TEACHERS' VIEWS CONCERNING THE FUNCTION OF GOSSIPS IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS

Abstract

Abstract The relations between people leadled to the rise of various discourses including others' private lives, organizational knowledge and the aims of the organization in the informal environment of the organization. These discourses can be defined as gossips. Even though the word "gossip" expresses a negative meaning at first, it also has a positive aspect in that it strengthens informal relations and increases organizational commitment. Teachers' views of gossips in schools are capable of determining the form of administrators' behavioursbehaviors in the management of schools. Therefore, the views concerning the purpose for which gossips are used as well as the extent to which gossips are widespread form the purpose of this research. This study employs a descriptive method based on literature review. The population of the study consist of 1.474 teacher of primary schools located in the central district of Adiyaman. The research's sample is constituted by 529 teachers, by using simple random sampling method. The scale of "gossips' function" developed by Foster (2004) was used in data collection. Obtained findings indicate that no significant differences were found between male and famalefemale teachers' wiewsviews on the basis of gossip' function total scores and fun whereas a significant difference in favor of male teacher was found in the dimension of influencing. Key Words: gossip, rumour, informal relations, primary school.

Keywords

• gossip, rumour, informal relations, primary school.

TEACHERS' VIEWS CONCERNING THE FUNCTION OF GOSSIPS IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS

Abstract

Öz Örgütün informal boyutunda insanların birbirleri ile ilişkileri, diğerlerinin özel yaşamlarını, örgütün bilgisini, amaçlarını da içine alan farklı söylemlerin doğmasına neden olur. Dedikodu olarak tanımlanabilecek bu söylemler, ilk bakışta olumsuz bir anlamı ifade etse de, informal ilişkileri güçlendirmesi ve örgütsel bağlılığı artırması nedeniyle olumlu bir yönü vardır. Okullarda öğretmenlerin dedikoduya ilişkin görüşleri, okulların yönetiminde yönetici davranışlarının biçimini belirleyebilir. Bu nedenle; okullarda dedikodunun ne amaçla kullanıldığına ilişkin görüşler ile dedikodunun yaygınlığının ne durumda olduğu bu araştırmanın amacını oluşturmaktadır. Betimsel yöntem kullanılan araştırmanın evrenini Adıyaman İli Merkez İlçe sınırları içerisinde bulunan ilköğretim okullarında görev yapan öğretmenler oluşturmaktadır. Araştırmanın örneklemini ise basit tesadüfi yöntemle belirlen 529 öğretmen oluşturmaktadır. Verilerin elde edilmesinde, Foster (2004) tarafından geliştirilen "Dedikodu İşlev Ölçeği" kullanılmıştır. Verilerin analizi sonucunda; dedikodu işlevi toplam puanı ve eğlenme boyutlarında, kadın ve erkek öğretmen görüşleri arasında anlamlı bir farklılaşma görülmezken etkileme boyutunda, erkek öğretmenler lehine anlamlı bir farklılaşmanın olduğu görülmektedir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Dedikodu, söylenti, informal ilişki, ilköğretim

Keywords

• Dedikodu, söylenti, informal ilişki, ilköğretim

References

1. Aisha, S. (2009) Expert advice: Take school gossip, bullying seriously. Retrevied September 07 , 2009, from http://heygrrrl.wordpress.com.
2. Arabacı, İ. B., Sünkür, M., & Şimşek, F. Z. (2012). Öğretmenlerin dedikodu ve söylenti mekanizmasına ilişkin görüşleri: Nitel bir çalışma. Kuram ve Uygulamada Eğitim Yönetimi [Educational Administration: Theory and Practice], 18(2), 171-190.
3. Araki, C. T. (2008). Dispute management in the schools. Conflict Resolution Quarterly, 8(1), 51Araki, C. T. & Takeshita, C. (1991). Students helping students: Dispute management in the schools. NASSP Bulletin November, 75 (538), 31-37.
4. Aydemir, U. (2007) Dedikodunun boyalı yüzü: Günlük gazetelerde dedikodu haberleri. [ [Painted face of gossip: Gossip news in daily newspapers]. Milli Folklor, 19(75), 113
5. Aydın, M. (1994) Eğitim Yönetimi,[Educational administration], Ankara: Hatiboğlu.
6. Bakan, İ. & Büyükbeşe, T. (2004) Örgütsel iletişim ile iş tatmini unsurları arasındaki ilişkiler: Akademik örgütler için bir alan araştırması. [Organizational communication and relationships between elements of job satisfaction: An area for academic research organizations] Akdeniz İ.İ.B.F. Dergisi, 7, 1-30.
7. Balcı, A.(2010) Sosyal Bilimlerde Araştırma. Yöntem Teknik ve İlkeler, [Techniques of social science research methods and priciples], Ankara: Pegem.
8. Başaran, İ.E. (1998) Yönetimde İnsan İlişkileri, [Human relations in management], Ankara: Aydan Web.

9. Berkos, K.M. (2003) The Effects of Message Direction and Sex Differences on the Interpretation of Workplace Gossip, Dissertation, Louisiana State University.
10. Büyüköztürk, Ş. (2007) Sosyal Bilimler İçin Veri Analizi El Kitabı.[Handbook for social science data analysis], Ankara: Pegem.
11. Carey, B. (2005) Have you heard? Gossip turns out to serve a purpose. Retrevied September 07 , 2009, from www.nytimes.com.
12. Cross, J. E. & Peisner, W. (2009). Recognize: A social norms campaign to reduce rumor spreading in a junior high school. Professional School Counseling, 12(5), 365-377.
13. Crnkovic, G.D. & Anokhina, M.( 2008) Workplace gossip and rumor: The information ethics perspective. Retrevied Agust 04 , 2009, from www.ccsr.dmu.ac.uk.
14. Erdoğan, İ. (2005) İletişimi anlamak. [ To understand the communication], Ankara: Erk.
15. Evans, M. (2006) Research shows negative gossip can build friendships, release tension. Retrevied September 07 , 2009, from www.usatoday.com/tech/science.
16. Foster, E.K. (2004) Research on gossip: Taxonomy, methods, and future directions. Review of General Psychology, 8 (2), 78–99.
17. Gümüş, H.İ. (2007) Söylenti bağlamında toplumsal değişime örtülü tepki. [Implicit response to rumors in the context of social change], Milli Folklor, 19 (75), 118-120. http://www.millifolklor.com erişim: 04.01.2010
18. Gouveıa, C.D., Vuuren, L.V. & Crafford, A. (2005) Towards a typology of gossip in the workplace, Journal of Human Management, 3(2), 56-68.
19. Hallet, T., Harger, B. & Eder, D. (2009). Gossip at work: Unsanctioned evaluative talk in formal school meetings. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 38(5), 584-618.
20. Houmanfar, R. & Johnson, R. (2003) Organizational implications of gossip and rumor, Journal of Organizational Behavior Managemant, 23(2/3),117-135.
21. Kelchtermans, G. (1996). Teacher vulnerability: understanding its moral and political roots. Cambridge Journal of Education, 26(3), 307 – 323.
22. Kocabay, H. (2007) Bir Dedikodu İletim Mekanı Olarak İnternet Sitelerinin Forumları. [ Location of transmission sities as a gossip forums], Milli Folklor, 19 (75), 121-125.
23. Kniffin, K.M. & Wilson, D.S. (2005) Utilities of gossip across organizational levels. Human Nature, 16 (3), 278-292.
24. Levin, J. & Arluke, A. (1985) An exploratory analysis of sex differences in gossip, Sex Roles, 12(3/4), 281-286.
25. Lind, P.G., Da Sılva, L.R., Andrade, J.S. & Herrmann, H.J. (2007) The spread of gossip in American schools. EPL, 78. Retrevied September 07 , 2009, from www.epljournal.org. Michelson, G. & Mouly, V.S. (2002) ‘You didn’t hear it from us but…’:Towars an understanding of rumour and gossip Organizations, Australian Joornal of Management, 27, 57-65.
26. Michelson, G. & Mouly, V.S. (2004) Do loose lips sink ships?: The meaning, antecedents and consequences of rumour and gossip in organizations. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 9 (3), 189-201.
27. Naylor, P, Cowie, H. & Del Rey, R. (2001). Coping strategies of secondary school children in response to being bullied. Child Psychology and Psychiatry Review. 6(3), 114-120
28. Prietula, M. & Carley, K.M. (2006) Gossip matters: Destabilization of an organization by injecting suspicion. Chapter to appear in: A. Kott (Ed.), Information Warfare and Organizational Performance, Atlanta.
29. Quinn, L. F. (1994). The importance of structure in providing uniform quality in mentoring/induction programs. Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, 2(1), 5Rosanow, L. R. (1988). Rumor as communication: A contextualist approach. Journal of Communication, 38(1), 12–28.
30. Sarah, W. & Peter, S.(2004) A social comparison account of gossip. Review of General Psychology, 8(2), 122-137.
31. Talbott, E., Celinska, D., Simpson, J. & Coe, M., G. (2002). Somebody else making somebody else fight: Aggression and the social context among urban adolescent girls. Exceptionality. Special Education Journal, 10 (3), 203 – 220.
32. TDK, (1981) Türkçe Sözlük, [Turkish dictionary], Ankara: Türk Tarih Kurumu Basımevi.
33. Waddington, K. (2005) Using diaries to explore the characteristics of work-related gossip: Methodological considerations from exploratory multimethod research, Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 78, 221–236.
34. Wert, S.R. & Salovey, P. (2004) Asocial comparison account of gossip, Review of General psychology, 8 (2), 122-137.
35. Wittek, R. & Wielers, R. (1998) Gossip of organizations, Computational & Mathematical Organization Theory 4 (2), 189–204.