Knowledge Production in The Field of Educational Administration in Turkey: Evaluation of Dissertations within The Context of Habermas' Knowledge Taxonomy

Abstract

In recent years, there have been significant efforts by Turkish researchers to contribute to the knowledge production to the field of educational administration like the scholarly endeavor of their international peers. The main purpose of these scientific studies including dissertations is to contribute to the production of knowledge, and to offer original alternatives to solving problems through several philosophical approaches. Consistent with this effort, the present study aims to evaluate the dissertations produced in the field of educational administration epistemologically, and ontologically in respect of Habermas' knowledge taxonomy. The research was carried out using document, and discourse analysis, which are qualitative research methods, and 215 dissertations prepared in 23 different universities accessed from Council of Higher Education Thesis Center database were analyzed. Results show that Eskisehir Osmangazi, Hacettepe, and Ankara Universities take the lead in the production of dissertations. It was found the number of males was higher in both researcher, and supervisor positions, mainly quantitative research methods are used, and empirical-analytical knowledge is produced. The limitation of historical-hermeneutical/interpretative, and critically oriented knowledge types is another original finding. The data set included only dissertations and excluded other sources from Turkey. Authors believe this study serve as a base for better understanding the current features of the field. In addition, this study, which was conducted in a non-western country, is expected to affect the knowledge production trend in the field of educational administration, and support the diversity of knowledge in dissertations, which are detailed studies shed light to the future.