Developing and Validating Leadership Resilience Metrics for School Principals: Evidence from Expert Focus Group Discussions

First Author: Yueh-Chun Huang
Affiliation: Professor, Department of Education, National Chiayi University
Email: ychuang100@mail.ncyu.edu.tw

Second and Correspondence Author: Dr. Ru-Jer Wang
Affiliation: Professor, Department of Education,
National Taichung University of Education

Address of correspondence:
No. 140, Ming-Sheng Road, Taichung City 403, Taiwan,
R.O.C. National Taichung University of Education
Email: edurjw14@gmail.com; edurjw14@mail.ntcu.edu.tw

Abstract
Since the beginning of 2020, the appearance of COVID-19 has gradually been becoming a global pandemic. We have seen one of its impacts on schools, teachers, and students worldwide. Principals must be equipped with resilient leadership to cope with the school crisis; however, due to the need for a tool for measuring principals' leadership resilience. Therefore, this study aims to establish metrics for the leadership resilience of principals. The method employed in the study is the focus group. Conclusions include: 1. leadership resilience with three levels should be included in the evaluation of school performance; 2. leadership resilience should be included in principal training and professional development courses; 3. self-assessment of the principal's leadership resilience should be carried out to facilitate the development of individualized principal resilience courses; 4. the Principal’s Leadership Resilience Indicators should be applied as the basis for future school organizational resilience development. Based on the findings, the study recommends including leadership resilience in evaluating school performance in principal training, self-assessment of principal's resilience, and using leadership resilience metrics as the basis for school organizational resilience development. Three dimensions of principal leadership resilience are identified: Resilient Thinking, Resilient Empowerment, and Resilience Behavior. Six implications for principals' leadership are derived from the metrics for leadership resilience.

Keywords: principal; leadership resilience; metrics

Article Type: Open Access

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