Role of Educational Administrators and Teachers in Implementing Educational Policies

Abstract

Street-level bureaucracy is a research area in public administration that has received less attention in our country and encompasses a significant portion of employees in government organizations, including operational staff. This study aimed to answer the question of whether school managers and teachers in Iran can be considered street-level bureaucrats. Additionally, this study seeks to address the conditions under which these individuals can act as useful and effective street-level bureaucrats. This is a qualitative study that collected data through semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding methods. The interviewees in this study were school managers, teachers, and educational administration managers from the capital of Gilan Province, located in northern Iran, who were selected purposefully. The results of the study indicate that school managers and teachers influence the functioning of the educational structure in various ways and, when favorable conditions are present, can serve as effective and useful bureaucrats in achieving the goals of educational policy.