İsmail Çimen | Uludag University (original) (raw)

Papers by İsmail Çimen

Rotation in educational organizations, in its general sense, is related to the relocation of teac... more Rotation in educational organizations, in its general sense, is related to the relocation of teachers to different institutions after completing a specified period of service. However, the planning and implementation of rotation are highly contentious in the context of educational organizations, as the desires and interests of internal and external stakeholders exert significant influence. While these debates are generally expressed through the teachers' employment rights, assessments of the impacts and implications of rotation practices within the internal dynamics of schools are limited. One of these restricted areas is the school culture, particularly in terms of examining the effects of teacher rotation within the context of school culture. Consequently, this research aims to explore the impacts of longserving teachers on school culture in situations where rotation practices are not in place. Therefore, in this study designed as basic qualitative research, the opinions of school administrators and teachers were sought. Criterion, maximum variation, and snowball sampling were utilized together in selecting participants, with the criterion being that there is 8 or more years serving teacher in the participants' school. In this regard, four school administrators and five teachers were included in the study. Data for the research were collected through semi-structured interviews and subsequently subjected to content analysis. According to the findings of the research, teachers perceive rotation as necessary for the positive school culture. While long-serving teachers are considered significant symbols of school culture, they often play a fundamental role in resisting changes within the school and contribute negatively to the manageability of the school. Therefore, it is recommended that practitioners develop policies on teacher rotation, and researchers should investigate the broader impacts of teacher rotation on other aspects of the school.

Journal of Pedagogical Research, 2024

The aim of the study is to identify variables that explain students' academic performance, determ... more The aim of the study is to identify variables that explain students' academic performance, determine their relative importance, and consequently, develop an index to distinguish advantaged and disadvantaged schools in pursuit of educational equality. By using this index, we intend to build a model for evaluating schools' overall performance based on their equality of opportunity. The research is structured within the quantitative research paradigm and the relational research design has been adopted. The research was carried out in 52 secondary schools and analysis were performed on data collected from 1143 students, 1600 teachers and 141 school administrators. While collecting the data, a monitoring exam was used to measure student achievement, which is the dependent variable. Data on independent variables were collected with student, teacher, and administrator surveys. Hierarchical linear modelling and ratio analysis were employed while analysing the data. It was found that student-level variables explain success more than school-level variables. Twenty different variables in total at the student and school level were found to be effective on student achievement. Based on these variables, a school advantages index was created. It has been observed that schools with a high school advantage index are also better off in terms of average school achievement. However, when evaluated together with the school advantages index, it was revealed that the effectiveness order of the schools changed. Our suggestion is that education systems need to have a more holistic approach to evaluate school performances. To provide both fair and radical equality of opportunity, each school should chart a course considering its own conditions regarding the education of disadvantaged students.

Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 2023

The primary objective of this research was to examine how transformational leadership practices e... more The primary objective of this research was to examine how transformational leadership practices employed by school principals in a centralized educational system influence teachers' innovative work behaviors. Our focus was on investigating the extent to which principals' leadership practices could predict and enhance teachers' innovative behaviors in Türkiye. Furthermore, we aimed to identify specific leadership practices that have a significant impact on promoting teachers' innovative behaviors. To achieve these goals, a correlational research design was adopted, and multiple regression analysis was conducted in prediction model. A total of 323 teachers participated in the study. Through our analysis, we discovered that certain transformational leadership practices exhibited by school principals had a noteworthy association with teachers' innovative work behavior. Specifically, inspiring a shared vision, challenging existing processes, and serving as role models were identified as crucial leadership behaviors in fostering innovation among teachers. On the other hand, while encouraging the heart and enabling others to act were found to be important, they were comparatively less influential in driving innovative behaviors among teachers. By considering the amount of variation explained in various regression models, we can confidently assert that principals possess the potential to significantly enhance teachers' innovative work behavior. These findings carry important implications for policy and practice in the realm of education, particularly within a centralized educational structure. It is essential to recognize and prioritize the cultivation of transformational leadership practices that promote innovation among teachers, as this can positively impact the overall effectiveness of the educational system.

Journal of Teacher Education and Educators, 2021

It is widely accepted that effective teachers can make the most significant difference to student... more It is widely accepted that effective teachers can make the most significant difference to student learning, particularly for disadvantaged students. On the other hand, teacher education has a critical role in effective teaching. However, can preservice education in Turkey sustain its role in social justice, especially for disadvantaged students? The present study seeks to answer this question by focusing on the views of teachers of disadvantaged students. Most struggling areas while teaching disadvantaged students were uncovered, and the role of teacher education and educators was explained. The most typical finding is that teacher education’s theory-based structure hinders teacher candidates from practicing their knowledge, which causes a shock for teachers when they first start doing their jobs in disadvantaged school districts. In the final part, how teacher education could be developed in this sense was discussed in light of social justice.

Research in Educational Administration & Leadership, 2020

The present study intends to determine the ways followed and misconceptions held in the studies o... more The present study intends to determine the ways followed and misconceptions held in the studies of phenomenological research design by analysing the theses in the field of educational administration. By using the database of the Turkish Council of Higher Education Thesis Center, forty master's and ten doctoral theses conducted between the years 2010-2017 in the field of
education administration were reviewed and analysed
methodologically. The results indicated that researchers did not
benefit from international literature on phenomenological research,
the aims and objectives of the theses were not appropriate for
employing phenomenology, the study groups of the theses were
structured in an unfavourable way, the interview questions used to
collect data were not directed to the essence of experience,
appropriate methods for the process of data analysis process were
conducted, and the interpretation of the findings included
problematic points. These misconceptions held in phenomenological
research were mostly due to not dominating the philosophical
underpinnings of phenomenology. Therefore, the researchers
planning to conduct their research under the skin of phenomenology
need to read enough about and to gain insights into the
phenomenological research design before the beginning of their
studies.

The present study aims to determine the relative efficiency of 28 countries participated in PISA ... more The present study aims to determine the relative efficiency of 28 countries participated in PISA 2015 and TALIS 2013 based on student performance and teacher quality, and to sort the countries according to their efficiency scores by using a super efficiency model. Moreover, this study attempts to reveal important improvements countries must make in terms of teacher quality to have better results for student performance. Using data of 28 countries from TALIS 2013 for determining the variables of teacher quality and PISA 2015 for student performance, a data envelopment analysis was performed. Four negative attributes of the teachers were included as input variables and students' performance on reading, mathematics and science as output variables in the analysis. According to the research findings, the most efficient countries on the basis of the determined inputs and outputs are Finland, and Spain are inefficient. The potential improvement is required for all input variables, but its amount varies by country. However, a higher rate of potential improvement is needed for developing countries whose populations are younger.

The performance evaluation of teachers is a matter of debate in many respects. By whom and for wh... more The performance evaluation of teachers is a matter of debate in many respects. By whom and for what purposes the evaluations are carried out is an important issue for these debates. Different arrangements were made for that issue in the Turkish Education System. Recently, the school principals take an important role in the evaluation of teachers. However, there is a need to determine how school principals, seen as instructional leaders who need to work for the development and transformation of the school, make evaluations and what roles those evaluations have for instructional leadership. In recent research, it was aimed to examine the evaluations made by the school principals in the context of instructional leadership. The case study was used for the research design. The study group was constructed using the maximum diversity sampling method and included school principals who worked at different school levels and socio-economic environments and had different work experience. It was concluded that evaluations made by the school principals are more positive in general terms than the evaluations made by external evaluators. School principals have accepted that although this process has many points to be developed, it will reveal more positive results in the future. When considered in the context of instructional leadership, it can be said that the evaluation process will be appropriate in many aspects. However, there are some problems - intangibility of the criteria, increasing tension between teacher and principal, and ineffective evaluations on different field of specializations- to be addressed and overcame in the practice of the system that may lead to more compatibility of the evaluations with instructional leadership.

Over the last two decades, psychological capital has gained prominence in the literature on posit... more Over the last two decades, psychological capital has gained prominence in the literature on positive organisational behaviour. However, further investigation is still needed in relation to this issue, particularly in the context of educational organisations. Accordingly, this study aimed to examine the contributing and damaging factors relating to the psychological capital of teachers. The researchers followed a qualitative approach and conducted a basic interpretative study to determine the perceptions of 14 teachers, who were selected for participation using a maximum variation approach. Deductive content analysis was then carried out to analyse the raw data. According to the findings, a supportive organisational climate, collaboration, communication, convenient physical conditions of the school, parent engagement, professional characteristics and positive experiences emerged as contributors to teachers' psychological capital. On the other hand, a strict bureaucratic focus and ongoing interference by school principals; inadequate physical conditions of the school; negative attitudes of parents and colleagues; the poor reputation of the teaching profession; and negative experiences of teachers were identified as damaging to psychological capital.

This study aimed at investigating school principals’ and teachers’ perceptions of the processes p... more This study aimed at investigating school principals’ and teachers’ perceptions of the
processes pursued in principal assignments and the potential outcomes of the recently
enacted initiative concerning the assignments in Turkish public schools. The intrinsic
case study was used as the research design. The data were collected through one-onone
interviews and focus group discussions. It was concluded that the processes,
practices, and procedures followed in the recent initiative were not considered
procedurally just and ethical by principals and teachers, and that deservingness had
nearly no role in the principal assignments. The participants’ thoughts and perceptions
overall implied that the principal assignments were entrenched in a quagmire of
personal contacts and politics. More important, outcome favorability did not seem to
have affected the perceptions of most of the principals. However, there were no
significantly divergent views amongst the principals and teachers in terms of justifying
and evaluating the initiative.
Keywords: principal assignments, principal succession, procedural justice

Öz Günümüzde okullar çevrenin değişen şartlarına göre kendilerini yapılandırmak, daha iyi çıktıla... more Öz Günümüzde okullar çevrenin değişen şartlarına göre kendilerini yapılandırmak, daha iyi çıktılar vermek, çevrelerindeki diğer okullarla rekabet etmek ve öğrencileri değişen dünyaya hazırlamak konusunda giderek daha fazla baskı altında kalmaktadır. Bunun yanında, uygulayıcılar olarak öğretmenler ve yöneticiler merkezi politikaların getirdiği değişimleri ve yenilikleri uygulamak ve eğitim öğretim süreçlerini bunlara göre yapılandırmakla yükümlüdür. Eğitim sistemindeki reformların başarıya ulaşması için bu uygulayıcıların yeniliği kabullenmeleri ve yaymaları, diğer bir deyişle yenilikçi davranış göstermeleri önemlidir. Ancak literatürde, herhangi bir okulda çalışan öğretmenlerin birbirlerini değerlendirerek okuldaki yenilikçi davranışların seviyesini ölçebilecek bir ölçme aracı yoktur. Bu araştırmanın amacı bu eksikliği gidererek de Jong ve den Hartog tarafından geliştirilen Yenilikçi Davranış Ölçeği (YDÖ)'nin Türk kültürüne uyarlanmasıdır. Çalışma grubunda farklı illerde görev yapan 110 öğretmen bulunmaktadır. Ölçeğin uyarlanmasında dil geçerliliğinin tespiti için korelasyon analizi, uyum derecesinin belirlenmesi için doğrulayıcı faktör analizi ve ölçeğin güvenirliğini tespit etmek için güvenirlik analizleri yapılmıştır. Doğrulama ve güvenirliğe ilişkin yapılan analizler dikkate alındığında yenilikçi davranışları ölçmek amacıyla uyarlanan bu ölçeğin geçerli ve güvenilir bir ölçme aracı olduğu söylenebilir. Ölçeğin bu haliyle öğretmenlerin yenilikçi davranışları hakkında örgütsel çıkarımlarda bulunabilmek için yararlı olacağı düşünülmektedir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Yenilik, yenilikçi davranış, ölçek uyarlama, öğretmen, okul

ÖZ Çalışmanın amacı devlet okullarında çalışan öğretmenlerin ruhsal liderliğe ilişkin algıları il... more ÖZ Çalışmanın amacı devlet okullarında çalışan öğretmenlerin ruhsal liderliğe ilişkin algıları ile örgütsel vatandaşlık davranışı gösterme düzeyleri arasındaki ilişkiyi saptamaktır. Bu amaca bağlı olarak Gaziantep ili Şahinbey ve Şehitkâmil ilçelerinde görev yapmakta olan 301 öğretmene " ruhsal liderlik ve örgütsel vatandaşlık davranışları ölçekleri " uygulanmıştır. Verilerin analizinde değişkenler arasındaki ilişkiyi tespit etmek amacıyla korelasyon analizi; bağımsız değişkenlerin bağımlı değişken üzerine etkisini belirlemek için ise çoklu regresyon analizleri yapılmıştır. Araştırma sonuçlarına göre, öğretmenlerin ruhsal liderlik algıları ile örgütsel vatandaşlık davranışları gösterme düzeyleri arasında pozitif yönde orta düzeyde bir ilişki saptanmıştır. Regresyon analizlerinin sonucunda ise ruhsal liderliğin anlamlandırma, üretkenlik, umut, özveri ve ruhsal yaşam alt boyutlarının örgütsel vatandaşlık davranışını yordadığı belirlenmiştir. ABSTRACT In this research, it is aimed to determine the relationships between teachers' spiritual leadership perception and their organizational citizenship behaviours. For this purpose, 301 teachers working in state schools replied spiritual leadership and organizational citizenship behaviours scales. While analysing data, correlation analysis to determine the relationship between variables and multiple regression analysis to measure impact of independent variables on dependent variables were used. According to the results, there is a positive and moderate relationship between teachers' spiritual leadership perception and their organizational citizenship behaviours. Also it has been found that there is a prediction of meaning, productivity, hope, altruistic love and spiritual life in organizational citizenship behaviours.

Journal of Pedagogical Research, 2024

Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 2023

Journal of Teacher Education and Educators, 2021

Research in Educational Administration & Leadership, 2020