School Leaders as Boundary Spanners: Shared Sense-Making Processes for Personalized Learning within a National Curriculum Reform Implementation

Abstract

Implementing a curriculum reform for personalized learning calls for school leaders’ role as boundary spanners in meeting outside expectations and inside activities. This qualitative study examines school principals’ bridging and buffering strategies for personalized learning within a national curriculum reform implementation via a shared sense-making lens. Semi-structured interviews with 25 Israeli high-school principals yielded three major themes and sub-themes: (1) bridging strategies within internal boundaries: (a) communicating a shared vision for personalized learning; (b) creating a safe personalized learning space; (2) bridging strategies across internal and external boundaries; and (3) buffering strategies within internal boundaries: (a) prioritizing teachers’ well-being; (b) protecting teachers from the stress of uncertainty; (c) maintaining the stability of schools’ processes. This chapter provides an investigation into the vital role of school principals as bridging agents fostering shared sense-making processes. Personalized learning can be successfully implemented when combined with a transformational leadership approach for innovation.