ERIC ED445390: Personal Visions of the Administrators in the Turkish Elementary Schools for the 21st Century.

12 Pages·1998·0.22 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
EA 030 535
ED 445 390
AUTHOR Ercetin, S. Sule
Personal Visions of the Administrators in the Turkish
TITLE
Elementary Schools for the 21st Century.
PUB DATE 1998-00-00
NOTE
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Research (143)
Information Analyses (070)
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*Administrator Characteristics; *Administrator Role;
DESCRIPTORS
*Assistant Principals; Discipline; Elementary Education;
Foreign Countries; *Leadership Qualities; *Organizational
Objectives; *Principals; Public Schools; School Community
Relationship
IDENTIFIERS *Turkey (Ankara)
ABSTRACT
Vision is an important dimension in the leadership
characteristics of school administrators. This dimension can be expressed in
a 2-phased process: the development of both personal and organizational
visions. How this vision is developed, however, in school administrators is
difficult to answer. This study looks at the development of personal vision
in school administrators. Data were collected from 158 elementary principals
and 243 assistant principals from Ankara, Turkey. Self-evaluations of
proficiencies, self-development fields, leadership styles, professional
values, and schools were determined. Differences occurred between principals
and assistant principals in determining proficiencies, self-development
fields, and leadership styles. Differences were nonexistent in determining
school climate, school-community relationships, the pressure of superior
administrators, and discipline. These results are compared to the
requirements of 21st century education. (Contains 18 references.)
(DFR)
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
from the original document.
Personal Visions of the Administrators
in the Turkish Elementary Schools
for the 21st Century
S. Su le Ercetin
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
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received from the person or organization
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originating it.
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Points of view or opinions stated in this
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Abstract
of school administrators. This
Vision is an important dimension in the leadership characteristics
development of personal and organizational
important dimension expresses a two-phased process, the
the vision development of school
visions. Our knowledge about the competence related to
personal phase of the vision
administrators employed at present is insufficient. In this study, the
from 158 principals and 243 assistant
development process was performed. The data were collected
metropolitan municipality of
principals employed in elementary schools located in the borders of
administrators about their proficiencies,
Ankara in Turkey. The self-evaluations of above-mentioned
values and schools were determined. The
self development fields, leadership styles, professional
their proficiencies, self
principals and assistant principals are different from each other in determining
in determining the
development fields, and leadership styles. They seem to be a homogenous group
of superior administrators and the
climate of schools, the school-community relationships, the pressure
of school
The results of the study indicated that the vision development potentials
discipline.
principals were found valuable for the 21st. century.
to
O
3
LU
PERSONAL VISIONS OF THE ADMINISTRATORS IN THE TURKISH
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS FOR THE 21g. CENTURY
values to everyone at schools from students to
all teachers.
INTRODUCTION
1.
Vision is to take and manage risks and
to bring and adopt
The researcher tries
the above-mentioned dimensions contain taking
vision and vision development into the field of
and managing risks. The leader elementary
been
has
She
administration.
education
take
and
vision
with
administrators
school
vision
searching personal and organizational
manage risks.
of
administrators
the
from
developments
elementary schools to faculty and universities
VISION DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
3.
for two years. The research related with the
two-phased
faculty and university administrator is a co-study express
a
development
Vision
development of personal
and the research related with the elementary
and
the
process,
school administrators is the study of the writer
organizational visions [3,4].The personal vision
In the
performed and completed by herself.
development phase contains 1) evaluating self,
2) defining in a clear and understandable way
following subtitles, at first the vision is defined
what the leader wants to perform and realize 3)
and the extent of the vision is discussed and then
bringing up desires. The organizational vision
the process of vision development is given.
1) evaluating the
development phase contains
KEY TO RECREATE FUTURE : VISION
defining
the
dreamed
2)
and
organization,
2.
organization.
The literature in the field provides many
The basic functions of the education are
definitions of vision. For example, Shieve and
to meet the
to be leaders and raise leaders
Shoenheit [1] regard vision as " the blueprint of
demands of the 21st.century. Achieving these
Hickman and Silva [2]
".
a desired
state
basic functions depends on visionary leaders in
indicate " vision is the journey from the known
the levels of the educational administration. Our
creating the future from a
to the unknown
of elementary
knowledge about the
extent
montage of facts, hopes, dreams ". In this sense,
at present
school administrators' vision
is
following
the
with
explained
vision
is
insufficient. In this study, the personal phase of
terms of elementary
school
dimensions
in
vision development process was performed and
administrators.
the extent of the personal vision of the university
Vision is the dream and design of future.
administrators was discussed. As a result, in this
The leader elementary school
administrators
study I am going to explain what the personal
with vision are people dreaming and designing
visions of the elementary school administrators
the futures of their schools.
for the 21'.century are.
Vision is to balance dreams with realities.
school administrators
The leader elementary
with vision evaluate the present conditions, the
METHODOLOGY
4.
situations and the possibilities of their own and
4. 1. Sample
their schools.
Vision is to differentiate with values and to
The study was designed in the survey model.
integrate them with spiritual power. The leader
The population of the study consisted of 282
elementary school administrators with vision
principals and 1088 assistant principals
by
meaningful
found
everything
consider
employed in elementary schools located in
and they differentiate
humans to have
value
the borders of metropolitan city of Ankara [5]
their school with them.
All of the principals were tried to be reached and
Vision is to communicate and to share. The
for the assistant principals, the sample range
leader elementary school administrators with
their dreams, plans and
tables were used in selecting the samples [6]. In
vision communicate
1
4
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
the sample range tables, 277 of 1088 assistant
5.
principals were selected to be samples in 0.95
5.1. The Proficiencies of The Elementary School
reliability level and .05 significance level. 158 of
Administrators
243 of 277 assistant
282 principals and
principals were reached .
Elementary school administrators stated
44 different proficiencies that they had. They
4.2. Instrument
were arranged from high to low according to
their frequencies and percentages and the most
In this study, the questionnaire developed by
important five of them are given (Table 1).
The
[3].
used
was
Chance
W.
Edward
questionnaire contained one structured question
Table 1. The Proficiencies of The Elementary
and six open-ended questions related with the
School Administrators
The
phase.
development
vision
personal
questions are as follows:
Ass. Prin. (N= 243)
Principals (N= 158)
1.What are your five greatest
243x5=1215
158x5=790
f
f
proficiencies ?
%
%
The
The
Proficiencies
2.What are your five greatest self-
Proficiencies
Being
7.57
92
12.03
Being
95
development fields?
Motivative
hardworking
3.What are the three things you most
90
7.41
Being
10.63
Leadership
85
value in your professional life?
action-
4.What style of leadership are you
Oriented
most comfortable with?
Obeying the
7.33
89
7.09
Honesty
56
b) Facilitating
a) Structural
rules
Discipline
7.00
c) Supportive d) Participative
85
5.44
Truthness
43
Proficient in
5. What are the most important things
66
4.56
5.43
Fairness
36
career
you want to accomplish in your school?
6.What do you want to change in
The findings related to the proficiencies
your school as an administrator?
that the elementary school administrators have
be
to
like
you
would
7.How
can be summarized as follows:
remembered as an administrator?
39.75 % of the school principals and
1.
of
principals,
assistant
the
%
34.75
4.3. Data Analysis
of
placed
them,
one-third
approximately
themselves in the first five proficiencies within
In analyzing the data, we considered
their own groups.
all of 158 principals and of all 243
The school principals and the
that
2.
seem to be two different
the
give
would
principals
principals
assistant
assistant
responses for every item. The
groups in identifying their own proficiencies.
maximum
that
school
reveal
findings
The
of
was
questions
the
number
total
perceive themselves to have
administrators
considered and this number was multiplied
different proficiencies in number and variety.
with the probable number of the responses.
between two groups
Perception differences
For example, for items 1 and 2 the expected
be claimed
as
an
can
proficiencies
about
would be
total number of the responses
advantage for the success of the school. as The
158x 5 = 790 and 243 x 5 = 1215. Similar
findings related to " truthness" and "honesty",
responses were grouped and frequencies
the principals stated that they had, are supported
were computed. The rates of the items were
of the researcher's
by the findings in a study
put into order from high to low. The same
tried to identify the
[7]. The study mentioned
most important five characteristics that a school
process was applied for items 3,5,6 and 7.
administrator, a leader, needed to have which
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5
they would like to
in which
proficiencies
were 1) truthness, 2) honesty, 3) being open
develop themselves compared with the school
4) reliability and 5) cooperation. The
minded,
principals and form a dynamic group. The
proficiencies that the principals claimed to have
reason for this may be their career expectations
principles such as
are consistent with the ethical
to be come administrators at higher levels.
honesty, justice etc.[8]
The first proficiency areas and others
that the administrators want to develop are
5.2. The Proficiencies of The Elementary School
Administrators Want to Develop
technical, humane, educational and symbolical
powers forming the content of an effective
The most important five proficiencies
known that
educational leadership [9,10]. It is
that the elementary school administrators would
the subjects developing the proficiencies related
like to develop are listed in Table 2.
powers are crucial for the
to three of the five
of
administrators
school
the
development
Table 2. The Proficiencies of The Elementary
required to have all the proficiencies forming the
School Administrators Want to Develop
content of technical, humane, educational and
symbolical powers in order to be able to reach
Ass. Prin. (N= 243)
Principals (N= 158)
the perfection at school. Stating the need for the
243x5=1215
158x5=790
of the proficiencies related to
development
f
f
%
%
The
The Proficiencies
these three powers by school administrators can
Proficiencies
be evaluated as an indication of their desires to
5.60
68
Vision
9.87
78
Managerial
catch the perfection. The findings provide some
Development
Knowledge
content of
the
form
clues
to
5.51
67
9.49 School-
important
Social behavior
75
environment
administrator training programs.
And protocol
Relations
Evaluating the finding as a whole about
5.19
Managerial
9.24
63
Communication
73
the administrators have
that
the proficiencies
Knowledge
Skills
and want to develop, the following points can be
4.69
57
Being
9.24
Vision
73
emphasized:
Courageous
development
The proficiencies of "leadership" and
4.53
Knowledge
55
8.73
69
School-
"proficiency in occupation" that the school
of laws
environment
principals and assistant principals stated that
Relations
they had, and the proficiencies " managerial
"vision development" that
knowledge" and
The findings related to the proficiencies
they wan to develop appear to be contradictory.
that the school administrators want to develop
appearance shows that these
However, this
are as follows:
people perceive themselves positively. It can be
Among the elementary school
I
.
by expressing their own strong
claimed that
administrators, the principals stated that they
aspects affirmatively and their weak aspects
wanted to develop 21 different proficiencies and
self-
achieve
administrators
school
clearly,
the assistant principals stated that they wanted to
evaluations which is one of the preconditions
develop 44 different proficiencies.
leadership and vision development.
46.56 % of the school principals and
2.
25.52 % of the assistant principals were gathered
5.3. Values of The Elementary School
five proficiencies within their own
first
in the
Administrators
groups.
Both groups, even if they were
2.
The first three professional values which
in different importance level, were in need of
take
into
administrators
school
elementary
developing themselves in the proficiencies of
account are given in Table 3.
"managerial knowledge", "vision
development" and "school-environment
relations".
assistant
that
indicate
Findings
principals have a great interest and variety in
3
Is
vision. The approved and shared values in the
Table 3. The Professional Values of The
organizations fulfill the functions of integration
Elementary School Administrators
and motivation [12,13]. However, evaluating the
Ass. Prin. (N= 243)
findings related to the values as a whole and
Principals (N= 158)
243X3=729
integrating them with the concept of vision, it
158X3 =474
%
f
f
%
Values
Values
as
values
such
that
the
claimed
can
be
9.47
69
knowledge, creativity, risk-taking should be in
Respect
11.60
58
Being hard-
working
the systems of value of the administrators [14].
8.92
Discipline
65
10.97
52
Discipline
5.4. Leadership Styles of The Elementary School
8.64
Tolerance
63
10.76
Student
51
Administrators
The findings related professional values
of the
The leadership
school
styles
administrators can be
of elementary school
in which they find themselves
administrators
summarized as follows:
successful are given in Table 4.
school
elementary
the
1.Among
administrators, principals approve of 16 values
Table 4. Leadership Styles of The Elementary
and assistant principals approve of 13 values. It
School Administrators
is understood that with the differences, they
Ass. Prin. (N= 243)
Principals (N= 158)
generally approve of the same professional
f
f
%
Leadership
%
Leadership
values.
Styles
Styles
2.Within their own groups, views of
66.25
Sharing
49.36
78
Sharing
161
33.33 % of the principals and 27.02 % of the
16.04
Facilitating
39
19.62
Facilitating
31
focused on the first three
assistant principals
12.75
Structural
26
16.45
31
Structural
values
.
In the literature, values are related to
4.93
Supportive
12
Supportive
23 14.55
"the nature of task " and " the results of the
task". The people approving the values related
The findings related to the leadership
to " the nature of the task" prefer the jobs at
styles of the school administrators in which they
new knowledge and
which they would gain
find themselves successful are as follows:
all the potentials. The people
skills and reveal
1.49.36 % of the principals and 66.25 %
approving of the values of "the results of the
of assistant principals favor the leadership style
which provide
some
task" prefer the jobs
of " sharing".
social and economic returns such as money,
assistant
and
principals
2.School
status and reliance etc. [11]. The administrators
ranging the leadership styles
are
principals'
of
approve of the values related to "the nature
different.
the task".
Four leadership styles defined for school
"the theory of four factors"
The value shared by the principals and
principals
in
This
"discipline".
"the administrative skill fields"
principals
is
assistant
emphasizing
supports the findings some other
are 1) structural, 2) facilitating, 3) supportive
findings
that
many
revealed
in
which
and sharing [15]. Among these leadership styles
studies
the values favoring hierarchy,
the
successful
organizations
themselves
find
they
in
power, authority and discipline are prominent
style of sharing whose prominent
leadership
characteristics are approaching the events with
[4].
Approval of the discipline as a common
pre judgment,
without
and
tolerance
value can be as a consequence of social culture,
others' thoughts and involving
understanding
the expectations of the society from school or
decision making process, working effectively
managerial philosophy of the administrators.
with individuals and groups and motivating the
Administrators' approval of the values "in the
also
are
characteristics
These
personnel.
order of
same field", but not in the same
emphasized by new leadership approaches as the
importance, makes us think that they can act
characteristics that a leader is supposed to have.
together as teams to develop and expand the
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7
that they want to accomplish together, they
In this respect, school administrators perceived
knowledge,
administrative
the
emphasized
themselves positively.
development and
school-environment
vision
However, at this stage it should be
relations which were vary similar to these three
emphasized that none of these leadership styles
things. This also shows their desire to solve the
can be claimed as "the best" because a
problems in these problematic fields.
successful and effective school principal is
The school climate, quality of education
expected to choose and practice the proper
and environmental relations can be thought as
leadership style(s) depending on his school,
interdependent crucial variables. A school whose
situations and conditions. Regarding the
climate is not good enough cannot be expected
proficiencies of the administrators, it can be
to be effective, and a school which lost its health
claimed that this expectation can match the
and effectiveness cannot be expected to provide
administrative skills of the administrators with
and to
have good
education
qualified
a
their leadership styles.
Therefore, Turkish
relations
environmental
.
Education System is criticized with its climate
5.5. The Most Important Things The Elementary
School Administrators Want to Accomplish
because of its bureaucratic characteristics which
go away with
their
cause the
to
schools
parents, new
The first three things that school
educational activities from life,
administrators want to accomplish are given in
developments, and within system, everyday new
conflicts have been experienced because of the
Table 5.
centrally organized structure [16,17,18].
Table 5. The Most Important Things The
Elementary School Administrators Want to
5.6. The Most Important Things The Elementary
Accomplish
School Administrators Want to Change
Ass. Prin. (N= 243)
Principals (N= 158)
three things that elementary
The first
f
f
Things
%
%
Things
school administrators want to change in their
243X3=729
158X3=474
schools are presented in Table 6.
94
12.98
Improving
60
12.65
Improving
the school
the school
Table 6. The Most Important Things The
climate
climate
Elementary School Administrators Want to
7.27
Improving
53
7.81
37
Improving
Change
the quality
the quality
education
education
Ass. Prin. (N= 243)
Principals (N= 158)
7.27
School-
53
6.54
School-
31
f
f
%
Things
%
Things
environment
environment
243X3=729
158X3=474
Relations
Relations
School
11.11
13.08
School climate
62
81
climate
The findings
that
school
related
to
Lack of
6.58
48
7.59
Pressure of the
36
as
are
accomplish
want
to
administrators
school-
superior
follows:
environment
administrators
of
that
the
things
number
1.The
Relations
principals want to accomplish is 24 and the
Pressure of
6.45
47
7.17
Lack of
34
number of things that the assistant principals
The superior
school-
want to accomplish is 23.
administratos
environment
2.27 % of the principals and 27.43 % of
Relations
the assistant principals took their place in their
own groups regarding the first three subjects.
that
the
The findings related to the situations that
revealed
findings
The
quality of
administrators agreed on climate,
elementary school administrators want to change
education and school-environment relations as
in their schools are presented below:
problematic subjects which need to be
the
improved. Evaluating the proficiencies (Table 2)
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8
of
vision
administration,
knowledge
L The principals want to change
25
development, and school-environment relations.
principals want to change
things and assistant
The principals are willing to develop themselves
24 situations in their schools.
in "communication skills", "social
behavior
27.84 % of the principals and
2.
are willing to
and protocol", their assistants
24.14 % of the assistant principals shared the
improve themselves in " knowledge of laws"
first three situations within their groups. Except
and "being courageous".
the "pressure of the superior administrators,
3.The administrators who have positive
they showed consistency with the changes that
about themselves
to
ready
are
perceptions
they want to do in their schools and on their
powerful aspects effectively to
evaluate their
of
own. It is understandable that the pressure
make use of them in fulfilling their duties, to
is ranked by the
the superior administrators
identify their own weak aspects to develop and
principals in the second order and by assistant
enrich them.
principals in the third order. However,
it
is
4. The only common value in the
understood that for the pressure of the superior
of the
of school
vision
individual
focus
administrators is one of the problematic areas
administrators is discipline .
required to be changed. It can be concluded that
their
The administrators
of the
define
centrally
a consequence
5.
this
can
administrative styles as "sharing leadership".
organized structure.
The administrators who approve of the discipline
at school as a value experience the conflict
5.7. How The Elementary School Administrators
between the discipline and the values of new
Want to Be Remembered
leadership approaches.
The school administrators were asked to
leadership
6.School administrators
as
state how they would like to be remembered
of
school-
define
lack
and
teams
feel
with one item. All responses were put into rank
environment relations, lack of the quality of
order. In their first preferences, the principals
of
superior
pressure
and
education
(25.59 %) stated to be remembered as
administrators as the basic problems of Turkish
"a leader" and assistant principals stated to be
Education.
remembered as " an honest person ". These
7.With the general framework of their
findings revealed that school principals and as
individual visions, school administrators appear
administrators and as teams developed a life
to be potential leaders for the 21st.century.
perspective depending on future organizational
8.This potential should be utilized
in
goals and values.
this
In
individual
goals,
education
pre-service
their
in-service and
context, the evaluations that support each other
through the suitable programs.
in first items can be the base for this judgment.
should
be
administrators
The
9.
equipped with adequate authority to flinction
6. CONCLUSION AND
their leadership roles.
RECOMMENDATIONS
10. Organizational vision dimension of
to
studied
should
administrators
be
school
complete this study theoretically.
The conclusions and recommendations
of the study can be summarized as follows:
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I .The school principals find themselves
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L.T.Shieve and M. B Shoenheit (Eds.),
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Leadership: Examining The Elusive
occupationally
being
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Supervision and Curriculum Development
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would
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