The use of authority by primary and secondary school principals

The aim of this research is to specify the opinions of both principals and teachers about primary school principals? authority types and levels, the obstacles while using their authority, the reasons they avoid while using their authority and their behaviors when the situation is beyond their authority. This research was carried out in scanning model. In this research, a 5 point likert type scale named ?Defining the Authority Type and Level of the Primary School Principals? was used to collect information. In 2012- 2013 academic year, in Muratpaşa District / Antalya, in 54 public schools, 54 principals and 2468 teachers constitute the population of research, 51 principal in the research population and 354 teachers selected randomly from 20 different schools constitute sampling of research. In the research, principals and teachers? opinions were received by scale. For the analysis of datas, arithmetic mean, Standard deviation, T test, one way analysis of variance and Tukey Test were used. The results of the research can be summarized as follows: The principals and the teachers think that primary school principals use their rational, traditional and charismatic authority so much. The principals think that primary school principals use their charismatic authority primarily, then respectively their rational authority and then their traitional authorithy. The teachers think that primary school principals use their rational authority primarily, then they use their traditional authority and then they use their charismatic authority for at least. The principals and teachers? opinions about the use of charismatic authority of primary school principals show great differences. Compared to teachers, the principals think that primary school principals use their charismatic authority much more. The teachers? opinions about the use of rational, traditional and charismatic authority of primary school principals show great differences according to their gender, age, institutions and seniority. The teachers? opinions about the use of rational, traditional and charismatic authority of primary school principals show great differences according to their schools from which they graduated. The average of teachers? opinions who have 4 year bachelor?s degree in terms of using rational authority is lower than the ones who are 2 or 3 year school graduates and who have graduate degrees, in terms of using traditional authority it is lower than the ones who are 2 or 3 year school graduates and the ones who have bachelor?s degree and graduate degree, and in terms of using charismatic authority it is lower than the ones who are 2 or 3 year school graduates. The average of the principals? opinions about the obstacles that the primary school principals face while using their authority is medium level. The average of the pricipals? opinions about the reasons of avoidance of using their authority is low level. The average of the pricipals? opinions about primary school principles? behaviors when the situation is beyond their authority is medium level.