A capacity building study with teacher participation for developing project culture in a school

The aim of this study is to determine how institutional capacity-building activities should be conducted in line with school needs in order to develop a project culture in schools. Institutional capacity-building efforts focused on project culture are addressed within the framework of identifying the needs related to the development of project culture, designing a school-based project management process, implementing school-based project preparation and execution processes, and evaluating the school-based project development process. The embedded experimental design, one of the mixed-method approaches, was employed in this study. The research was conducted during the 2022-2023 academic year in a public high school located in Adana, with a study group consisting of thirty-two teachers. The public school where the research was carried out was selected through criterion sampling based on the criteria of "lack of project experience" and "low academic and social achievement levels." The research was conducted in five phases: scale development, needs analysis, preparatory activities, implementation, and evaluation. Initially, a scale was developed to examine the perceptions of teachers at the public school regarding project culture. The "Project Culture Scale in Schools," developed by the researcher, was administered to the teachers in the study group during the needs analysis phase. Subsequently, semi-structured interviews were conducted with teachers to identify the needs for establishing a project culture at the school. In the preparatory phase, meetings were held with the school's project team to design the school-based project management process. At this stage, a school-based project development program, which is part of the institutional capacity-building process focused on project culture, was also developed. During the implementation phase, the school-based project development program was carried out over eight weeks in the public school, during which the project writing and implementation process was also conducted. Observation data were collected by the researcher throughout this phase. In the evaluation phase, the project culture scale was re-administered to the teachers in the study group. Following this, semi-structured interviews were held with the teachers to evaluate the effectiveness of the school-based project development program based on their experiences. In the qualitative dimension of the study, data obtained from interviews and observations were analyzed through inductive content analysis. In the quantitative dimension, a paired samples t-test was conducted to determine whether there was any change in the teachers' perceptions of project culture at their school following the implementation of the school-based project development program. The findings of the study indicate that the school-based project development program, prepared as part of the institutional capacity-building efforts focused on project culture, led to a positive change in teachers' perceptions of project culture in the public school. According to the results, establishing a project culture in public schools particularly requires a working approach that values collaboration and learning within the school, innovative and risk-taking stakeholders, a democratic climate that supports sustainability, and a facilitative leadership style. The school-based project management process can be designed within the framework of strategies and principles related to the preparation of activity topics and programs, dissemination, evaluation, and improvement, as well as the roles and responsibilities of school stakeholders and the success and risk factors. As a result of the school-based project development program, there was progress in the managerial competencies of the public school in the areas of planning and implementation. The infrastructure of the school's project culture improved in terms of resource management, a culture of collaboration, and innovation and creativity. The development of a project-based learning culture at the school and the increased awareness of project work not only among teachers but also among students are among the outcomes that enhanced the school's project implementation capacity. Based on the results of the study, various recommendations are presented regarding the execution of capacity-building efforts aimed at fostering the development of project culture in schools.