Why We Lead: What Sustains Principals in Challenging Times?

Project leaders: Queensland Association of State School Principals (QASSP)

This project seeks to identify what keeps principals in the job, by exploring what keeps them coming back to work every day under increasingly complex and challenging conditions. Prior research into principal attraction and retention has frequently focused largely on the challenges of the role, which has contributed to deficit discourses about the work of principals today and potentially affects future interest in the role for aspiring leaders.

This project extends upon the foundation of prior research by taking an appreciative inquiry stance and developing a context-sensitive, strengths-focused inquiry into the experiences of school principals, aiming specifically to better understand the approaches that promote longevity and sustainability in the role.