Leadership Identity in Schools: A Qualitative Inquiry with School Administrators

Authors : Aylin Kirişçi Sarıkaya, F. Şehkar Fayda Kınık

Pages : 185-209

Doi:10.32960/uead.1749120

View : 113 | Download : 276

Publication Date : 2025-10-30

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This study aimed to explore how school administrators construct and interpret their professional identity through values, beliefs, knowledge, understandings, experiences, and wisdom. As a basic qualitative research design, the study exhibited the lived experiences of school administrators and how their leadership practices were shaped. A total of 13 school administrators, including principals and vice principals, working in schools at different educational levels, were selected through purposeful sampling to reflect maximum variation. The data were collected using semi-structured interviews. An abductive coding approach guided the analysis, which allowed the integration of emergent insights within the theoretical framework. The findings revealed five main themes that define professional identity: values and attitudes, beliefs, knowledge and skills, understandings, and experience and wisdom. Based on coded segments, subthemes were categorized under each theme. School administrators generally emphasized justice, democratic attitudes, experiential learning, situational awareness, and the role of personal and professional experiences as critical in their leadership identities. This research contributes to the literature on educational leadership by offering a deeper understanding of how school leaders make sense of their professional roles. The findings proved that professional identity is not static and is influenced by reflective practices, contextual awareness, and ongoing interactions between internal and external elements.
Keywords : Liderlik kimliği, mesleki kimlik, eğitim yönetimi, okul yöneticileri

ORIGINAL ARTICLE URL