Orhun KAPTAN

Scientific Works

  1. Teacher Equality Perception Scale
  2. Weapons of Mass Instruction: A Schoolteacher’s Journey through the Dark World of Compulsory Schooling
  3. Chronological and Comparative Analysis of Autonomy in Education and Indicators of School Autonomy in England, New Zealand, and the People’s Republic of China
  4. What Do Schools Sell? The Neoliberal Transformation of Public Schools’ Institutional Identities
  5. A Panel Data Analysis of the Effect of Well-being on PISA Maths Skills from the Perspective of Equality
  6. Vocational Students’ Mechanical Obedience within the Context of Teachers’ Inured Behavior
  7. Analyzing Leadership Approaches in Educational Management Doctoral Theses in Turkey: A Bibliometric Study
  8. Equality and Alienation at School: A Workshop with School Managers
  9. A Case Study on Education Administrators’ Autonomy in the Grey Zones in Times of Pandemic
  10. A Review of the Work ‘New Approaches in Educational Administration’ from the Framework of Positivism, Postpositivism, and Antipositivism
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Teacher Equality Perception Scale

Orhun Kaptan developed the Teacher Equality Perception Scale (TEPS), a tool designed to measure teachers’ perceptions of equality in the workplace. This scale aims to fill a gap in the literature, as previous studies have primarily focused on equality in terms of student access to education rather than among teachers themselves. The TEPS evaluates various dimensions, including cultural perceptions, evaluation processes, division of labor, and subject-specific differences among teachers.

The scale was validated through a study involving 371 secondary school teachers from Istanbul, where both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used. The final version of the TEPS consists of 18 items across four factors, explaining 54.3% of the total variance. The reliability of the scale is high, with a Cronbach’s alpha of .87, indicating its consistency and dependability for measuring teachers’ equality perceptions.

This tool provides valuable insights into how teachers perceive fairness and equality within their professional environments, offering a unique perspective on organizational justice in educational settings.

Weapons of Mass Instruction: A Schoolteacher’s Journey through the Dark World of Compulsory Schooling

Orhun Kaptan’s study is a book review of John Taylor Gatto’s work, Weapons of Mass Instruction: A Schoolteacher’s Journey through the Dark World of Compulsory Schooling. The review evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of Gatto’s critique of the traditional education system. Gatto argues that the hidden curriculum within schools systematically limits students’ creativity and critical thinking, turning them into passive consumers. He criticizes the role of compulsory education in perpetuating social control, likening it to a mechanism designed to maintain societal conformity.

The study also addresses Gatto’s concept of “open-source learning” as an alternative to conventional schooling. While Gatto suggests that practical, real-life learning experiences can offer greater value than traditional education, Kaptan highlights concerns about the risks of child labor and the lack of safety in unregulated learning environments. Despite these critiques, Kaptan acknowledges that Gatto’s work provides a compelling critique of the modern education system, encouraging readers to reconsider the purposes and methods of schooling.

The review ultimately presents Gatto’s book as a provocative analysis that challenges the conventional role of education, though it also questions the feasibility of the solutions proposed. It suggests that educators, policymakers, and those interested in educational reform can gain valuable insights from Gatto’s critical perspective.

Chronological and Comparative Analysis of Autonomy in Education and Indicators of School Autonomy in England, New Zealand, and the People’s Republic of China

Orhun Kaptan conducted a study titled “A Chronological and Comparative Study of Autonomy in Education in England, New Zealand, and the People’s Republic of China.” This research aims to examine the concept of autonomy within the education systems of these three countries, focusing on the factors leading to school autonomy and identifying key indicators of such autonomy. Using a qualitative research approach, the study analyzed 51 documents, including articles, books, and official reports.

The findings indicate that in England, school autonomy is driven by the goal of promoting competition and diversity in schools at both national and international levels. In contrast, in New Zealand and China, economic crises have been the primary motivation for reforms aimed at increasing school autonomy. Indicators of school autonomy identified in the study include the ability of schools to create their own curricula, implement accountability practices independently, manage hiring and firing processes for staff, select students, maintain financial independence from local authorities, and involve stakeholders like parents and community groups in school governance.

Based on these findings, the study suggests that Turkey’s highly centralized educational system should consider gradually decentralizing authority in areas such as supervision, financing, and curriculum development, allowing for more local and regional control over schools.

What Do Schools Sell? The Neoliberal Transformation of Public Schools’ Institutional Identities

Orhun Kaptan’s study explores the impact of neoliberalism on the institutional identities of public schools. It examines how global market changes have led public service institutions, particularly schools, to adopt roles similar to for-profit entities, moving away from their traditional public service orientation. The study focuses on understanding how schools navigate competition and the need for financial resources, ultimately treating students as sources of revenue.

The research involved interviews with ten public school principals in Turkey, whose schools’ websites were among the most actively used as determined by the Ministry of Education. Additionally, 234 pieces of content from these school websites were analyzed using critical discourse analysis (CDA), content analysis, and thematic analysis. The findings indicate that the competition among schools is driven by the need to secure funds, which leads school administrators to emphasize activities that enhance their online presence and appeal to potential students and parents.

The study concludes that this competitive environment has overshadowed the instructional leadership role of school managers, pushing them towards a more business-oriented approach. This transformation reflects a shift in the schools’ institutional identity, as they strive to adapt to the expectations and pressures of a neoliberal framework.

A Panel Data Analysis of the Effect of Well-being on PISA Maths Skills from the Perspective of Equality

Orhun Kaptan, along with Aydın Karabay and İbrahim Kocabaş, conducted a study analyzing the impact of well-being indicators on students’ mathematical skills as measured by the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) across 37 OECD countries. The study focuses on the relationship between various socio-economic well-being factors and student performance in mathematics, aiming to understand how these factors contribute to educational inequality.

Using panel data from the OECD’s “How’s Life? Well-being” dataset and PISA results from the years 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015, and 2018, the research employs a pooled ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analysis. The findings reveal that certain economic indicators, such as household income, employment rates, and the proportion of youth not in education, employment, or training (NEET), have a negative correlation with PISA math scores. In contrast, factors like the gender wage gap and perceived health deprivation show a positive correlation with higher PISA math performance.

The study suggests that these correlations may reflect broader socio-economic trends, where increased investment in education as a means of improving economic status is more pronounced in countries with lower overall economic well-being. It concludes by recommending further research to explore the complexities of these relationships and the role of socio-economic policies in shaping student achievement.

Vocational Students’ Mechanical Obedience within the Context of Teachers’ Inured Behavior

Orhun Kaptan and Mithat Korumaz explore the concept of “mechanical obedience” among vocational high school (VHS) students, analyzing how teachers’ ingrained behaviors contribute to this phenomenon. The study examines the use of “oppression devices” in classroom discourse, which shape the vocational habitus of students—ingrained behaviors and attitudes that align with the demands of specific occupations.

This phenomenological study focuses on interviews, focus groups, and video recordings involving dissident teachers in Turkey who are conscious of the social and democratic rights of education workers. Through thematic and critical discourse analysis, the research reveals that even teachers with critical perspectives often unconsciously adopt authoritative and controlling behaviors in response to external pressures such as curriculum requirements, high-stakes testing, and organizational norms.

The study highlights how these oppressive mechanisms lead to a form of internalized discipline among students, fostering compliance and limiting opportunities for critical thinking and creative expression. It suggests that raising awareness among educators about their classroom discourses could help mitigate the negative impacts of such behaviors on students’ development.

Analyzing Leadership Approaches in Educational Management Doctoral Theses in Turkey: A Bibliometric Study

Orhun Kaptan, alongside Zehra Yalçın and Erkan Tabancalı, conducted a study examining leadership approaches in doctoral theses on educational management in Turkey. The research analyzed 157 doctoral theses and 20,879 citations using a bibliometric systematic review combined with exponential random graph modeling (ERGM). This method enabled the researchers to explore citation patterns, relationships between cited works, and the influence of different attributes such as year, region, and research method on the theses.

The findings revealed that the dominant leadership themes in the examined theses were transformational, instructional, and ethical leadership. Despite changes over time in the global literature on educational leadership, the study observed a lack of significant evolution in the types of sources cited within Turkish doctoral research. The research also identified that the theses tended to focus on a limited number of influential works, with little interaction among different research groups.

The study concludes that Turkish doctoral research in educational management has not fully aligned with global shifts in leadership theories. It recommends that future research embrace more diverse and emerging leadership approaches to better reflect international trends in the field.

Equality and Alienation at School: A Workshop with School Managers

Orhun Kaptan, Filiz Meşeci Giorgetti, Mithat Korumaz, and Gözde Çeven conducted a study that explores the relationship between equality and alienation in schools through a workshop held with school managers in Istanbul’s Şişli district. This study was based on previous research investigating teachers’ perceptions of equality and alienation. The workshop aimed to gather insights from 26 school administrators, using focus group interviews and individual interviews to deepen the understanding of these concepts.

The findings identified that the perception of inequality among teachers often stems from factors like high-stakes exams, which influence the distribution of responsibilities and the evaluation of teacher performance. School administrators also highlighted issues related to differences in subject importance, as subjects heavily weighted in exams tend to shape teachers’ roles and student expectations.

The study concluded that the pressures of centralized exams and the hierarchical structure within schools can contribute to feelings of alienation among teachers. Recommendations include improving communication between teachers and administrators, offering support for teachers who face marginalization due to their subjects’ lesser importance in the exam system, and fostering a more equitable work environment.

A Case Study on Education Administrators’ Autonomy in the Grey Zones in Times of Pandemic

Orhun Kaptan’s research investigates the autonomy of education administrators in uncertain or “grey areas” during the pandemic period. The study focuses on a vocational and technical high school in Istanbul and examines how school administrators navigated challenges such as communication issues, uncertainties, and decisions regarding internships, allowances, and online education platforms. Using a qualitative approach and case study design, the research gathered data through interviews with six school administrators and analyzed 36 official letters sent via the File Management System (FMS) for triangulation.

The findings indicate that the pandemic introduced significant uncertainty, forcing administrators to make autonomous decisions in areas where central guidance was lacking. This included managing remote learning processes, addressing financial concerns, and making decisions about practical training for students. However, fear of sanctions from higher authorities often hindered administrators’ ability to act independently. The study suggests that increasing the decision-making power of school administrators could improve their ability to respond effectively to crises and recommends training in strategic decision-making and entrepreneurship.

A Review of the Work ‘New Approaches in Educational Administration’ from the Framework of Positivism, Postpositivism, and Antipositivism

Orhun Kaptan’s study critically examines the book New Approaches in Educational Administration by Prof. Dr. Aydın Balyer. The study evaluates the book through the lens of epistemological challenges in the field of educational administration, focusing on the shifts from positivism to postpositivism and antipositivism. It aims to assess the book’s contribution to overcoming these challenges within educational management.

The review outlines the historical context of the epistemological crisis in educational administration and discusses how the book provides insights into alternative research methods and paradigms that can address this crisis. It highlights the importance of incorporating new approaches such as phenomenology and interpretive methods in a field that has traditionally relied on positivist perspectives. The study argues that these alternative methods can provide a more comprehensive understanding of complex educational dynamics and improve the field’s adaptability to modern challenges.

The research concludes that the book is a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners, offering a roadmap for integrating diverse methodologies in educational administration. It suggests that embracing such approaches could help redefine the identity of educational management as a distinct academic discipline.

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