Kuram ve Uygulamada Eğitim Yönetimi (Educational Administration: Theory and Practice), vol.26, no.4, pp.719-742, 2020 (Scopus)
This study seeks to explore how individuals make sense of an upcoming educational change after they
experience a cognitive dissonance state. The data of this study included reflective essays of fifty-two
prospective teachers about an impending educational change initiative. The results of the qualitative
data analysis revealed that three change related dynamics shaped the perspectives of the participants
such as; individual side of change, organizational side of change and management of change. The
participants found the change plan substantially beneficial in terms of individual and organizational
matters while they shared their concerns about the appropriate implementation of the change by the
responsible administrative units. This research contributed to the change literature by combining
cognitive dissonance theory and individual sense-making process in examining their role in how people react to a planned educational change initiative. Conclusions, implications and recommendations are discussed