Agentic Leadership: Principals’ Agency During the COVID-19 Crisis

ABSTRACT

This research aimed to examine school principals’ perceptions and practices during the COVID-19 period through the perspective of school leaders’ agency and proactive coping role when facing adversity and crisis. For this purpose, we interviewed 60 principals of elementary, middle, and high schools. Interview analysis yielded five categories of leaders’ agency during the COVID-19 crisis pertaining to principals’ proactive creation of opportunities in the following fields: (1) principalship; (2) pedagogy; (3) professional development; (4) role autonomy; and (5) relationships and connections with various communities. The study expands knowledge identifying the perceptions and practices embodied in leadership agency.