School Leaders' Self-Efficacy Before the Pandemic Predicts How Schools Innovate During School Closures

• In Event: Leadership During Challenging Times

Abstract

School leaders’ self-efficacy has been shown in many studies to be relevant for the successful development of schools. This study examines the effects of principals‘ self-efficacy measured before the Corona pandemic on their innovative coping during the first school closure in Germany in spring 2020. Using a longitudinal survey of N = 493 school leaders, we used structural equation analyses which indicate principals’ self-efficacy has a significant impact on innovations introduced at schools during the closure. Control variables, such as principals’ leadership experience or school size, showed no significant effects. This highligts the importance of pricipals’ self-efficacy for crisis management. Implications for the training and support of school leaders and for further research on leadership are discussed.

Authors

• Sebastian Röhl, University of Tübingen

• Marcus Pietsch, Leuphana University - Lueneburg

• Colin Cramer, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen