Attitudes towards knowledge management of school administrators and teachers working in Turkish schools

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate attitudes of school administrators and teachers working in Turkish schools towards knowledge management. In this research, an explanatory design incorporating quantitative and qualitative methods was used. The quantitative strand of the study was designed as a survey model, and the data was collected from 336 school administrators and teachers who work in the province of Sivas by using the Attitude Scale Towards Knowledge Management (Demir, 2005). The qualitative part of the study was carried out using a case study design, and the researchers used semi-structured interviews to collect data from 12 school administrators and teachers who work in the province of Sivas. To interpret the interview data, descriptive analysis, content analysis, and constant comparison techniques were used. The quantitative findings revealed that school administrators and teachers reported positive attitudes towards knowledge management with respect to self-development and negative attitudes towards communication and commitment. And negative attitudes towards communication and commitment. According to the qualitative findings obtained from questions asked to the participants with respect to communication, commitment, and self-development, participants stated that the knowledge management activities that took place at school were insufficient. Consequently, a knowledge management model suitable for Turkish school context is suggested. © 2014 The Governors of the University of Alberta.