Principals and stress: Few coping strategies for abundant stressors

2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 440-458 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Mahfouz

Various job demands continue to be very stressing and exhausting for school administrators who have to work under unprecedented pressure. This qualitative study explores the various stressors school administrators experience and the coping strategies they utilize to manage their stress. Findings show that the various stressors experienced by the school administrators do affect their job performance and their own wellbeing. Principals mentioned three main types of stressors related to work, relationships and time. They also experienced some unpleasant feelings in response to these stressors such as guilt, a sense of unfairness, loneliness, or disappointment. However, their coping strategies comprised of spending time with loved ones and having an outlet outside work. Implications for social emotional skills-based professional development programmes for school administrators are discussed.

Author(s):  
Wendy Griswold

This study focuses on the professional development experiences of teachers in the Altai Republic, Russian Federation. The Russian educational system is undergoing computerization, and teachers are learning to integrate educational technology into classroom practice. This qualitative study explored the potential perspective transformation experienced by teachers, using multiple sources of evidence (interviews with program and school administrators, school teachers, observation). Findings indicated that teachers are beginning to think and act in new ways based on their experiences with educational technology. Teachers are also collaborating in this learning process, which provides an important support for continued learning and growth. Findings also indicate transformative learning theory (TLT) is a useful framework for exploring transformative learning in this non-Western setting and helped to uncover elements of transformative learning which may be culturally determined.


2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (6) ◽  
pp. 602-619 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Mahfouz

Purpose Based on a need to utilize strategies and develop social-emotional competency skills of school administrators, the purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education (CARE), a mindfulness-based professional development program, on the leadership and well-being of 13 school administrators. Design/methodology/approach The empirical data consist of in-depth interviews with 13 administrators before and after the implementation of CARE program, observation notes from shadowing their activities during school time and attending the CARE program as a participant observer. Employing the pro-social classroom model (Jennings and Greenberg, 2009) as a theoretical foundation, the paper is based on an ongoing, iterative data analysis process, following the coding and interpretive techniques of grounded theory. Findings The positive outcomes that emerged from the data relate to improved leadership skills, such as increased self-reflection, better relationships and attendance to self-care. These skills are tied to increased self-awareness, self-management and self-compassion. Participants also reported an improved ability to recognize their emotional reactions, which enabled them to better understand their leadership roles in shaping their school climates. Research limitations/implications The findings reveal significant insights about the implementation of social-emotional, mindfulness-based professional development with school administrators and potential outcomes. Implications for professional development that fosters school administrators’ social-emotional competencies are discussed. Originality/value As a study of one of the first implementations of mindfulness-based professional development programs among school principals, this research illuminates the specific benefits of such programs for school leaders and how mindfulness could be integral in their lives and education. Specifically, this study is one of the first to reveal how the CARE professional development program influences principals’ well-being and leadership.


Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 367
Author(s):  
María del Carmen Olmos-Gómez ◽  
Francisca Ruiz-Garzón ◽  
Paula Pais-Roldán ◽  
Rafael López-Cordero

This article aimed to analyze, through a qualitative study (i.e., semi-structured interview), the opinions and knowledge of fourth-year future teachers at a Spanish public university (University of Granada) regarding training and the need for first aid (FA) at school. With a sample of 70 subjects in their last year of training, our conclusion is that although they are aware of the importance of first aid for their professional development, there is no such training in their careers, and thus they have great difficulty understanding how to react to emergency situations on the job.


Author(s):  
Ifeanyichukwu Anthony Ogueji ◽  
Samson Femi Agberotimi ◽  
Bolaji Johnson Adesanya ◽  
Taiwo Nurudeen Gidado

2021 ◽  
pp. 103072
Author(s):  
Olga Canet-Vélez ◽  
Teresa Botigué ◽  
Ana Lavedán Santamaría ◽  
Olga Masot ◽  
Tània Cemeli Sánchez ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
pp. 1356336X2110031
Author(s):  
Tan Zhang

The purpose of this study was to reveal the work life of physical educators who were experiencing a teacher accountability system in the US. A combination of stratified and purposeful sampling procedures was adopted to select a sample of schools that served communities with various socioeconomic backgrounds. The schools were recently incorporated in a state teacher accountability system that used student learning growth for teacher evaluation. A group of 51 certified physical educators was selected from the sampled schools. Data were collected from three sources: an online survey, in-school observations, and semi-structured interviews. The survey and observations cross-validated data related to job description, workload, general working environment, and demographic information. The interviews detailed the teachers’ accounts about their work life, perceptions of the job demands, and resources under the teacher accountability system. Inductive analysis revealed that the lack of critical job resources, especially curricular supports, equipment, and professional development, limited the teachers from promoting student learning that the teacher accountability system required. Teachers were subjected to immense job demands, specifically a large body of content knowledge to teach with shrinking instruction time and ambiguous role. They also felt pressured to incorporate reading, writing, and mathematics in physical education lessons with little or no curricular support. For teachers to teach physical education successfully in this accountability context, systemic changes are needed to provide teachers with adequate professional development and curricular resources to promote learning in physical education.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document