Research article | Open Access
International Journal of the Pursuit of Excellence Qualitative Research in Education (IJPEQRE) 2026, Vol. 5(1) 1-11
pp. 1 - 11
Publish Date: June 30, 2026 | Single/Total View: 0/0 | Single/Total Download: 0/0
Abstract
The aim of this research is to understand teachers’ experiences regarding organizational isomorphism processes
and to examine these experiences in depth. In this research based on qualitative research design, the opinions of
20 middle school teachers were sought. In the research, participants were selected from middle school teachers
working in schools with different socio-economic levels through maximum variation sampling. Three semistructured
interview questions structured on three main themes were used as data collection tools. The data
obtained after the interviews was analysed with descriptive analysis technique. The data obtained in the research
was analysed within the framework of coercive, imitative, and normative isomorphism themes. In the coercive
isomorphism theme, teachers stated that they adopted certain practices in line with the legal regulations of the
institutions they were affiliated with, curriculum changes and administrative expectations. In this context, it was
determined that especially official inspections, performance evaluation systems and central exam-oriented
practices created a guiding pressure on teaching processes. In the imitative isomorphism theme, teachers stated
that they imitated the practices in schools that had achieved success or were shown as examples in situations
where uncertainty and risk perception were high. The widespread adoption of good practice examples was
among the prominent findings under this theme. In the theme of normative isomorphism, it was observed that
teachers developed similar attitudes and behaviour patterns in line with the professional training they received,
the seminars they attended, and professional ethical norms. It was observed that pre-service and in-service
training in particular contributed to the establishment of a common professional standard among teachers. The
findings show that teachers developed similar behaviour patterns through both external obligations and
professional norms in the face of organizational structures and environmental factors.
Keywords: Organizational isomorphism, secondary school, teacher
APA 7th edition
ERTAS, B.D. (2026). Examining Teachers’ Experiences on Organizational Isomorphism. International Journal of the Pursuit of Excellence Qualitative Research in Education (IJPEQRE), 5(1), 1-11.
Harvard
ERTAS, B. (2026). Examining Teachers’ Experiences on Organizational Isomorphism. International Journal of the Pursuit of Excellence Qualitative Research in Education (IJPEQRE), 5(1), pp. 1-11.
Chicago 16th edition
ERTAS, Behiye DAGDEVIREN (2026). "Examining Teachers’ Experiences on Organizational Isomorphism". International Journal of the Pursuit of Excellence Qualitative Research in Education (IJPEQRE) 5 (1):1-11.
Aksit, N. (2007). Educational reform in Turkey. International Journal of Educational Development,
27(2), 129-137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2006.07.011
Ball, S. J. (2003). The teacher’s soul and the terrors of performativity. Journal of Education Policy,
18(2), 215–228. https://doi.org/10.1080/0268093022000043065
Büyüköztürk, Ş., Kılıç Çakmak, E., Akgün, Ö. E., Karadeniz, Ş., & Demirel, F. (2014). Bilimsel
araştırma yöntemleri. Pegem Akademi.
Darling-Hammond, L. (2017). Empowered educators: How high-performing systems shape teaching
quality around the world. Jossey-Bass.
Demir, A. (2025). Investigating the effects of preparation for high stakes exams on burnout levels of
Turkish EFL teachers. International Journal of Language Academy, 13(2), 32-43.
http://dx.doi.org/10.29228/ijla.81212
DiMaggio, P. J., & Powell, W. W. (1983). The iron cage revisited: Institutional isomorphism and
collective rationality in organizational fields. American Sociological Review, 48(2), 147–160.
Elonga-Mboyo, J. P. (2018). Framing ethical isomorphs in educational leadership: A sociological
approach. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 21(1), 122-133.
https://doi.org/10.1080/13603124.2017.1349184
Ghoshal, S. (1988). Environmental scanning in Korean firms: Organizational isomorphism in
action. Journal of International Business Studies, 19, 69-86.
https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8490375
Hargreaves, A., & Shirley, D. (2009). The fourth way: The inspiring future for educational
change. Corwin Press.
Hoyle, E., & Wallace, M. (2005). Educational leadership: Ambiguity, professionals and
managerialism. SAGE.
Katopol, P. (2016). Isomorphism and barriers to organizational change. Library Leadership &
Management, 30(3), 1-5.
Marini, G. (2021). Coercive and mimetic isomorphism as outcomes of authority reconfigurations in
French and Spanish academic career systems. Policy Reviews in Higher Education, 5(1), 89-
108. https://doi.org/10.1080/23322969.2020.1806726
Meyer, J. W., & Rowan, B. (1977). Institutionalized organizations: Formal structure as myth and
ceremony. American Journal of Sociology, 83(2), 340–363. https://doi.org/10.1086/226550
Mir, T. U. R., Bibi, T., & Sahi, A. N. (2023). Decision making by teachers under institutional
isomorphism in educational institutions. Human Nature Journal of Social Sciences, 4(2), 422-
437. https://doi.org/10.71016/hnjss/fzajx581
Mizruchi, M. S., & Fein, L. C. (1999). The social construction of organizational knowledge: A study
of the uses of coercive, mimetic, and normative isomorphism. Administrative science
quarterly, 44(4), 653-683. https://doi.org/10.2307/2667051
Öztürk, İ. H. (2011). Curriculum reform and teacher autonomy in Turkey: The case of the history
teaching. International Journal of Instruction, 4(2), 113-128.
Özoğlu, M. (2010). Türkiye’de öğretmen yetiştirme sisteminin sorunları. SETA Analiz, (17), 1-32.
Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research and evaluation methods. Sage Publications.
Puttick, S. (2017). ‘You’ll see that everywhere’: Institutional isomorphism in secondary school subject
departments. School Leadership & Management, 37(1-2), 61-79.
https://doi.org/10.1080/13632434.2017.1293633
Sahlberg, P. (2011). Finnish lessons: What can the world learn from educational change in Finland?
Teachers College Press.
Sığrı, Ü. (2021). Nitel araştırma yöntemleri. Beta
Steiner-Khamsi, G. (2004). The global politics of educational borrowing and lending. Teachers
College Press.
Yıldırım, A., & Şimşek, H. (2013). Sosyal bilimlerde nitel araştırma yöntemleri. Seçkin Yayıncılık.
Zein, S. (2017). The pedagogy of teaching English to young learners: Implications for teacher
education. Indonesian JELT: Indonesian Journal of English Language Teaching, 12(1), 61-77.
https://doi.org/10.25170/ijelt.v12i1.1469