The effect of simulation supported education on school administrators' problem solving ve decision making skills and attitudes towards simulation practice

This thesis aims to investigate the effect of simulation-supported education on the problem-solving skills, decision-making skills, ve attitudes of the participants towards the simulation application in the training of school administrators. For this purpose, the study adopts a quasi-experimental design, comprising an experimental group ve a control group. A mixed-method approach, integrating qualitative ve quantitative research methodologies, was used. The study consisted of three processes: pre-application (preparation), application (experimental research process) ve post-implementation. The pre-implementation (preparation) process is the process that consists of the steps in which the training process is planned, the simulation scenario is prepared, ve the simulation application is designed ve prepared before the experimental research process is started. The experimental research process consisted of two steps as introducing the prepared simulation application to the participants ve conducting the pre-tests, ve applying the simulation-supported training process. In the post-application process, which is the last stage of the research, post-tests of the scales used in the research were applied to the participants ve semi-structured interviews were conducted to evaluate the experimental research process. The participants for this study were selected using purposive sampling, with an emphasis on the principle of voluntarism. Additionally, care was taken to ensure that the participants in the study group shared similar characteristics. The research sample comprised a total of 61 school administrators ve cveidates who had completed their master's degree without a thesis in the Department of Educational Administration at Fırat University. Out of these, 30 participants were assigned to the experimental group, while the remaining 31 were placed in the control group. Throughout the study, several instruments were employed to collect data, including a personal information form, Melbourne Decision-Making Scale I-II, Problem Solving Scale, Simulation Practice Attitude Scale, ve an Interview Form regarding the Evaluation of Simulation Supported Education ve School Manager Training Process. According to the findings obtained from the analysis of quantitative data; It has been concluded that the simulation application used in the training of school administrators is effective in the development of decision-making ve problem-solving skills of the participants ve in reducing the use of coping styles that negatively affect these skills. In addition, it was concluded that the attitudes of the participants towards the simulation application were positive. According to the findings obtained from the analysis of qualitative data; Supporting the quantitative data, it was concluded that the simulation-supported training application had positive effects on the decision-making ve problem-solving skills of the participants. The participants stated that the simulation application is a permanent ve effective educational tool ve contributed significantly to the process. Based on these results, various suggestions have been developed for those who produce education policies ve implementers for the use of simulation-supported education in the training of school administrators.