Principals' and teachers' views of spirituality in principal leadership in three primary schools

摘要

This article discusses key findings from my doctoral research involving a qualitative case study inquiring into the lived experiences of spirituality in principal leadership and its influence on teachers and their teaching within three public primary school contexts in New Zealand. Spirituality is understood in this article as a complex and controversial human phenomenon, the meaning of which may be shaped and re-shaped by diverse perspectives and experiences. It includes personal, social-cultural and transcendent connectedness, meaning making about life and living, and a desire for greater authenticity, resulting in consistency between people's beliefs, moral-values, attitudes and their actions. The three principal participants believed their personal meanings of spirituality were intentionally and yet appropriately interwoven into a range of professional tasks, linked to characteristics of servant, transformational, moral and relational leadership styles, and contributed to their sense of resilience in the job. Most teacher participants perceived spirituality in their principal's leadership as influential through the quality of their professional character, competence and conduct. Most teacher participants attributed positive effects on their professional attitudes and practice. However, there was some ambivalence and uncertainty associated with the phenomenon of spirituality and difficulty attributing influence to an integral dimension of the person who leads. The article concludes with several implications for school leaders and teachers.