The effect of stakeholders on the reflective practice of school principals: practices in Istanbul and Copenhagen

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine with whom Turkish and Danish school principals engage in reflective practice and how this interaction helps to develop them as reflective practitioners. A phenomenological approach was followed in the study. Data were collected from 37 school principals (24 from Istanbul and 13 from Copenhagen) who were serving in a variety of secondary schools (gymnasium) in Istanbul and Copenhagen during 2009–2010. The interview technique was used for data collection. The qualitative data obtained through interviews were analyzed employing the content analysis technique. According to the results of the study, school principals from both countries engage in reflective practice and develop their reflective thinking skills individually, with their colleagues/friends, mentors and administrative teams, and by participating in academic research as co-researchers. Danish principals (11/13) also engaged in reflective practice with their spouses (husband/wife/life partner/girl friend/boy friend), professional coaches, school boards, networks, and people from other sectors. The study led to the development of a conceptual framework of Principals’ Levels of Reflection and Network of Reflection. Based on the findings of the study, a framework of ‘Principals’ Levels of Reflection and Network of Reflection’ was proposed at the end of the study.

Keywords:

• school principal
• reflective thinking
• reflective practice spiral
• professional development

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by Marmara University Research Commission, BAPKO, Project Number: EGT-C-DRP-171108-0270. I would like to give my special thanks to Prof. Leif Moos from Aarhus University Danish School of Education for his supervision and invaluable encouragement during my research in Copenhagen.

Notes

Earlier version of this paper was presented at ISATT 2011 Conference, Braga, University of Minho, Portugal.

1. Data in this study were based on Dalgıç’s (2011) Ph.D. dissertation entitled ‘An Investigation into the Reflective Thinking Skills and Reflective Practices of School Administrators: Istanbul and Copenhagen Cases’ under Aysen Bakioglu’s supervision at Institute of Educational Sciences, Marmara University, Istanbul.