Purpose: This study examines how women principals authored reforms in their schools and the resources and multifaceted identities they drew upon to navigate change. Design/methodology/approach: Using life history methods, this paper examines data from 20 semi-structured interviews conducted during 2022-2023 with 10 women public school principals…

Purpose: This study replicates and extends prior research on principal hiring preferences and conceptualizations of teacher "fit." We investigate the specific fit dimensions principals value, the contextual factors informing their fit conceptualizations, and the implications of fit-based hiring for schools and candidates. By shedding…

Purpose: Diocesan systems of Catholic schools in the USA have been trying to make urban elementary schools more sustainable in an era of declining enrollment. This paper sought to better understand how system and school leaders conceptualize what it takes to "sustain the legacy" of these schools. Design/methodology/approach: We conducted…

Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate the effect of principal leadership (PL) on teacher professional learning (TPL) with the possible mediation of teacher trust (TT) and teacher agency (TA) using a broader set of data collected from published research. Design/methodology/approach: The study uses meta-analytic structural equation…

Purpose: The aim of this case study is to describe what commitment and actions are needed in the Swedish school so that principals -- within the Swedish school policy framework and with the goal of creating an inclusive school culture and practice -- can positively affect schooling for students with disabilities, with a particular focus on…

Purpose: This paper proposes a new conception of school systems arising out of the collision of three forces--(1) a longstanding press to rationalize the technical work of schools in the service of educational excellence; (2) a growing democratic press to equitably engage community members in the process of defining educational excellence; which…

Purpose: Principals' well-being worldwide is under increasing threat due to the challenging and complex nature of their work and growing demands. This paper aimed at developing and validating a multidimensional Principal Well-being Inventory (PWI) and examining the state and consequences of principal well-being. Design/methodology/approach: This…

Purpose: This study aims to explore the challenges reported by Israeli school vice-principals regarding their relationships with principals and teachers. The study examines two questions: (1) How do vice-principals perceive the challenges involved in their relationships with principals and teachers? and (2) How do they respond to these challenges?…

Purpose: In response to the proliferation of neoliberal reforms and a "new professionalism" (Evetts, 2009, 2011), researchers argue that school leaders, like teachers, have experienced a form of "de-professionalization" (Keddie, 2017) and that the principalship may even be an "emergent profession" (Stone-Johnson and…

Purpose: This study investigated how leader characteristics, interpersonal dynamics, and situational context may predict turnover intentions among novice principals and assistant principals. Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative survey was administered to 1,945 novice school leaders in Sweden. Linear regression analysis was conducted to…

Purpose: Previous studies found that principals must be involved in both instructional leadership and organizational management, yet they did not explain how the former supports the latter. To narrow this gap in the available research-based knowledge, the current study explored the contribution of organizational management to instructional…

Purpose: There is currently a shortage of applications for the role of principal. There are a range of factors contributing to this, one of which may be the considerable levels of stress and burnout reported by principals and deputy principals. Distributed leadership may offer some solutions to this challenge. This study aimed to explore the lived…

Purpose: Educational reform is a complex undertaking and the interactions between leaders as they go about a change are consequential for realizing desired outcomes. Advice relationships are one such interaction and can play a key role in driving knowledge transfer and development and as such are an important social capital asset supporting…

Purpose: The educational environment in Taiwan's primary and secondary schools is becoming increasingly diverse and complex. This study examined the relationship between primary and secondary school principals' working values, organisational climate and organisational adaptation. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected from the third…

Purpose: Educational organizations confront a number of failures along with successful practices. Although a potential learning source for organizations, failures encountered are not normally welcomed and utilized to improve future practices. However, the existing literature emphasizes that individuals and organizations can learn a lot from their…