Date of Award

Spring 5-1-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Educational Leadership

First Advisor

Steve Gruenert

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative, multisite phenomenological study has two main foci. First, the study seeks to understand the unanticipated pain points each participant felt in the first two years of his or her principalship. The study inquires not into what the novice principals thought would hurt prior to their first two years on the job, but rather what they could not see coming even after having spent a considerable amount of time focusing on the principalship in their principal preparation programs. Second, the study seeks to understand what supports would be helpful to the novice principal in addressing these unanticipated pain points. Ultimately, this qualitative study seeks to determine if a framework for elementary principal onboarding can be developed to build the capacity of the novice elementary administrator. Participants include novice elementary principals currently serving in year two, three, four, or five of the principalship. Semi-structured interviews were conducted onsite to understand the unanticipated pain points and unanticipated stressors experienced by the novice principals as well as the onboarding process they experienced in their first role as principal.

Download

Share

COinS