Women School Principals: Roles In Constructing Leaders’ Identity In Teachers

This study explores the notion of leadership identity construction as portrayed by women principals in exercising school leadership. The study examines how the leadership of women principals impacted the construction of leaders’ identity among teachers whilst they, at the same time, strive to achieve the twofold excellence at schools in terms of academic and non-academic matters. The study draws on data from a qualitative method that examines key priorities that determine the leadership of women principals. It further examines the values that the women principals uphold in constructing leadership identity among teachers at four selected secondary schools in Malaysia. The analysis suggests that the construction of leaders’ identity in teachers by the four women principals shared some similarities and differences through the three themes emerged which are excellence, togetherness and spirituality. The study concludes that in order to perform the roles of constructing leaders’ identity in teachers, the women principals’ leadership is driven by their spiritual nature and culture that involve values of caring and sharing to lead in ways that are collective, reciprocal and inclusive. This study contributes towards the discovery of leadership identity construction among teachers in secondary school in Malaysia particularly but may also be applicable to other similar contexts worldwide. The study also suggests some implications for future research