Constructing Educational Opportunities in Times of Crisis: Principals’ Human-Centered Leadership During the COVID-19 Pandemic

• In Event: Leadership in Times of Uncertainty and Adversity

Abstract

This study aims to highlight the novel challenges faced by principals during the COVID-19 pandemic, how they responded to these challenges, and who and what they prioritized when making decisions. The findings suggest these principals experienced instructional, student, and communication challenges during the pandemic, and that their decisions were guided by attention to the people involved. That is, they engaged in human-centered leadership which considers the needs of the school community when attending to the goals and tasks of schooling. Human-centered leadership establishes a different paradigm of leadership, fostering practices that support both organizational goals and the individuals who inhabit the thriving educational places we aim to cultivate.

Authors

• David Sosa, California State University - San Marcos

• Joni Kolman, California State University - San Marcos