Unveiling English school leaders’ intentional well-being cultivation practices during a global pandemic
International Journal of Educational Management
ISSN: 0951-354X
Article publication date: 28 October 2024
Abstract
Purpose
There is an urge worldwide that school leaders’ mental health and well-being must be prioritised within the education recovery at the local, national and global policy levels. This research identified the intentional well-being practices that school leaders cultivated as they faced unprecedented challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Design/methodology/approach
Data was collected through one-to-one in-depth semi-structured interviews with ten senior school leaders from primary and secondary schools in England. During the pandemic, online interviews were organised using Zoom. An inductive followed by deductive approach qualitative data analysis was employed to offer insights into the multidimensional and sensitive nature of school leaders’ well-being.
Findings
The findings indicated that despite a reported decline in well-being, the participants intentionally engaged in well-being cultivation practices which were both relational: developing multi-faceted support networks, and individual: developing self-care and self-regulation skills. These practices provided different psychological and practical needs necessary for maintaining their well-being and work functioning facing the pandemic.
Originality/value
This study affirms school leaders’ well-being cultivation is an intentional and effortful process involving relational and individual practices to support their multidimensional well-being during extreme challenges. These practices can be mindfully and strategically cultivated. This study enhances the theoretical understanding of school leader well-being and offers timely insights into well-being initiatives in leadership development programmes for educational leaders and policymakers amid global challenges.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors thank all school leaders who authentically shared their well-being experience during the Covid-19 pandemic. Their gratitude also goes to Dr Kendra McMahon and Dr Martine Duggan who kindly supported the early stage of this research and Prof. Sarah Hayes who helpfully provided suggestions to the manuscript.
Citation
Yeh, C.S.-H., Ravalier, J. and Chang, K. (2024), "Unveiling English school leaders’ intentional well-being cultivation practices during a global pandemic", International Journal of Educational Management, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-10-2023-0520
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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