Research article    |    Open Access
International Journal of Educational Researchers 2025, Vol. 16(4) 1-17

A Multi-Stakeholder Evaluation of Female School Principals’ Administrative Competencies: A Case from Türkiye

Gülden Okçu Engin, Halime Öztürk Çalıkoğlu

pp. 1 - 17

Publish Date: December 12, 2025  |   Single/Total View: 33/23   |   Single/Total Download: 48/27


Abstract

This study explores how teachers, students, and parents perceive the administrative competencies of female principals in Türkiye. Using a qualitative multiple-case study design, the study was conducted in two public secondary schools selected purposefully because they were led by female principals and represented diverse organizational contexts. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 48 participants (16 teachers, 16 students, and 16 parents). Katz’s (1974) three-skill framework guided the analysis of technical, human, and conceptual competencies, while gender-based expectations were explored inductively. Findings indicate that communication emerged as the most frequently emphasized technical competency across stakeholder groups, whereas human competencies were noted primarily in relation to collaboration and school–parent engagement. Conceptual competencies were associated with adaptability, participation in projects, and organization of socio-cultural activities. Gendered expectations also shaped stakeholder views, with female principals often valued for inclusivity and relational orientation yet sometimes perceived as less authoritative. The study highlights both the strengths and constraints of female principals’ administrative work in schools and offers implications for educational administration practice, policy, and gender equity.

Keywords: Administrative competencies, gendered expectations, female school principals, school leadership


How to Cite this Article?

APA 7th edition
Engin, G.O., & Calikoglu, H.O. (2025). A Multi-Stakeholder Evaluation of Female School Principals’ Administrative Competencies: A Case from Türkiye. International Journal of Educational Researchers, 16(4), 1-17.

Harvard
Engin, G. and Calikoglu, H. (2025). A Multi-Stakeholder Evaluation of Female School Principals’ Administrative Competencies: A Case from Türkiye. International Journal of Educational Researchers, 16(4), pp. 1-17.

Chicago 16th edition
Engin, Gulden Okcu and Halime Ozturk Calikoglu (2025). "A Multi-Stakeholder Evaluation of Female School Principals’ Administrative Competencies: A Case from Türkiye". International Journal of Educational Researchers 16 (4):1-17.

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