Capabilities, Autonomy, and Well-Being
Exploring the Leadership Experiences of Female School Principals in Turkey
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22006783 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Engin İş (0000-0003-4304-0662, Mardin Artuklu University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Publication date | 2026-04-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | SAGE Open (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2158-2440 • E-ISSN: 2158-2440 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/21582440261431155 |
| OpenAlex | W7165626294 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 22 |
This study explores the professional autonomy and psychosocial well-being of female secondary school principals in Turkey through a qualitative phenomenological lens. Drawing on Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum’s Capability Approach and feminist organizational theory, the research examines how gendered structures and bureaucratic constraints shape women’s leadership experiences. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 principals across diverse regions, and the data were analyzed thematically. The findings reveal that women principals’ autonomy is significantly limited by centralized educational governance and patriarchal norms; however, they demonstrate agency through resilience, innovation, and collegial solidarity. Psychosocial well-being is closely tied to the extent of functional freedom principals experience within institutional contexts. The study highlights the need for gender-responsive and capability-oriented leadership frameworks that empower women’s decision-making and promote sustainable well-being in educational settings. These insights contribute to global discussions on gender equity, autonomy, and the transformation of leadership practices in education. This study contributes to international leadership and gender research by integrating feminist organizational theory with the Capability Approach
Autonomy · Bureaucracy · Corporate governance · Educational leadership · Empowerment · Leadership studies · Psychosocial · Qualitative research · Transformational leadership · Gender Diversity and Inequality · Teacher Education and Leadership Studies · Work-Family Balance Challenges
Phenomenological research methods
Education at a Glance 2020
The Impact of Leadership on Student Outcomes
Seven strong claims about successful school leadership revisited
Distributed Leadership
Understanding the burnout experience
Creating Capabilities
Why the Capability Approach
Ordinary magic
Using thematic analysis in psychology
Wellbeing, Freedom and Social Justice
The Capability Approach
Member Checking
Thematic Analysis
How Many Interviews Are Enough
Now I see it, now I don't
Hierarchies, Jobs, Bodies
Coding In-depth Semistructured Interviews
| Highly cited | No |
|---|