Comparison of manager selection, training, appoinment and in-service training processes in Turkey and countries with high performance in PISA

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and open to participation from non-member countries as well, is a multinational evaluation program that enables participating countries to improve their education systems based on data-driven insights. This study aims to comparatively examine the policies regarding the selection, appointment, training, and mobility of school principals in Turkey and in countries that have demonstrated high performance in PISA assessments. The research is limited to the cases of Germany, Denmark, and Singapore, and employs the analytical comparison method (Bereday Model), widely used in comparative education research, based on literature review. Findings reveal that countries with strong PISA performance implement systematic and well-defined criteria in school leadership processes, whereas Turkey exhibits several structural deficiencies in this domain. These include the absence of university-level leadership training for prospective principals, a lack of diversified assessment mechanisms during the appointment process, the nonexistence of pre-service training, the optional and insufficient nature of in-service training, and the lack of requirements for graduate education or leadership certification. Based on these findings, the study recommends the establishment of university-level leadership education programs in Turkey, the implementation of mandatory graduate education and certification for school principals, the integration of diversified assessment methods in selection processes, the restructuring and mandatory inclusion of pre-service and in-service training, and the promotion of educational leadership practices in school administration.