Teachers’ Social Loafing Behaviors According to Perceptions of School Principals

Ömer Önder Kılıçarslan; Ali Ünal

doi:10.54535/rep.1723932

Teachers’ Social Loafing Behaviors According to Perceptions of School Principals

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine teachers’ social loafing behaviors from the perspectives of school principals. Using a phenomenological qualitative design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 principals in Turkey’s Central Anatolia Region, and the data were analyzed through content analysis. The findings reveal that social loafing is primarily linked to organizational and managerial factors—such as role ambiguity, lack of supervision, low motivation, and unfair task distribution—rather than individual weaknesses. The inability to monitor individual contributions in group-based tasks facilitates loafing, while the absence of timely administrative intervention allows it to become normalized within schools. As a result, social loafing erodes trust, undermines teamwork, reduces motivation, and negatively affects the school climate. The study outlines strategies to reduce or prevent social loafing—including clarifying roles, ensuring task visibility, reducing group size, and strengthening supervision. It also provides directions for future research with larger, more diverse samples and methods.

Keywords

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Teacher Education and Professional Development of Educators

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Ömer Önder Kılıçarslan ^*
0009-0003-7902-8160
Türkiye

Ali Ünal
0000-0003-2967-2444
Türkiye

Early Pub Date

November 3, 2025

Publication Date

December 30, 2025

Submission Date

June 20, 2025

Acceptance Date

October 12, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 1970 Volume: 9 Number: 2

DOI

https://doi.org/10.54535/rep.1723932

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA89MS79ZW

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Kılıçarslan, Ö. Ö., & Ünal, A. (2025). Teachers’ Social Loafing Behaviors According to Perceptions of School Principals. Research on Education and Psychology, 9(2), 287-312. https://doi.org/10.54535/rep.1723932