How School Principals Cope With Administrative Constraints in Quebec

• In Event: Roundtable Session 116
  In Roundtable Session: Onward! Leading the Charge: Principal Capacity and Effectiveness

Abstract

This mixed method research examined stress and coping of school principals during the Quebec educational reform. The sources of stress were identified using the Administrative Stress Index ASI (N-238). After which, the ASI results were linked to stressful encounters found on video for six principals filmed during a working day. The third phase consisted in stimulated recall to explore the coping process. The results show that the main stressors come from the administrative constraints and that the principals use problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping when facing these constraints. Overall, these findings which point to the need for a better understanding of emotional competence for principals, will contribute to the enhancement of education programs and to effective intervention strategies.

Authors

• Emmanuel Poirel, University of Montreal

• Pierre Lapointe, Université de Montréal