The impact of job isolation on new principals’ sense of efficacy, job satisfaction, burnout and persistence
Journal of Educational Administration
ISSN: 0957-8234
Article publication date: 12 January 2018
Issue publication date: 10 May 2018
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to test the model first presented by Federici and Skaalvik (2012) involving the relationships among four attributes of principals’ work: self-efficacy, burnout, job satisfaction, and intention to leave (persistence). The model is then extended to test the role of isolation as a precursor.
Design/methodology/approach
Path analysis is used to test the models, based on responses from an electronic survey of first-year principals in a southeastern US state, using established measures of each construct.
Findings
First, the results show support for the model presented by Federici and Skaalvik, supporting their original hypotheses. Second, the authors show that isolation is an important predictor of all four constructs in the model, and that when included as an antecedent factor, isolation represents the most potent predictor of new principals’ intention to leave.
Research limitations/implications
The analysis involves a sample of new principals from a single setting, thus limiting generalizability. Additionally, the exclusive use of self-reported data in this study raises the possibility that the results are influenced by single-source bias.
Practical implications
The findings showing that isolation is a significant predictor of work outcomes, such as efficacy and satisfaction, and an important predictor of persistence suggest that scholars and practitioners alike need to consider ways to understand and mitigate the sources of isolation experienced by school leaders.
Originality/value
Isolation is largely neglected in empirical studies of principals’ work. This study adds to what is known and raises questions about the study of isolation experienced by school leaders.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The data for this study were collected as a part of US Department of Education Award No. R305E50082, The Coaching Model: A Collaborative Pilot Program. The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the US Department of Education, Institute for Educational Sciences, National Center for Education Research. The authors take sole responsibility for the presented work.
Citation
Bauer, S.C. and Silver, L. (2018), "The impact of job isolation on new principals’ sense of efficacy, job satisfaction, burnout and persistence", Journal of Educational Administration, Vol. 56 No. 3, pp. 315-331. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-07-2017-0078
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited