Principal Preparation Programs: Addressing Aspiring School Leader Well-Being

• In Event: Sustaining Principal Well-Being Across Borders Through Positive Psychology Frameworks: Exploring Emerging Conceptual Frameworks

Abstract

Purpose/Introduction
The purpose of this study was to explore UCEA-member institution educational leadership programs’ current practices and curricula regarding the well-being of aspiring school leaders. The Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL, 2015) require that effective school leaders promote student academic success and student well-being. The National Educational Leadership Preparation Program (NELP, 2018) standards go further to require that effective school leaders also promote the well-being of the adults in the building, which includes the administrators themselves.
It is the responsibility of principal preparation programs to advance development of school leaders with the most current and cutting-edge concepts. Slater et al. (2018) found that “One of the most neglected areas of principal leadership development might be self-care and well-being” (p. 6). The high turnover rate of these positions impacts school sustainability (Béteille et al., 2012; Parker, 2019), culture (Bartanen et al., 2019), climate (Pendola, 2017), teacher attrition (Collie et al., 2011), and student achievement (Mascall & Leithwood, 2010; Miller, 2013; Snodgrass Rangel, 2018), making school leader well-being integral to school health.
Conceptual Framework
This study employed a positive psychology framework by using Seligman’s (2018) domains for measuring well-being: 1) positive emotion, 2) engagement, 3) relationships, 4) meaning, and 5) accomplishment (PERMA), Carol Dweck’s (2006) growth mindset theory which emphasizes that success is the result of the belief that one can achieve success with effort and perseverance, and mindfulness practices, which can affect a leader’s ability to take purposeful risk (Kabat-Zinn, 2003) (see Appendix ??).
Methods
The researcher used qualitative methods of inquiry including surveys, interviews, and artifacts to discern the state of aspiring leader well-being education in promoting their own well-being and the well-being of the students, faculty, and staff they serve.
Data Sources
The participants were educational leadership faculty in UCEA member institutions. Data sources included surveys, interviews, syllabi, videos, and other artifacts. The researcher developed the survey which was distributed through Qualtrics. Interviews were conducted via Zoom and transcribed. Emerging themes were developed from the interviews.
Results
Faculty from fifty-four UCEA institutions responded to the survey. When the faculty were asked to what extent they would rate their program’s quality in addressing aspiring school leader well-being, 65% rated the extent of quality to be to a very small extent (2) or to a small extent (3). Seventy-six percent (76%) of faculty rated that the importance of engagement, relationships, and reflective practices were taught to a large extent (5) or to a very large extent (6) in their programs. The results of the interviews showed that there was little agreement on best practices for promoting the well-being of aspiring school leaders. In addition, there was little agreement on what constitutes a positive sense of well-being.
Scholarly Significance
This research is a starting point for the collaboration between higher education institution principal preparation programs regarding best practices for promoting aspiring school leader well-being. The conceptual framework developed by the researcher and used in this study holds promise for aspiring leader well-being, which impacts the health of the school.

Author

• Angela Cranford Adair, Auburn University