An examination of school administrators' disaster, emergency, and crisis management practices: (A case study of Gazipaşa district)

The purpose of this study is to examine the management and preparedness of school administrators in handling disasters, emergencies, and crisis situations based on the opinions of school principals and assistant principals. The participants of this qualitative research model consisted of 19 school administrators working in 9 schools affiliated with the Ministry of National Education in Gazipaşa district of Antalya province. The study aimed to investigate school administrators' views on preparedness efforts for hazard situations, their perceptions of administration and leadership, relevant legislation and regulations, cooperation with institutions, security equipment and materials, training and drill activities they organized, and the physical conditions of the schools, using a semi-structured interview form. The collected data were analyzed descriptively based on themes, categories, and codes. The results showed that school administrators made plans for disaster, emergency, and crisis-related efforts, established intervention teams according to specific criteria, and generally involved school members in these activities. School administrators stated that calmness and the ability to make quick and accurate decisions are essential managerial qualities in crisis management. It was also observed that legislation increases the responsibilities of school administrators, but improvements are needed in budget and resource allocation. Moreover, school administrators were found to collaborate with various organizations, primarily municipalities, as well as security, health, and non-governmental organizations. The study revealed that the activities conducted in schools mainly focused on crisis response, while hazard mitigation efforts were only partly implemented.