AN EVALUATION OF CHANGE MANAGEMENT COMPETENCIES OF BASIC EDUCATION SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS (THE CASE OF AKDENIZ DISTRICT, MERSIN)

Abstract

This research aims to determine the competency levels of school administrators serving in public basic education schools in change management in terms of determining the need for change in school, preparing the school for the change process, implementing change in school, and evaluating the change, according to the perceptions of school administrators and teachers. In addition, the study aims to determine whether the perceptions of participants in each dimension differ by gender, age, and seniority variables. The research population consists of teachers and administrators working in basic education schools affiliated with the Ministry of National Education in the Akdeniz District of Mersin Province. The study population includes 90 basic education schools (primary and secondary schools). In these basic education schools, there are 1280 teachers and 195 school administrators (principals and vice principals). The number of teachers included in the sample representing them was 222, and the number of administrators was 101. A Questionnaire for Evaluating School Administrators’ Change Management Competencies, developed by the researcher, was administered to the research participants. The collected were analyzed using the SPSS program. To determine whether the competency levels of school administrators in change management differed by position and gender based on the participants’ perceptions, t-tests were applied, and to determine whether they differed by seniority and age, ANOVA tests were employed. The research findings indicated that according to the perceptions of public basic education school administrators, the administrators demonstrated high competencies in change management in the dimensions of determining the need for change in school, preparing the school for the change process, implementing the change in school, and evaluating the change. According to teachers’ perceptions, the administrators had high competency in all dimensions of change management.