A matter of principals: ‘No improvement’ in the challenges facing school leaders

Description

A new Australian Research Council study of principals’ emotional labour argues that there needs to be a change in focus. Research needs to address not only the impact of excessive workload in terms of long hours (crucial though that is), but the increased emotional intensity of this work. That is, it’s the emotionally-draining nature of the work, the “hard” hours where principals are dealing with more and more demanding, emotionally-intense situations as they support troubled staff, students, and parents. The ratcheting up in the emotional intensity of principals’ work has been a more “invisible” element of principals’ work – not easily quantified or measured. But it can play a significant role in increasing the stressors that impact their health and wellbeing.