Can Teacher Leadership Reduce Principal Stress?

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine what stressors face practicing school principals, with an interest in determining whether they perceived that teacher leaders could relieve some of their stress. This descriptive study used quantitative and qualitative measures that revealed differences in the stressors identified by principals. Principals from all schools reported that they encounter significant levels of stress in their position, with little connection between the roles that teacher leaders currently play and the principals’ associated workload stress. Differences in gender responses to stress and rural, suburban, and urban schools principals’ perceptions are also reflected in the findings. This article is one of a series written to analyze the complexities of principal workload and the potential role of teacher leaders in alleviating workload stress. The conceptual framework for this study is distributed leadership, chosen for its relevance and alignment with the tenets of teacher leadership in the schools.