Safety Problems at Schools According to School Administrators’ Opinions

Abstract

The aim of this study was to define safety problems at schools according to school administrators’ opinions. In the study, a case study design from qualitative research methods was employed. The participants of the study were composed of 25 school administrators working in public schools (kindergarten, primary school, secondary school, and high school) in Mardin province. The study group was determined according to the purposeful sampling method maximum variation technique. The saturation criterion was used to decide on the number of participants in the group. In the research, a semi-structured interview form was used to investigate the opinions of the administrators about the safety problems at schools. Descriptive analysis and content analysis were used in the analysis of the data. The findings showed that the school administrators faced safety problems originating from schools, students, and parents. Besides, it was found that these problems had negative effects on psychological, and academic outcomes and relationships with third parties. However, these problems could be solved with structural improvements, psycho-social support, and legal regulations. Finally, recommendations for researchers and practitioners were made based on the results of the study to minimize the safety problems at schools.