SCHOOL PRINCIPALS’ OPINIONS REGARDING CREATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF SCHOOL CULTURE

Though different approaches are observed, school is one of the main institutions that the community finds compulsory. School has significant and irreplaceable functions in transferring of societies’ cultural heritage and in helping students successfully realize their social and economic roles. Just as it is impossible to alienate school from the community it is in, there are expectations from school towards renewing culture. These are in conflict with each other from time to time. This study aims to assess school principals’ opinions on culture that is dominant in their school, strengths and weaknesses of that culture and activities to be carried out to develop school culture. This study, which is conducted within qualitative research methods, follows a case study model. Study group of the study consists of 252 school principals working in Adıyaman Province. Criteria sampling technique, one of the purposive sampling techniques, was used in specifying the study group. A survey that consisted of open-ended questions developed by the researchers was used in data collection. In data analysis, themes and codes related to data were created through content analysis method. Based on research findings, it was found out that while defining their school culture, school principals generally emphasize elements that feature bureaucratic /hierarchical culture, role and task culture.