Teachers' Social Network Tendency and Workplace Friendship: A Mixed-Method Study

This study examines the relationship between teachers' social network tendencies and their perceptions of workplace friendships, employing a mixed-methods convergent parallel design. The study sample was determined using stratified sampling and consisted of 329 teachers working in various high school types (Anatolian, Vocational, Science, etc.) in the Efeler district of Aydın, Turkey. Data were collected via the Social Network Tendencies Scale, Workplace Friendship Scale, and semi-structured interviews with 28 teachers. Findings show that female teachers and those aged 51 and above report higher levels of social networking tendencies and workplace friendship. Teachers working in vocational high schools also score higher on both variables compared to those in other types of schools. Social network tendency was positively associated with workplace friendship (r=.549, p