Abstract:

Strategic plans are administrative tools that help implement policies in an effective fashion in educational organizations. Through these, elements of threatening sort can be eliminated, making a maximum use of educational advantages becomes possible. Strategic plans constitute a map particularly for disadvantaged cities. As a country with plentiful disadvantages, Turkiye has been benefiting from strategic plans in the field of education for a long time. Howbeit, the limited nature of the studies examining opportunities, and threats in educational strategic plans in the literature is striking. Thereupon, in the present research, an outlook was adopted at the intersection of these components. Document analysis, one of the qualitative research designs, was employed in the research. Educational strategic plans of disadvantaged cities in Turkiye are examined using MAXQDA 2020. Results show a fair number of strategic plans contain similar statements, which is considered a hindrance to authenticity. Moreover, factors regarding principal hiring-development process, stakeholder support, attitudes of families-parents, and socio-cultural activities come to the fore as a threat for education in the disadvantaged cities. However, the importance attached to the professional development of teachers, utilizing an equity-based approach, and educational investments are amongst the remarkable opportunities for those cities. The research contains several implications about the strategic plans as well.

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