Educational risk perception according to the opinions of the directors' and the teachers'

Risk is a fact which every creature faces with uninterruptedly from the beginning moment of its life until the end. Sometimes risk's probability increases and sometimes its probability is close to impossible but it always exists. Although risk's origin goes back to year 1600s, when its meaning is equal to threat, risk has constantly taken new meanings and today it is used as a concept, whose one end is opportunity and the other is loss. Risk, as it is in every field, is a very important topic in education. Education period is a very comprehensive and detailed process which consists lots of different dimensions. Each dimension of this process has points which may consist risk and threat. But, it is important to remember that a turtle can only walk and proceed when it takes risk and take his head out of his shell. It is aimed in this project to put forward risks and threats at schools which are perceived by the teachers and directors who work in government primary schools and high schools. To achieve this aim, first a qualitative research has been done and feedback has been taken from teachers and directors about risks and threats at schools. Afterwards, a scale which can measure the risks at schools has been developed. The research has two stages. At the first stage, "Personal Information Form" and "The Questionnaire of Risk and Threats at Schools" are applied to 164 teachers and directors who are selected randomly and work in Kastamonu city center and its towns. At the second stage, "Personal Information Form" and "Educational Risk Perception Scale of Teachers" are applied to 538 teachers and directors who are selected randomly and work in Kastamonu city center and its towns. SPSS software is employed to analyze the data. It is studied whether risk factors which are combined under 8 factors are differentiating in the way of conception among different variables. When "Technology and Media Factor "is investigated about being perceived as a risk factor, it is found that there is a differentiation according to gender. Women teachers and directors perceive "Technology and Media Factor" more risky than male teachers and directors. When "Taking Responsibility Factor" is investigated about being perceived as a factor, it is found that there is a differentiation according to type of school, the place of the school and branch. Teachers and directors who work at city center perceive "Taking Responsibility Factor" more risky than those who work in a town. Teachers and directors who work at a vocational school perceive "Taking Responsibility Factor" more risky than those who work at a primary school or high school. Teachers and directors who work at a high school perceive "Taking Responsibility Factor" more risky than those who work at a primary school. Teachers and directors whose branch is in the group of numerical sciences perceive "Taking Responsibility Factor" more risky than those whose branches are class teachers.When "Student Structure Factor" is investigated about being perceived as a factor, it is found that there is a differentiation according to branch. Teachers and directors whose branches are in the group of numerical sciences perceive "Student Structure Factor" more risky than those whose branches are Music, Art of Physical Education. When "Inspection Factor" is investigated about being perceived as a factor, it is found that there is a differentiation according to gender. Male teachers and directors perceive "Inspection Factor" more risky than female teachers and directors. When "Taking the Initiative Factor" is investigated about being perceived as a factor, it is found that there is a differentiation according to the place of school and service time. Teachers and directors who work at city center perceive "Taking the Initiative Factor" more risky than those who work at town. Teachers and directors who have 16 years or more service time perceive "Taking the Initiative Factor" more risky than those who have 5 years or less service time. When "Conflict Factor" is investigated about being perceived as a factor, it is found that there is a differentiation according to gender. Women teachers and directors perceive "Conflict Factor" more risky than male teachers and director. Keywords: Perception, Risk, Risk Perception, Threat, Director, Teacher