Sustaining school-based improvement: considering emotional responses to change
| Date | 11 February 2019 |
| Pages | 50-67 |
| Published date | 11 February 2019 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-01-2018-0022 |
| Author | Rima Karami-Akkary,Julia Mahfouz,Samaya Mansour |
| Subject Matter | Education,Administration & policy in education,School administration/policy,Educational administration,Leadership in education |
Sustaining school-based
improvement: considering
emotional responses to change
Rima Karami-Akkary
American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
Julia Mahfouz
University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA, and
Samaya Mansour
American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
Abstract
Purpose –Emotions of school leaders influence school culture and structure. Understanding emotions is
under-researched and under-theorized in non-western contexts, especially during educational change.
The purpose of this paper is to understand the nature of the leadership team’s(LT’s) emotional responses to
change, their coping strategies and conditions that maintain their commitment to change.
Design/methodology/approach –The study used intrinsic case study research, drawing on data from
interviews and a focus group that illuminated perceptions of the LT in a school. The data set was analyzed
following the general inductive approach.
Findings –The LT’s experienced three critical incidents (CI) of educational change that provoked a range of
intense negative and positive emotions, a national curriculum reform. Despite the team’s attempt to cope with
the national curriculum reform (i.e. CI1), negative emotions and unsupportive conditions challenged their
commitment to change. In CI2, supportive conditions and effective personal coping strategies helped
elicit positive emotions, which led to sustained commitment to change. Emotions experienced during the
capacity-building program (i.e. CI3) were predominantly positive due to support from the school principal and
coaches, resulting in sustained commitment to change.
Research limitations/implications –Findings from this small-scale case study in Lebanon are not
generalizable to other contexts. The time lag could have affected the recollection of experiences.
All participants were female, and their experiences might not reflect those of other school members affected
by the changes.
Practical implications –Examining emotions during change uncovers insight into school leaders’
subjective experience, facilitates a more nuanced understanding of change, and supports change
implementation. Considering emotions during change informs the development of tailored interventions that
provide effective support.
Originality/value –This study examines how emotions affect the success of educational change. Contrary
to common understanding, change does not always generate negative emotions that impede implementation.
School-based improvement creates structural and cultural conditions for effective change as it considers
practitioners’socio-emotional needs, eliciting positive emotions.
Keywords School leaders, Leadership effectiveness, Commitment to change, School improvement,
Educational change, Emotional leadership
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Emotions are central to education (Beatty, 2007; Crawford, 2009) and shape leaders’
understandings of their practices (Tenuto et al., 2016), decisions, actions and relationships
with other school members (Yamamoto et al., 2014). However, research in the context of
educational reform is focused on leaders’rejection or acceptance of changes and effects on
adaptation, rather than the sense making or emotional labor involved (Sutton and Wheatley,
2003; van Veen and Sleegers, 2009; van Veelen et al., 2017; Schmidt and Datnow, 2005).
Research on emotions in the field of educational leadership in Arab societies is especially
scant (Hallinger and Hammad, 2019; Karami Akkary, 2014). Hammad and Hallinger (2017)
Journal of Educational
Administration
Vol. 57 No. 1, 2019
pp. 50-67
© Emerald PublishingLimited
0957-8234
DOI 10.1108/JEA-01-2018-0022
Received 27 January 2018
Revised 1 May 2018
18 July 2018
22 August 2018
5 September 2018
Accepted 10 September 2018
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0957-8234.htm
50
JEA
57,1
found that only seven empirical studies published between 2000 and 2016 investigated
emotions, with a narrow focus on motivation, commitment, and satisfaction. Likewise,
Karami-Akkary and El Saheb’s (2018) review of 250 educational leadership studies
published in Arabic journals reveals no studies with emotions as the core focus. Very little is
known about school leaders in this region, especially in reform contexts.
To address this knowledge gap, this study examines the experiences of seven school
leaders who are members of a leadership team (LT) responsible for leading improvement
initiatives in a Lebanese school. The study aims to understand the nature of LT’s emotional
responses to change, their coping strategies and conditions that maintain their commitment
to change. Focus group and individual interview data are used to answer the following
research questions:
RQ1. Which emotions are experienced by school leaders as they implement reforms?
RQ2. What emotional coping strategies do school leaders employ while implementing
reforms?
RQ3. What are the conditions that sustained their commitment to reforms?
By answering these questions, the study provides insights on the role of emotions in
educational change in a rarely studied cultural context, hence enriching the knowledge field
on educational change in that and similar contexts while expanding our understanding of
this phenomena across cultural contexts.
Emotions and change
Few studies investigate how school leaders subjectively experience and process emotions,
reflecting an incomplete understanding of leadership theory and practice (Hargreaves,
2005). Traditionally, leadership scholars have taken a rational approach to conceptualizing
organizational management practices (Hallinger and Heck, 1996; Yamamoto et al., 2014).
However, a growing body of literature acknowledges the role emotions play in leading
educational change. These emotions have been examined from multiple perspectives,
including sociological, psychological and organizational perspectives to explain the link
between change and emotions (Schutz and Zembylas, 2011; Saunders, 2013).
Scholars in different contexts found that emotions during change range from positive to
negative emotions, such as uncertainty, nervousness, anxiety, worry, confidence,
excitement, and motivation (van Veen and Sleegers, 2006, 2009; Scott and Sutton, 2009;
Kelchtermans et al., 2009; Saunders, 2013; Tsang and Kwong, 2017). Different emotions
responded to the nature of change and associated conditions, environments, relationships,
and responsibilities.
Educational reforms demand major changes in beliefs and practices and challenge
personal goals and values, eliciting negative emotions because of uncertainty and
ambiguity. Scholars have primarily examined negative emotions (i.e. sadness, guilt, fear of
change and failure, shame, anger, frustration) (Ackerman and Maslin-Ostrowski, 2004;
Blackmore, 2010). Viewing emotions as impediments to change may lead researchers to
conclude that emotional responses, which are more intense during change, must be
eliminated (Agote et al., 2016; Kiefer, 2002).
However, understanding emotions provides insight into how school leaders of change
interpret and transform new ideas into practice, and how they relate to their environments
and colleagues during change. It also allows for understanding how they personally and
collectively make sense of the demands of reform (Ganon-Shilon and Schechter, 2017).
Understanding school leaders’emotions is considered essential for effective capacity
building and implementation (Fullan, 2001; Hargreaves, 2005; Beatty, 2007; Agote et al.,
2016). Emotional reactions affect the success and effectiveness of leadership practices,
51
Sustaining
school-based
improvement
To continue reading
Request your trial