From Business Backbone To School Leader: A Study On The Role Transition Of The Novice Principal

The new term is a key period for the principal's growth and development.It is an important stage for the principal to become familiar with the professional position and mature,and is an important process for beginning principal to transform from a business backbone to a school leader.In the process,beginning principal will face various challenges and have an important impact on the development of the school.Studying the role transformation of beginning principal,presenting the fresh and complicated working conditions of beginning principal,is conducive to clarifying the content of the pre-service training of beginning principal,and is also conducive to discovering the self-development strategy and external support needs of the initial principal.Taking the Principal X of A Middle School as the research object,using the case study method,using interviews,observations and other specific methods,based on the"two-level-four dimensions" analysis framework,the paper examines and analyzes beginning principal from a business backbone to become a school leader.The basic process and its challenges.At the working level,the thesis studies the three dimensions of "preparation and procedure,expectation and positioning,practice and process”.In the dimension of" preparation and procedure”,the paper analyzes how the principal of X went to the position of principal,and described it from personal career experience,vocational training and selection process.In terms of the "expectation and positioning"dimension,the paper looks at the expectations of Principal X from different people and the position and understanding of Principal X own role for the principal.In terms of the "practice and process"dimension,the thesis mainly discusses the practice process of Principal X in the leadership work from the exercise of power,the construction of relationship,the management of quality and the promotion of change.At the individual level,the paper focuses on the dimension of " identity and stress”.The paper examines how Principal X identify himself,the pressures they face in the process of role transformation,and the series of changes that occur in leadership and personal life.The study found that there are three main challenges in the transformation of the role of beginning principal:First,the challenge of "double adaptation ",that is,school adaptation and role adaptation,the initial principal needs to adapt to the new environment and new roles.The second is the challenge of "double learning ",that is,task learning and individual learning,and it is necessary to make efforts in the cultivation of work ability and the adjustment of personal mentality.The third is the challenge of "double balance ",which requires a good relationship between the school and the school's relevant personnel as well as the individual's work and life balance.The study suggests that the effective transformation of the first principal depends on two collaborative efforts:on the one hand,beginning principal is proactively acquiring and relying on key resources.It is necessary to pay attention to the role of the principal's personal experience,especially in the management experience,which will lay the foundation for the management of the principal in the future;the first principal should also learn to consult with the senior principal,for example,beginning principal can consult the basic information of the school.Can get some leadership management experience from it;beginning principal must have the concept of lifelong learning,whether it is before or after the job,must constantly learn to improve their professionalism.On the other hand,the education administration should actively provide full support for the transformation of the role of beginning principal.The education administrative department shall pay attention to the principal's pre-service training and strengthen the training management;the education administrative department shall give the initial principal a certain initial guidance,such as arranging the experienced principal to guide them;the education administrative department shall provide support in the work,especially the school funding and system improvement;the administrative department of education should give beginning principal the appropriate fault-tolerant space,allow mistakes,and correct mistakes in time.