Being a female administrator in educational institutions

The purpose of this study is to examine in depth the role of female administrators in educational institutions. The experiences of female administrators in becoming administrators, the career problems they encounter, their work-life balance, role conflicts, leadership styles, motivation and anxiety levels, career management, gender-related problems and ways of coping with them, and metaphors of being a female administrator are discussed. This study, which attempts to address female leadership holistically, uses the phenomenology pattern from qualitative research methods. The study group consists of 34 female principals and assistant principals working in schools at different levels affiliated with the Ministry of National Education during the 2024-2025 academic year. Participants were selected using maximum diversity sampling, one of the purposeful sampling types. Data were collected face-to-face using a semi-structured interview form prepared by the researcher and two experts, and audio recordings were made during the interviews. These audio recordings were then transcribed. Statements were coded using content analysis and the Nvivo program, and the codes were organized into themes. The findings show that female administrators encounter career barriers in their professional lives and experience work-life balance/imbalance and role conflict. Looking at the leadership styles used by female administrators, it was found that they mostly adopted a democratic leadership style. The power resources used by female administrators in problem solving were generally determined to be expertise and charismatic power. Leadership styles and power resources also change according to changing circumstances. When looking at the motivation and anxiety levels of female administrators, some want to leave management because they feel burned out, while those with high leadership qualities want to continue leading. Female administrators with high self-efficacy experience less managerial anxiety. In terms of career development, female administrators want to retire or return to teaching. Female administrators make these decisions because they are tired of the responsibilities brought about by home and private life. Female administrators who encounter problems due to their gender try to gain acceptance and cope with prejudices. When we look at the metaphor of female management, the themes of diligence, preparedness and power are the most prominent. Increasing support for female administrators in social life, regulating working hours, strengthening management knowledge through in-service training, and implementing mentoring for career development will increase the number of female administrators in society.