(Re)Imagining Principal Preparation Through Praxis: Integrating Problem-Based Learning and Reflective Practice in Educational Leadership

• In Event: Virtual Poster Session
  In Virtual iPresentation Only: SIG-Learning and Teaching in Educational Leadership Virtual Poster Session

Abstract

This study explores the integration of problem-based learning (PBL) simulations in a graduate Educational Leadership program at a large public university in the Western United States, employing reflective talk-back forms to capture the emotional and intellectual responses of aspiring school principals. Drawing from two PBL sessions in Spring 2024, with 21 and 18 participants respectively, the research analyzes how structured reflection fosters leadership identity, critical consciousness, and amplifies voices often marginalized in traditional leadership training. These talk-back reflections act as powerful counter-narratives that resist deficit discourses and foreground relational, justice-centered leadership. This work positions reflective practice as essential for reclaiming purpose, processing complexity, and envisioning transformative leadership futures.

Author

• Rachel Anna Kamnkhwani-Kaulembe, Boise State University