A Qualitative Study On Reducing High School Principal Burnout
A Qualitative Study On Reducing High School Principal Burnout
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Issue Date
2025-12-05
Authors
Doyle, Stephen
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Abstract
The varying demands of the principalship create stress and burnout, which can lead principals to quit their jobs. Until researchers understand the specific factors contributing to principal burnout, school districts, supervisors, and principal preparation programs will be unable to support and retain principals effectively. High school principals are licensed administrators responsible for school improvement, instructional leadership, safety, student discipline, and numerous other key areas. Considering the high demand and high-pressure nature of the principalship, this study is important because various factors including the role of teachers, personal issues, working conditions, and others can contribute to the increasing rates of principal burnout. This descriptive qualitative study explored the factors contributing to burnout among high school principals with varying degrees of experience in Washington state in 2025. Specifically, this study focused on the factors influencing principals' decisions to leave or remain in their position. The primary research question was "What causes burnout in high school principals?" To identify principal perceptions of burnout, I employed a qualitative descriptive approach to collect and analyze data through semi-structured interviews with 16 principals. A thematic analysis was conducted to interpret key trends in the data set. Key findings included that burnout can be caused by various factors within the principalship including daily scheduling demands, workload, complexity and intensity of job demands, and lack of work-life balance. Further, principals experienced strain from indirect exposure to trauma. Simultaneously, principals rely upon a "do-the-work" approach, their skills, abilities, and attributes to effectively do their jobs. Those who lead and educate principals should implement strategies that support work-life balance, supervisor feedback and support, and trauma-informed practices that can assist principals in their work with students impacted by trauma. Researchers should explore those who serve principals, such as superintendents and principal preparation programs. These stakeholders should focus on developing strategies to alleviate the job demands of high school principals. One way to do this is to emphasize supporting the individual needs of principals in their specific contexts. Researchers should also explore the specific job demands and exacerbating scenarios that have the greatest potential of increasing strain and burnout.
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Keywords
high school principal , principals , principalship , principal burnout , burnout
License
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States , openAccess