The Relationship between School Principals' Sources of Power and Preschool Teachers' Occupational Sense of Belonging Levels
Abstract
This study aims to examine the effect of sources of power used by school principals on preschool teachers' occupational sense of belonging level. Correlational survey model was used in this quantitative study. The participants of the research consisted of 396 volunteering preschool teachers currently working in 53 different cities in Turkey. 'Organizational Sources of Power Scale' and 'Occupational Sense of Belonging Scale' were used as data collection tools. Data were analysed in software package program. Pearson correlation analysis was performed to determine the relationships between sources of power and occupational sense of belonging levels. It was determined whether sources of power were predictors of occupational sense of belonging level through regression analysis. The results of the study show that school principals use legitimate power most frequently and preschool teachers have a high level of professional belonging. There is a significant and positive relationship between referent power, expert power, reward power and legitimate power used by school principals and preschool teachers' occupational sense of belonging levels. There is a significant and negative relationship between the coercive power used by school principals and preschool teachers' occupational sense of belonging levels. Referent power and reward power, which are sources of power used by school principals, are significant predictors of preschool teachers' occupational sense of belonging levels. The findings were discussed and recommendations were presented in relation to the relevant literature.
Keywords
sources of power, school principal, preschool teacher, sense of belonging, occupational sense of belonging
References
- Adamış, A., Deviren, G., Acar, H., Taruk, M., Gümüş, M. M. & Demir, Y. (2021). Yöneticilerin kullandıkları örgütsel güç kaynakları ile öğretmenlerin örgütsel bağlılıkları arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesi [The relationship between administrators 'organizational power sourcesand teachers' organizational commitment]. Teacher Education and Instruction, 2(1), 1-16.
- Ahmad, M. S., Malik, M. I., Sajjad, M., Hyder, S., Hussain, S. &Ahmed, J. (2014). Linking teacher empowerment with organizational commitment, professional commitment and organizational citizenship behavior. Life Science Journal, 11(4), 105-108.
- Altınkurt, Y. & Yılmaz, K. (2012). Okul yöneticilerinin kullandığı güç kaynakları ile öğretmenlerin örgütsel vatandaşlık davranışları arasındaki ilişki [Relationship between school administrators’ organizational power sources and teachers’ organizational citizenship behaviors]. Educational Sciences: Theory and Practice, 12(3), 1833-1852.
- Altınkurt, Y. & Yılmaz, K. (2013). Okullarda örgütsel güç ölçeği'nin geliştirilmesi: Geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışması [Development of organizational power scale at schools: A reliability and validity study]. e-International Journal of Educational Research, 4(4), 1-17. Retrieved from: http://www.e-ijer.com/en/download/article-file/89795
- Altınkurt, Y., Yılmaz, K., Evrim, E. & Salalı, E. T. (2014). Okul müdürlerinin kullandığı güç kaynakları ile öğretmenlerin örgütsel sinizm algıları arasındaki ilişki [Relationship between school principals’ use of power sources and teachers’ organizational cynicism perceptions]. Journal of Teacher Education and Educators, 3(1), 25-52.
- Arı, M. (2003). Türkiye’de erken çocukluk eğitimi ve kalitenin önemi [Early childhood education and the importance of quality in Turkey]. In M. Sevinç (Ed.), Erken çocuklukta gelişim ve eğitimde yeni yaklaşımlar [New approaches to early childhood development and education] (31-35). İstanbul: Morpa Kültür Publications.
- Aslanargun, E. (2009). İlköğretim ve lise müdürlerinin okul yönetiminde kullandığı güç türleri [The power sources that principals handle in Turkish public elementary and secondary school administration]. (Unpublished doctoral thesis). Ankara University, Ankara.
- Aşan, Ö. & Aydın, E. M. (2006). Güç ve politika. In H. Can (Ed.). Örgütsel davranış (328-358). İstanbul: Arıkan Publications.
- Ataç, İ. & Özgenel, M. (2021). Öğretmenlerin denetim odakları ile mesleki bağlılıkları arasındaki ilişki [The relationship between teachers’ locus of control and their occupational commitment]. National Journal of Education Academy, 5(1), 160-174. https://doi.org/10.32960/uead.888845
- Atmaca, T. (2014). Okul yöneticilerinin kullandıkları güç türleri ile öğretmenlerin yaşadıkları yıldırma, örgütsel bağlılık ve örgütsel sinizm arasındaki ilişki [Relationship among the power types of school principals' and teachers' mobbing, organizational commitment and organizational cynicism perception]. (Unpublished master's thesis). Gazi University, Ankara.
