An examination of school administrators performance in preparing students for life

This study aims to investigate the levels of school administrators fulfilling their responsibilities in preparing students for life. Whilst school leadership is acknowledged as a key factor in this process based on legal regulations and educational principles, there empirical evidence regarding its practical implementation is finite. The research was conducted in the 2023–2024 academic year with school administrators and teachers working in public schools in Aksaray, Türkiye. An exploratory sequential mixed method design was employed. Initially, qualitative data were collected through focus group interviews, followed by quantitative data collection using a survey method. Participants were selected using purposive snowball sampling. Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis, while quantitative data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, and variance analyses (t-test and ANOVA). The prominent themes that emerged from the qualitative analysis were "Administrative Responsibility" and "Evaluation." Commonly cited codes were "Taking Initiative," "Supporting Teachers," "Technological Adaptation," and "Academic Achievement." Findings revealed that administrators were generally effective in adhering to procedures but less capable of taking initiative and supporting teachers. Moreover, school efforts were primarily focused on academic success rather than holistic student development. Quantitative analysis revealed two factors—"Importance" and "Implementation"—which indicated a high level of perceived importance regarding 21st-century skills, but a lower level of actual implementation. Differences were found based on education level and role, with administrators reporting more positive perceptions than teachers. The results suggest a lack of deliberate efforts in schools to foster 21st-century competencies, and practical and research-based recommendations are provided.