SCHOOL LEADERSHIP THROUGH COACHING: SUPPORTING POSITIVE CHANGE IN EDUCATION

Abstract

In today’s complex educational contexts, there is an increasing need for school leaders who not only manage but also support teacher growth and a positive learning climate. In this context, a basic qualitative research design was employed to examine the views of administrators working in public schools in Türkiye regarding the coaching approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 18 school administrators selected via snowball sampling. The findings indicated that school administrators’ adoption of the coaching approach was shaped by a combination of personal experiences, professional training, and a range of internal and external influences. Furthermore, administrators reported that the implementation of coaching-based leadership had a positive impact on various aspects of school life, including improvements in teacher performance and professional growth, enhanced student academic achievement as well as social and emotional development, a more supportive school climate, strengthened relationships with teachers, more effective communication and collaboration within the school, increased student motivation and participation, the development of leadership capacities and personal growth, and more inclusive and effective decision-making practices. Based on the research findings, comprehensive recommendations were developed to enable school administrators to more effectively fulfill their coaching roles