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School Administrators:Professional Challenges andComplexities



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November 2000

University of Queensland: Graduate School of

Education

UQ Ipsw ich Community Service and ResearchCentre



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Contents

1. Introduction 4

2. Method 62.1 Focus Group 7

3. Results 83.1 Focus Group 83.2 Stressors 9

3.2.1 Heavy Workload 93.2.2 Change Management 103.2.3 Time Management 103.2.4 Behaviour Management

& Special Needs 103.2.5 Professional Identity 11

3.3 Professional Needs 123.3.1 Resourcing 12

3.3.2 Professional Development 123.3.3 Time Management 133.3.4 Professional Support 133.3.5 Professional Identity 13

3.4. Existing Support Mechanisms 13

3.5 Potential Sources of Support 14

3.6 The Survey 153.6.1 Sample Characteristics 153.6.2 Job Characteristics 163.6.3 Professional Support 18

4. Conclusion 22

Appendix 1 23



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1. IntroductionOccupational stress is a universal problem faced by an increasing

number of people in the workplace. Fogarty, Machin, Albion,

Sutherland & Revitt (1999) report a 20% annual increase in stress-

related workers’ compensation claims accepted by Comcare Australia

for the period 1989/90 to 1994/95. In fiscal terms this represents

payouts of about $50 million. Equally important are the hidden costs

to the community such as loss of productivity, and personal and family

hardship (Fisher, 1996). Fogarty et al (1999, p. 429) also note that

the majority (83%) of claims made were based on “pervasive and

chronic causes, such as interpersonal conflicts and organisational

factors such as change and pressure to meet deadlines” rather than on

workplace trauma. In view of such evidence, it becomes clear why

there is a pressing need for research that explores the causes of

occupational stress and its link with the structural forces that shape

work.

Although research has revealed a variety of elements that significantly

contribute to the experience of stress in the workplace, four major

sources of stress among professionals have been identified in the

literature: environmental factors, factors pertaining to the organisation

within which the job exists, those intrinsic to the job, and

characteristics of the individual which influence coping responses.

Examples of each type of these stressors are shown in Table 1.



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Table 1. Sources of Occupational Stress

Despite the existence of many articles that report on research into the

workplace stress experienced by teachers, few deal with the stress

experience of school administrators. Given that administrators have

been challenged with major structural change with the introduction of

school-based management, this is a subject area that requires further

investigation.

EnvironmentalFactors

• Societalexpectations

• Demographicsof schoolcommunity (e.g.highunemployment)

OrganisationalFactors

• Dynamicenvironment

• Increase innumber ofstudents withdisabilities

• Educationdepartmentpolicy issues

• Pressure toperform

• Increased callsforaccountability

• Financial

uncertainty

• Bureaucraticconstraints

Job Factors

• Humanrelations

• Administrativerelationships

• Administrative

tasks

• External timecommitments

• Work/familyconflicts

• Role conflict

• Roleambiguity

• Work overload

IndividualisticFactors

• Personality

Type A

• External locusof control

• Self-Esteem

• Gender

• Years ofexperience

• Family support



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Evidence from the available literature confirms that the roles and

responsibilities of administrators do change under a school-based

management context (Bullock & Thomas, 1994; Beck & Murphy,

1998). Leadership demands are now qualitatively different from what

they have been (Townsend, 1999; Cranston, 2000; Cheng & Chan,

2000). Administrators spend more time engaged in dealing with their

expanding managerial and accountability responsibilities and spend

less time on educational and curriculum leadership. In England, the

introduction of school-based management has been associated with a

considerable cost in principals’ time and effort. Campbell & Neill

(1994) report of primary principals and teachers working 54-60 hour

weeks and experiencing significant emotional distress. The competing

demands now placed on administrators need to be acknowledged and

formal mechanisms put into place that will assistance them to meet

the challenges presented by rapid changes in their profession.

In response to such demands, the Queensland Association of State

School Principals (QASSP) has directed the undertaking of the present

study. The aims of this research program are to identify (a) the

support needs of Ipswich and West Moreton administrators within a

School-Based Management context; (b) current support options

relevant to the identified needs; and (c) to facilitate the development

of additional support options to meet identified needs.

2. Method

The research program was divided into two distinct stages. A division

was introduced into the process for the specific purpose of providing



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interim results used to inform further planning sessions, and also to

provide an opportunity to refine the research instrument used in the

second stage of the study. Data was collected using two sequential

processes. Initial information was obtained through the facilitation of

a focus group and a small structured survey was used to build on

existing data in the second stage.

2.1 FOCUS GROUP

The focus group was made up of 24 primary school administrators –

principals and deputy principals. Eight participants from each of the

two districts of interest, Ipswich and West Moreton, were selected on

the basis of administrative role, gender, school size, school tenure and

years of experience. All the administrators approached to participate

in the focus group session agreed to do so.

A variation of the brainstorming procedure, the 2/4/8 technique, was

used to capture the required information. Group members were

initially asked to generate as many responses as they could to

predetermined questions while working in pairs. Participants were

then required to merge into increasingly larger groups of four then

eight. The larger teams were asked to pool all responses, review them

and rank the top five responses in order of importance. The twoteams of eight then presented their ranked responses to each other. A

final application of the review and ranking process with the original

group of sixteen participants determined the overall top five

responses.



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The content of notes taken during the session were analysed to reveal

themes, trends and patterns emerging from the responses. The

implications of the data were then considered to address the initial

propositions of the study.

Findings from the study were interpreted with caution as only one

focus group session was conducted. Multiple group sessions are

usually required to clearly identify trends and patterns in the data.

Replicability of results ensure that emerging themes are accurate

reflections of participants’ responses and not merely due to chance.

The 2/4/8 brainstorming technique moderated this limitation to some

degree as responses from each size group were compared. This

provided anecdotal evidence to support the overall findings.

Findings from the survey were used to validate data gathered through

the focus group session. The survey is included in Appendix 1 and

results discussed below.

3. Results

3.1 Focus Group

The focus group session progressed through the following steps:

1. name the issues

2. name the support needs

3. name existing support

4. name other possibilities

5. review and consolidate possibilities and recommendations.



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3.2 Stressors

In order to gain an adequate reflection of the challenges that

administrators confront while balancing multiple roles, participants

were asked to identify the key stressors they faced in their

professional lives. The five common themes identified, in order of

importance, were:

• heavy workload;

• leading and managing change;

• lack of time;

• behaviour management/special needs issues;

• professional identity issues.

3.2.1 HEAVY WORKLOAD

A clear impression that emerged from the group session was that

administrators are extremely overworked. Increased responsibilities

since the introduction of school-based management, continual

additions of extra responsibilities, job ambiguity and unclear

boundaries of the role, balancing the daily operational issues with

project management and fulfilling the expectations of parents were

just some of the specific issues mentioned. The lack of resources

available to administrators, both human and financial, exacerbated

heavy workloads and this often produced frustration in administrators

who felt that without sufficient resourcing they could not adequately

perform their job.



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3.2.2 CHANGE MANAGEMENT

Change management was also of considerable concern to most

participants. Many felt that change was imposed on them by a system

that did not provide administrators with the support necessary to

facilitate the successful implementation of new policies and curricula.

Administrators’ lack of confidence in their own abilities to manage and

lead change (a role they feel they have not been professionally

prepared for) contributed to feelings of anxiety around this issue. The

perception of receiving inadequate professional training was not

limited to this aspect of the job; participants indicated that they felt

that there was no overall effective training for the jobs of principal and

deputy principal. Respondents also expressed apprehension at the

pace and lack of stability of change.

3.2.3 TIME MANAGEMENT

Related to administrators’ heavy workload are time management

issues. Almost all participants reported difficulties in finding time to:

support staff; be effective in their roles of teacher and principal and;

balance work and family life. Unrealistic deadlines imposed by the

district or central office was also cited as a source of considerable

stress. In addition, school parents were nominated as being

demanding of time. Some participants indicated that they felt their

job left them with little time to be concerned about their personal

health.

3.2.4 BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT AND SPECIAL NEEDS ISSUES

Behaviour management and the extra responsibilities associated with

students with special needs were also recognised as being time-



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consuming. Some participants lamented at having to invest a lot of

time to deal with issues affecting only a small percentage of the

student population. Administrators also felt that they were

unrealistically perceived as being experts in these matters and

pressure was often placed on them, particularly by parents, to come

up with solutions to problems experienced by students. Teachers were

seen as contributing to the behaviour management issue. Many

participants believed that teachers did not take enough responsibility

in this area preferring, instead, to pass the problem on to

administrators.

3.2.5 PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY

Negative public perceptions of teachers and administrators led some

participants to report that they felt undervalued and not respected in

the community. Others stated that the systemic channels for

promotion currently in place did not value small school complexities,

thereby, effectively discriminating against administrators from such

schools.

Of particular concern is the confusion around the matter of just how

school-based management has changed the role of administrators.

Are they curriculum and instructional leaders or essentially business

managers? This is a contentious issue that requires timely attention.

Clarification of job expectancies would go a long way to ameliorate the

stress faced by administrators.



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3.3 Pro fessional Needs

Participants were asked how they could be assisted and what their

professional needs were. The following top five responses were

recorded:

• provision of adequate resources;

• professional development;

• provision of more time;

•

collegiate/professional support;

• recognition of professional identity.

3.3.1 RESOURCING

The most common types of resources mentioned were adequate

financial and human resources. Almost all participants believed their

schools received inadequate funding and were under staffed. Others

stated a need for legal support and representation, as well as, more

useful and relevant support from the District Officer.

3.3.2. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The provision of focused professional development activities was a

common request among members of the group. Training in leadingand managing change was the area of most interest, followed by

skilling in counselling and mediation.



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3.3.3 TIME MANAGEMENT

A need for time to adequately perform multiple tasks, as well as, to

maintain a balance between their professional and private lives was

clearly expressed. Uninterrupted time to perform administrative tasks,

non-contact time and “laugh” time were typical requests.

3.3.4 PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT

The value of peer interaction in mediating the effects of workplace

stress was recognised within the focus group. Such interactions were

seen as opportunities to engage in informal professional development

in addition to providing personal support and social contact.

3.3.5 PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY

The need to be recognised for the work they do was of significant

importance to participants. The traditional roles of principals and

deputy principals no longer apply and need to be redefined.

Participants described themselves as business operators who were

responsible for administrative tasks and resource management rather

than educators. Roles and job expectancies need to be clearly defined

and supported through the provision of relevant training programs.

3.4 Existing Support Mechanisms

The identification of the support mechanisms currently used by

administrators was important in providing baseline information from

which to build complementary strategies. Responses included:

• professional groups such as the Queensland Association of State

School Principals (QASSP);



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• individual colleagues, mentoring programs and other professional

networks;

• Queensland Teachers Union;

• Family and other “listeners”;

• a sense of humour;

• a system where the District Director works with principals;

however not with deputy principals.

3.5 Potential Sources of Support

The following suggestions were nominated by participants as other

potential sources of support:

• key stakeholders to build advocacy capacity by joining together to

inform relevant parties of the issues that administrators face;

• working to achieve effective District Office support;

• clustering resources, involving consortia, thinking laterally about

how to more effectively use resources;

• revise the values of the system including the language used;

• clarify the concept of school-based management and how this will

affect administrators and schools in the future;

• implement realistic benchmarks;

• increase resourcing;

• department to provide readily available legal support at no cost to

school;

• increase social interaction at a district level;

• QASSP to consider appointing a Welfare Officer.



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3.6 The Survey

The survey was designed to complement the focus group findings

above but again, its utility was limited by the small number of

respondents (n = 22) and the scope of the questions asked.

Nevertheless the sample group represented a broad cross-section of

school administrators.

3.6.1 SAMPLE CHARACTERISTICS

Age

The higher age range in the sample reflects the greater experience of

school managers.

20-25 026-30 131-35 436-40 1

41-45 346-50 551-55 756+ 1

Gender

Males 8Females 14

Location

Urban 15Rural 7



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Deputy Principals

Only twelve (12) of the sample were at schools that employed deputy

principals – half of this group had two deputies and the other half had

one deputy principal.

Composition

Exactly half the sample were non-teaching principals, and another four

were teaching principals. Only one was a teaching deputy principal

while six were non-teaching deputy principals.

Years of Experience

Reflecting the older age of the sample, most of the sample had

significant school management experience:

Those 15 teaching and non-teaching principals had served a

cumulative total of 137.5 years for an average of 9.1 years.

Not surprisingly, deputy principals were far less experienced,

averaging slightly more than 2 years experience.

As an overall group, the sample recorded a significant amount of

classroom teaching experience with 330 cumulative years for an

average of 15 years (not including non-teaching principal years).

3.6.2 JOB CHARACTERISTICS

School administrators perform a number of different roles and the first

set of questions attempted to identify what was particular about these

roles. The first question asked:



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What would you say your major roles at work are, given the amount of

time you spend on each? Please rank top three according to actua l

time spent on tasks.

The top three responses were:

1. manager/child oriented (particularly behaviour management issues)

2. child oriented (distinct from above)

3. parent oriented

The second question asked:

What do you believe your main role(s) should be?

The top three responses were:

1. leader of change/curriculum leader

2. child oriented/manager of change

3. parent oriented/teacher oriented

The third question - What do you believe the following people perceive your

main role(s) to be? – aimed to see if there were any inconsistencies between

their own perception of their role and how others perceived this role

The majority of respondents felt that teachers, parents and community

members perceived their role to be managerial in nature and child

oriented. They also expressed that Education Queensland perceived

their role to be managerial, leaders of change, with slightly less

emphasis on curriculum leadership.



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There was some confusion with the response (Yes 10; No 10; No answer

2) to the fourth question: Do you feel equipped to deal with changes

associated with school-based management?

It was puzzling that the majority of respondents expressed that their

job expectations had become more complex, increased in volume and

were under resourced; yet, half indicated that they felt they were able

to deal with these changes.

A participant who elaborated that he/she felt personally capable of dealing

with changes, however, could not do so adequately without extra time and

support services from Education Queensland provided one possible

explanation for this response. Perhaps other respondents felt similarly but

did not specify.

3.6.3 PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT

The survey asked participants to specify ways that they felt the following

organisations could assist school administrators in performing their job.

The qualitative responses could be summarized as follows:

Education Queensland

1. Support• Provide staff/management support

Administration staff Teachers Deputies Curriculum co-ordinators

Key personnel Increase DD leadership



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• Provide administration support Pro-formas, etc.

• Provide curriculum support

• Be more realistic with regard to expectations from

• different school (different priorities exist from school toschool)

• Increase feedback re: performance

• Increase flexibility of grants

• Become proactive in addressing Administrators unique welfareneeds

• Change

Support change with adequate funding Be clear about expectations of role and the rate of change Flag and provide opportunities for dialogue with regard to

proposed changes

2. Time Management

• Increase leadership time

• Somehow allocate more time to complete tasks or

• reduce number of tasks

• Out-source one-off work

3. Workload• Decrease teaching workload (for teaching Principals/DPs

Decrease size of classes or 80% teaching

• District Office to assume responsibility for HRM

4. Training & Development• Provide opportunities for PD for Administrators and other

school staff



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• Set up promotional program for interested teachers

• Set up training/support programs for new Administrators

• Provide centrally funded PD Identify common PD needs and provide relevant inservice

• Equip staff to manage changes

5. Reconceptualisation of Role

• Decrease administrative elements and increase strategiccomponents of job

• Increase emphasis on curriculum

6. Advocacy

• For adequate resources

• Free up industrial barriers

QTU

1. Support• With school based decisions

• Promote reasonable expectation of staff

2. Advocacy

• Increase administrative support Staffing

• Encourage EQ to place restrictions on change, particularly,downloading of responsibilities onto schools

• For Administrators

• For adequate pay for all employees in education

• Increase quality of working conditions, timetable for change

• For reasonable workloads and role expectations

• Decrease class numbers in a Yrs 1-7 class



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QASSP

1. Support• Appoint branch welfare officers• School-based decisions• Establish a mentoring program• Curriculum issues• Provide opportunities for networking• Promote role of principal/deputies• Facilitate sharing of knowledge (eg. how do other schools implement

new initiatives)

• Provide greater support for multi-age classes (Yrs 1-7)

2. Advocacy• Increase administration staffing• For administrators role to focus on curriculum• Centrally funded professional development programs• QASSP to develop greater power so that it can influence or initiate

change

3. Training & Development

•

Provide opportunities for professional development of administrators

A final question invited participants to address the following question:

If you have sought assistance from external agencies for work-

related stress, please name these agencies.

Very few participants offered suggestions here but there should not be too

much concern about the number of non-responses to this question. It may

mean that participants felt uncomfortable about answering this question but

a more likely explanation is the degree of uncomfortability in indicating

willingness to seek help (see question 5). There is potential to explore this

in far greater detail in a follow-up survey should funding permit.



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4. Conclusion

Many of the stressors reported in the study appear to be related to

structural changes for which administrators have not been prepared.

School-based management has changed the focus and content of

administrators’ jobs, however, those affected have not been equipped

to meet these challenges. This has led to job and role ambiguity as

many new and non-traditional tasks have been added to

administrators’ job expectancies. It is not surprising then that

administrators are experiencing increasingly higher levels of workplace

stress which often spills over to affect their private lives.

Despite the existence of multiple strategies to address stress at

varying levels, there appears to be an overwhelming and fundamental

need to redefine administrators’ roles within the context of school-

based management. Administrators are beginning to see themselves

as leaders and managers of organisations and are starting to operate

accordingly. This transformation has not been entirely welcome.

There is an overall feeling among administrators that the management

aspect of their occupation has increased to the point where they have

little time to devote to curriculum leadership. There was consensus

among participants that a balance needs to be restored between these

two expectancies and this should be recognised, legitimised and

supported through departmental channels in the form of revised

position descriptions, position status (professionalism), resource

allocation, remuneration and perhaps even modified department

structures. It is only through the reconceptualisation of the position

that the workplace stress experienced by administrators can be

adequately addressed.



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Append ix 1 The Survey

School Administrators:Professional Challenges and Complexities

1. Please indicate the age-group you fall into.

20-25 26-30 31-35 36-40

41-45 46-50 51-55 56+

2. Gender Male Female

3. Your school’s location? urban rural

4. Are deputy principals employed at your school?

Yes No

If yes, how many? _______

5. Are you a teaching Principal

non-teaching Principal

teaching Deputy Principal

non-teaching Deputy Principal

6. (a) How many years have you served as:

Principal _________ years

(b) Deputy Principal _________ years

BACKGROUND



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7. Please outline your teaching history:

years as a classroom teacher as a Deputy Principal

as a Principal other

Please specify other ___________________________________

Please t i ck a l l responses th a t a r e app l i cab le .

1. Do you perceive your main role(s) as being:

manager curriculum leader curriculum advisor

resource person teacher oriented child oriented

parent oriented counsellor guidance officer

all of the above manager of change leader of change

other

If other, please specify _________________________________

2. Do you believe your main role(s) should be:





other

JOB CHARACTERISTICS



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3. What do you believe the following people perceive your mainrole(s) to be:

Teachers?





other


Parents?





other


Other community members?



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other


Education Queensland?





other


4. Do you believe that the introduction of school-based managementhas changed the expectancies associated with your job?

Yes No

If yes, please specify how you feel your job has changed.

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________



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________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

5. Do you feel equipped to deal with the associated changes?

Yes No

7. Please specify ways that you feel the following organizations canassist you in performing your job.

Educat ion Queens land

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

Queens land Teachers Un ion

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________



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Queens land Assoc ia t ion o f S ta t e Schoo l Pr inc ipa ls

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

Other, please specify

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

7. Please nominate any areas of professional development that youfeel would assist you in performing your job?

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________



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________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

1. Are you happy in your job as you are currently experiencing it?

Yes No

2. Do you feel positively challenged?

Always Often Sometimes Never

3. Do you experience a sense of achievement in your work?


4. Do you feel professionally isolated?


bPlease feel free to comment on any of the preceding questions.

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

JOB SATISFACTION



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5. Please indicate which of the following, if any, have a major influenceon you job?

isolation high unemployment area low socio-economic area

area is industry-specific cultural diversity of area sole parent families

other, please specify ____________________________________________

6. Please describe how these factors have impacted on your job.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

7. Do you believe that you are adequately paid to do your job?

Yes No

If no, how much more do you think you should be paid?

up to 10% > 10%

8. How do you view your future as a Principal?

long-term a stepping stone to greater things

can’t wait till retirement not sure

I’d walk out tomorrow, given the opportunity

other



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If other, please specify, or feel free to comment further

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

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