| dc.description.abstract | Principals’ perceived isolation has been empirically associated with factors such as lower self-efficacy, job dissatisfaction, and burnout and a strong predictor of a principal's intentions to leave the profession. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of feelings of isolation among school principals, and to explore what organizational structures and control mechanisms may influence those feelings through a mixed-methods approach. The data collection and analysis included a principal survey of both their perceived isolation and social disconnectedness followed by 12 semi-structured interviews to explore principals’ experiences with isolation from within their organizational constructs and professional roles. This study found a relatively low prevalence of isolation, both socially and emotionally in the professional context of the principalship. However, of those principals who felt isolated, it was often purposeful; they report choosing isolation in their personal lives as a means of self-preservation or protection. This selective isolation seemed to be a result of paranoia and professional risk that the principals perceived to exist in their personal lives and relationships as a result of their professional identities.
Keywords: principalship, isolation, social integration, social provisions, loneliness, principal support, principal well-being | en_US |
