Roles and responsibilities of PTAs in Türkiye's public schools: Principals' perceptions

Tuba Gökmenoğlu, Elif Daşci Sönmez and Ceyda Durmuş
Ministry of National Education, Türkiye

This study employed an explanatory sequential design and mixed methods to investigate school principals' perspectives on parent-teacher associations (PTAs). The research involved a large sample of 3,606 school principals or senior managers who participated in a survey and a smaller subsample of 6 principals who engaged in a focus group interview study. Overall, the findings revealed that principals regarded PTAs as functional entities focused primarily on fundraising activities. However, the study also uncovered power struggles within PTAs at the administrative level. This suggests that PTAs may not always operate smoothly and harmoniously, but rather face challenges related to authority and decision-making. These power dynamics within PTAs could potentially influence their effectiveness and hinder their ability to fulfil their intended roles. By enhancing the school-community relationship, our findings aim to improve the quality of education provided by schools. This research highlights the importance of fostering a collaborative and supportive environment between schools and parents, emphasising the need for effective communication and cooperation to ensure the success of PTAs that ultimately benefits students' educational experiences.
[ PDF full text for this article ]

Authors: Dr Tuba Gökmenoğlu earned her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from Middle East Technical University (2012). She did a research fellowship at Arizona State University (2011) and instructed in Cyprus (2012-2018). Her research focuses on teacher education and curriculum development. She has been gaining administrative experience at the Ministry of National Education, Ankara, Türkiye (Turkey) since 2018. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0710-4390 Email: tubafidan@gmail.com Dr Elif Daşci Sönmez earned her PhD in educational administration from Gazi University (2018). After she instructed at Aksaray University (2012-2018), she was assigned to advise the Ministry of National Education on international projects. At the Ministry of National Education, Ankara, Türkiye (Turkey), her interests include educational administration and school culture. ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6029-5934 Email: elifdasci89@gmail.com Dr Ceyda Durmuş (corresponding author; previously Ceyda Şensin) earned her PhD in social psychology, developmental psychology, and educational research from Sapienza University of Rome (2019). After research there (2016-2019) she taught at TED University (2021-2022) and continues teaching at Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Türkiye (2023-current). Her current work at the Ministry of National Education, Ankara, Türkiye (Turkey), focuses on educational policy and community partnerships. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3036-0221 Email: csensin@metu.edu.tr Please cite as: Gökmenoğlu, T., Daşci Sönmez, E. & Durmuş, C.(2024). Roles and responsibilities of PTAs in Türkiye's public schools: Principals' perceptions. Issues in Educational Research, 34(3), 1033-1052. http://www.iier.org.au/iier34/gokmenoglu.pdf