Abstract:

The aim of this study is to reveal out the views of teachers working in public primary schools in Erzurum regarding the authentic leadership behaviors of school principals. For this purpose, the views of teachers related to the importance of authentic leadership in the management process, the authentic leadership characteristics of school principals and the improvement of these characteristics were examined. The study was carried out with 20 teachers selected with maximum diversity and easily accessible situation sampling within the central districts of Erzurum province in the 2020-2021 academic year. The study was conducted via phenomenology, one of the qualitative research designs. The data were collected using a semi-structured interview form developed by the researchers. Descriptive and content analysis were used in the analysis of the research data and the results were supported by direct quotations from the participants. According to the result of this study, the characteristics that teachers attribute to the authentic leader emphasize all dimensions of authentic leadership, including internalized moral understanding, transparency in relationships, balanced and impartial evaluation of information, and self-awareness. An authentic leader will contribute positively to teachers’ psychological well-being and academic development. Personality traits and external pressures are the primary obstacles to school principals’ being authentic leaders.

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