABSTRACT The aim of the study was to examine the experiences of school principals in Turkey during the pandemic. The fact that school principals have taken on an active role as guiding the school shareholders in coping with the crisis was the motive for focusing on their experiences. The study based on a qualitative phenomenological approach. Data was collected by way of a focus group interviews. As is the case globally, the pandemic has led to feelings ofpanic, fear and uncertainty among the people in Turkey. Immediate decisions without shareholder participation and which conflict with each other were taken during the crisis period. In this regard, even though the expectations are not high, establishing local decision-making units and managing them efficiently, developing parent training programs and increasing the technological competence levels, focus on techno-pedagogic competencies on the part of institutions responsible from training and educating teachers and establishing effective communication and decision mechanisms among the school shareholders are among the advancements expected for thepost-pandemic period. INTRODUCTION COVID-19 has made a deep impact and reshaped social, cultural, economic, and political life on a global scale. It can be predicted that this impact will continue in all areas in the future as is the casein the present. Education and schools are among the institutions that have been affected the most from the pandemic. Many studies have been conducted in international (Azorin, 2020; Beauchamp, Hulme, Clarke, Hamilton and Harvey, 2021; Harris, 2020; Harris and Jones, 2020; Netolicky, 2020) and national literature (Akyavuz and Çakın; 2020; Aytaç, 2020; Çakın and Akyavuz, 2020; Keleş, Atay and Karanfil, 2020; Taşar, 2021) to understand the reflections ofthe pandemic affecting schools. Past criticisms on the school have increased with the pandemic. These criticisms on the school focus mostly on statements that the school has diverted from its essential functions thus failing to provide a fair, equal and quality education to all individuals. Schools have been shut down globally during this period forcing school principals and education systems to face dire problems. School principals have directly encountered these problems because schools are the institutions where education policies are implemented. School principals have on the one hand tried to inform the parents, students and teachers on the current situation while on the other hand they have strived to solve many problems by themselves. The problems that school principals faced during this period, the challenges, solution suggestions along with the evaluation of what has been learned during this period as well as the lessons that can be drawn comprise the primary subject of the present Educational Planning Summer 2021 39 Vol. 28, No. 3 study. The poor have always been the greatest victims of crises. They have again been the social group that has been affected the most from the pandemic which made problems such as social justice in education, social equality and equal opportunity more visible. It has thus gained significant importance to examine the priorities of the school principals during the time of crisis, their strategies as well as the lessons that can be drawn from this crisis. In this context, Smith and Riley (2010) was taken as the theoretical basis. According to the authors in times of crisis, the critical qualities of effective leadership are the ability to deal with uncertainty; determination to question events in new and insightful ways; flexible and quick to react and accept change when necessary; believing that you can deal with the crisis as a team; perseverance, a willingness

FAQs

What was the purpose of the study about school principals in Turkey?

The study aimed to examine school principals’ experiences during the pandemic and what they learned from it.

How was the research conducted and what method was used to collect data?

It used a qualitative phenomenological approach, with data collected through focus group interviews.

What kinds of lessons or expected advancements were discussed for the post-pandemic period?

The text highlights local decision-making units, efficient management, parent training programs, increased technological competence, techno-pedagogic focus, and effective communication and decision mechanisms among stakeholders.

Oct 15, 2026

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