Examining the Relationship between School Principals’ Self-Directed Learning Readiness and Competency-Based Job Performance Perceptions

Year 2025, Volume: 10 Issue: 1, 133 - 185, 31.03.2025

Hamiyet Çamur , Aytac Gogus

https://doi.org/10.30828/real.1511119

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between school principals' readiness for self-directed learning and their perception of job performance. The study covers public and private secondary school principals affiliated with the Ministry of National Education serving in Istanbul in the 2021-2022 academic year. The data obtained from 316 randomly selected principals were expanded with data collected from 406 principals. The data were transferred to the SPSS 28™ program, missing and incorrect data were checked, 22 data were eliminated with extreme value analysis, and then normality tests were performed. The analyses show that there is a high level of positive relationship between the level of school principals' self-directed learning readiness and their perceptions of job performance. The level of school principals' self-directed learning readiness and job performance perceptions are generally at a medium level and are positive in terms of sub-dimensions. It was found that female school principals have higher levels of self-directed learning readiness and job performance perceptions than males. It was determined that private school principals received higher scores than public school principals. No significant difference was found according to age and education level, but differences were observed according to age groups in the dimension of desire to learn. In line with the research findings, the recommendations of the study includes organizing education programs to improve school principals’ self-directed learning skills, developing digital education materials such as podcast, short videos, blogs, bulletin related to school principals’ professional development, organizing conferences and seminars related to issues that principals face in the school systems, using social-media groups to enhance communications and support principals’ job performance.

Keywords

school principals, self-directed learning readiness, competency-based job performance

Ethical Statement

Before commencing the study, the necessary translations and research permissions regarding the list of “standards for school principals” were obtained from the OECD on March 12, 2022, with request number 600073264. Permission to use the scale and modify items for “the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale” was obtained from the author. This research adhered to all guidelines outlined in the "Higher Education Institutions Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Directive." No actions contrary to scientific research and publication ethics, as specified in the directive, were undertaken during the course of this study. This study was conducted in accordance with ethical guidelines and permissions. Ethical approval was obtained under decision number 151 dated March 9, 2022, from the Istanbul Okan University Ethics Committee. Additionally, survey and research permission was granted under permission number E-59090411-44-48181511 dated April 20, 2022, by the Istanbul Governorship Provincial Directorate of National Education. All participants signed an informed consent form, which outlined the research procedures and affirmed their right to withdraw from the study at any time. No personal information of participants was collected during the study.

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