School Administrators’ Opinions on Rumor and Gossip Network as an Informal Communication Type in Schools

Abstract

The aim of the study was to examine the opinions of school administrators about rumor and gossip network which is an informal communication type. For this main aim, the reasons why school administrators prefer formal or informal communication, the most preferred topics of rumor and gossip network and the possible results of this network for schools were examined. Phenomenology, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the study. The study group consisted of 15 school administrators selected with maximum variation sampling. The data of the study was collected with a semi-structured interview form and analyzed by using content analysis method. According to the results of the research; it was determined that school administrators prefer informal communication to formal communication because they think that it increases success, enhances school culture, ensures participation in decisions, build social connections and trust among school members, increases motivation and provides foresight. It was determined that the information disseminating through the rumor and gossip network is concentrated on school management, other teachers, personal rights, students and political issues. Lastly, it was determined that the rumor and gossip network in schools had both positive and negative consequences.