Educational leadership in the shadow of crises: Effective school leadership practices for post-earthquake recovery in southeast Türkiye

Crises have become more ubiquitous over the past decade, leading to differentiated needs in schools compared to normal times, which in turn causes the roles of school leaders to evolve. The need to understand these differences and the desire to be better prepared for future crises have recently attracted the attention of researchers. This study aims to identify effective school leadership practices that emerged in response to the two major earthquakes that impacted the Southeast provinces of Türkiye. Using the qualitative research method, data were collected from 15 principals through semi-structured interviews that highlighted the practices of school leaders that helped schools recover from the devastating consequences of the earthquake for schools and all educational stakeholders. The findings indicate that school leaders took the initiative to meet the physical and emotional needs of the school community after the earthquake, acted strategically in decision-making processes, established stronger communication with the internal and external stakeholders, and took the lead in ensuring the continuity of educational activities. These practices imply that school leaders played a crucial role in mitigating the effects of the earthquake, meeting needs and supporting the school community in the normalization process. The findings of this study may enrich our understanding of school leadership practices during crises and provide insights into school leaders’ practices in future crises.