Opinions of Education Administrators on Political Behaviors Exhibited with the Willingness to Legal Power

Abstract

A basic qualitative research model was used in this study, which aims to determine the views of educational administrators on political behaviors exhibited by the desire to gain legal power. The study group consists of 3 provincial national education deputy directors, 3 district national education directors, 6 branch managers, 11 school principals and 7 deputy principals working in Van Provincial Directorate of National Education and central districts in the 2020-2021 academic year, using the maximum diversity sampling method. The data collection tool is a semi-structured interview form developed by the researchers. As a result of the research, the participants stated that individual reasons came to the fore in the desire to gain legal power, they had more social benefits, and they had a positive effect on their professional and career development. They stated that the use of power out of purpose has negative consequences, the society imposes the meaning of respect and dignity on legal power, teachers and other institution employees see it as a service authority, competence and merit are not taken as the basis, political behaviors have to be exhibited, and the criteria are not objective.