An examination of female teachers' experiences of leaving management: A phenomenological study

This study aims to examine, through a phenomenological approach, the reasons why women teachers who previously served as school administrators decided to leave their administrative positions. The study group consists of 13 women teachers, aged between 35 and 54, who have administrative experience across different branches and levels of education. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview form and analyzed through thematic analysis. The findings indicate that women administrators' decisions to resign from administrative roles are shaped around seven main themes: problems experienced with the administrative team, challenges related to gender roles, exposure to gender inequality, the limited duration of summer vacation for administrators, job dissatisfaction, discomfort caused by frequent changes in the education system, and psychological exhaustion. Participants emphasized that factors such as communication problems with upper management, a male-dominated organizational culture, lack of institutional support, heavy family and childcare responsibilities, difficulties in maintaining work–life balance, gender-based prejudices, and perceived institutional injustices played a significant role in their decisions to leave administrative positions. In addition, the invisibility of women's labor, the gendered distribution of administrative positions, and limited opportunities for career advancement were identified as contributing factors in the resignation process. Overall, the study concludes that women administrators' decisions to leave administrative roles are shaped predominantly by structural and gender-based barriers rather than individual preferences. Accordingly, the findings highlight the need to develop gender-sensitive policies and strengthen institutional support mechanisms to promote gender equality in educational administration.