School Principals in Spain: an Unstable Professional Identity

Abstract

The article proposes an emerging approach in research on school leadership, within the framework of the " International Successful School Principalship Project (ISSPP) " , where one of the three key research strands is " Principals' identities " . It formulates, first, the theoretical framework for the professional identity from a narrative approach, linked –at the same time-to the practice of leadership, as an interactive relationship with the other members of the school. Successful leadership practices depend to a large degree on strong principals' identities. Second, it analyzes the biographical interviews of 15 school principals, through a process of structuring and categorizing the data collected, applying content analysis. The dimension of the principals' identities emerges in different categories: a) Personal identity; b) Professional identity (internal perspective); c) Professional identity (external perspective); d) Social identity; e) Professionalization; [and] d) Dual identity. Finally, the results are discussed, and lines are proposed to articulate and strengthen the identity of school principals in Spain.