EXPLORING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, MERIT, AND CAREER TRAJECTORIES IN SCHOOL LEADERSHIP
Öz
Efforts to establish policies for setting standards for the selection of school administrators and the determination of their professional career paths are ongoing in many countries. In recent years, there have been many policy changes in Türkiye regarding the selection of school administrators. This study aims to provide recommendations to policymakers for establishing a specific framework for these constantly changing policies. This study utilized the opinions of school administrators to clarify policies on school administration based on professional development, merit, and career planning in Türkiye. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 school administrators working in Türkiye, and the data obtained were analyzed using thematic analysis. According to the findings, school administration has not gained professional status, and temporary appointments to school administration positions have reduced the motivation and productivity of both teachers and school administrators. While teaching experience and academic qualifications are critical for effective school leadership, the current interview-based selection system has led to evaluation systems that are far from merit-based and fair. Participants emphasized the need for a career planning system based on objective criteria and recommended that current policies be transformed to adopt objective selection processes and support continuous development.
Anahtar Kelimeler
Career planning, school leaders, school principals, competence, merit
Etik Beyan
The ethics committee approval for this study was obtained from Milli Savunma University Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Committee (E-35592990-050.04-5037895, 23 July 2025).
Kaynakça
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