Humboldt Research Fellow Prof. Dr. Mehmet Bellibaş
Good school leadership, effective schools and better student learning
2023-03-27 The recent devastating earthquake in Turkey has caused significant loss and Dr. Bellibas also lost some of his relatives and friends . Using this interview opportunity we would like to express our sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of him and the Turkish people who lost their lives and extend our sympathies to all who are trying to cope with the aftermath of such a terrible disaster.
©Leuphana/Ciara Charlote Burgess
There is a shortage of school principals in Germany. The position is considered less prestigious, not financially rewarding and seems to be just an administrative job. Yet principals can have a decisive influence on the success of a school, says Dr. Bellibaş: "Our data showed the persuasive evidence that a low socioeconomic status (SES) of children can be compensated by effective school leadership.
Mehmet Bellibaş is funded by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation's research fellowship for senior researchers until 2025. He can already look back on a successful academic career. He was awarded a doctorate in the USA and conducted research in Turkey and Denmark, among other places. With his research stay at Leuphana, Dr. Bellibaş is intensifying his cooperation with Professor Dr. Marcus Pietsch, Professor of Educational Science, especially Educational Management and Quality Development. Both academics are researching the topic of "Leadership in Schools and Innovation". The scholarship is linked to Marcus Pietsch's DFG Heisenberg Professorship. "Dr. Bellibaş is one of the most respected school leadership researchers in the world and has enormous international experience. The fact that such an excellent scientist is coming to Lüneburg also makes it clear how respected our research on school leadership is internationally. I have no doubt that both Leuphana and Lower Saxony as a science location will benefit from our cooperation," says Marcus Pietsch.
In a joint study a few years ago, the two researchers focused on the question of how educational leadership by school leaders can influence the learning success of children with high and low socioeconomic status. The authors analysed PISA data statistically. Children benefited significantly from committed instructional leadership in mathematics. "Good school leadership can make a substantial difference," says Prof. Bellibaş. This requires a didactic vision that is implemented with the team of teachers in the classrooms. "School principals organise a professional learning environment. They develop strategies, motivate and feel responsible: "In this way, teachers can become multipliers of a general idea," explains Dr. Bellibaş.
The education researcher examines data from Turkey, Germany, Denmark, Nigeria and Kyrgyzstan, among others. How quickly a school leader is found is also a cultural question. In Turkey, it is far less of a problem to find principals. "Hierarchies play a big role there. The reputation of a principal is therefore high. In order to find principals in Germany, the scientist recommends on the one hand a higher salary for leadership positions, as is already the practice in the USA. On the other hand, the training of qualified personnel should already take place at universities. Establishing school leadership departments at universities in German could help the development of school principalship as an independent profession and attract more teachers to take on this role“ says Prof. Bellibaş.
Mehmet Bellibaş is an Alexander von Humboldt Senior Researcher at Leuphana's Institute of Educational Sciences. He is an associate professor in the Department of Educational Sciences at Adiyaman University, Turkey. Dr. Bellibaş received his PhD in K-12 educational administration from the Michigan State University College of Education, USA, in 2014. His research focuses on international educational leadership in K-12 schools to understand school leadership practices and their impacts on the teacher work attitudes, school structures, and educational processes that are important for the improvement of schools and the achievement of students across diverse backgrounds. Much of his scholarly work is based on quantitative research methods, using large-scale datasets toexamine the contribution of principal leadership to teacher behaviors and practices as well as student learning outcomes. Dr. Bellibaş is known with his publications in the most prestigious international educational leadership and general education journals and been recognized by both regional and international organizations. He received the “Young Scholar Encouragement” and “Best Educational Research” awards from the Educational Administration Research & Development Association in Turkey in 2017 and 2021, respectively.