An investigation of change readinesslevels of school principals and teachers and the basic factors that influence readiness (The case of Fatih Project)

This study was conducted to reveal the readiness level of school staff related to change regarding the nation-wide FATIH project that most recently started to be carried out in schools in Turkey. Data were obtained during 2014 and 2015 academic year from the teachers and administrators (N=504/quantitative; N=14/qualitative) working in secondary education schools in the centraldistricts in Gaziantep province. Qualitative and quantitative methods (mixed method) were employed in the study. "Readiness to Change Scale" and a semi-structured interview form were used in data collection.In data analysis; the non-parametric tests and qualitative content analysis methods were used. In conclusion,participants have shown willingness toward changes, they seemed to have experienced adjustment problems at the initial phase of the project and it has also been found that the participants tried to solve the problems exposed in the transition period, by exchangingviews among colleagues. They also have suggested thatin-service training and orientation programs should be intensified for the development of overall readiness for this particular project. Key words: Change, Readiness to Change, FATIH Project