An Evaluation of School Principals’ Ethical Communication Behaviors Based on Teachers’ Views
This study aims to evaluate school principals’ ethical communication behaviors based on teachers’ views. A qualitative approach with a phenomenological design was adopted. The study group consisted of 20 teachers working at different school levels in the central districts of Diyarbakır, Türkiye, selected through maximum variation sampling. Data were collected with a semi-structured interview form and analyzed through content analysis. Teachers evaluated principals’ ethical communication mainly in terms of honest and open communication and a respectful and fair approach; transparency, impartiality, empathy, and trust also emerged. According to the participants, ethical communication strengthens trust at school, increases teacher motivation, and supports collaboration and a sense of belonging. The main barriers were gossip and misinformation, a lack of empathy and listening, heavy workload, prejudiced attitudes, and misunderstandings. Teachers recommended practice-oriented in-service training, transparent and participatory management, teacher involvement in decision-making, and guidance from the Ministry of National Education. The findings indicate that ethical communication is not merely an individual skill but a management approach that requires institutional support.

Keywords
Ethical communication, school principal, ethical leadership, teacher views, educational administrati