There is Always Light at the End of the Tunnel: Emotions of a Turkish School Leader in a Temporary Education Center for Syrian Children

Abstract

This chapter depicts the case of a leading school principal in a large suburban Temporary Education Center for Syrian students in Turkey through exploring his emotions and the ways in which he de/regulates them, while performing his professional duties. A single-case study technique was employed within the qualitative realm. Data were attained by interviews, narratives and observations at the school. Drawing on the cultural view on emotions, this authentic school leader's emotions and emotional regulation (ER) style were analysed as he poses a critical case in refugee education, an unfamiliar phenomenon for Turkish schools. The findings revealed the impact of the cumbersome reality of culture on the emotions, which is a blend of religion, faith, traditions and consequent values in this case and the strategies selected for emotion regulation. His ER techniques are an outcome of his patriotic values, deep belief in justice and humanity, formed by his faith and Anatolian culture he adopted. The data show that the Western perspectives of emotion literature may not necessarily be valid in a case where locally embedded needs and dynamics are interwoven. His paternalistic care and relevant display of emotions create a form of trust and confidence in the other members of the fragile school community and parents, which is significant in demonstrating the impact of local needs.