Safety issues of high school education campuses in perspective with administrators and teachers: A Siverek example

Abstract

Exposure to an unsafe environment jeopardizes teacher effectiveness, student learning and physical well-being. The aim of this study is to reveal the unique safety issues of two high school education campuses in Siverek, a district of Sanliurfa [Turkiye], in perspective with administrators and teachers. Under qualitative methods, researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 administrators and 12 teachers. Each interview was later transcribed into MAXQDA software for coding. Content analysis was used on the data in order to determine common phrases and general themes. Findings showed that there were off-campus and on-campus issues which threatened overall safety. Among the off-campus issues, the participants had recurring concerns about the campuses' vulnerability to external threats, transportation difficulties and infrastructure deficit, while among the on-campus issues, they focused on the uncontrollability of the campuses and the bullying and violent behaviors exhibited. Participants also made suggestions for safer campuses which included taking concrete steps towards a better landscape design and campus management. Lastly, the findings were discussed regarding their consistency with prior literature. Although this study highlights the insights to be gained about campus safety, the literature on this subject is very limited and needs more contribution.