Don’t Miss the Forest for the Trees: Rethinking Psychological Distance in Principal-Homeroom Teachers’ Relationships

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 1:45 pm
  In Roundtable Session: How Teachers Experience and Perceive Principal Leadership

Abstract

This study applied construal level theory (CLT) to examine how principal-teacher relationships, shaped by contrasting leadership styles, affect school outcomes. Qualitative analysis of two principals and twelve homeroom teachers in Israel reveals multidimensional distance relations: physical, social, emotional, informational, and a newly identified “professional distance.” Contrary to CLT, these distances did not always align with expected construal levels (concrete or abstract), but this mismatch did not necessarily undermine organizational goals. Divisive leadership prompted concrete, self-focused thinking; collaborative leadership fostered abstract and concrete school-focused thinking. The findings also show that leadership style and the positive or negative emotions it evokes play a pivotal role in shaping principal-teacher relationships, which in turn influence staff dynamics and overall school objectives.

Authors

• Ori Eyal, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

• Reut Liraz, Hebrew University of Jerusalem