Abstract

 
 
 
 Within this article, we thematically present common challenges associated with the role of the rural principal. In this literature review, we delimit our search to work published from 2003–2013. A limitation of this study is that it represents data predominantly from American, Canadian, and Australian rural settings, restricting a global applicability of results. Findings highlight that many rural principal candidates face a hiring disadvantage if they do not have a historical connection with the community advertising a position. Additional challenges include juggling diverse responsibilities, lack of professional development and resources, gender discrimination, and issues surrounding school accountability and change. This information is beneficial for researchers, policymaker, senior educational leaders, principals, vice-principals, teachers, parents, and community members interested in school leadership within rural communities. We conclude that to be successful, rural principals must be able to nimbly mediate relations within the local community and the larger school system.
 
 
 
 
Highlights
Robin KooymansWe thematically present common challenges associated with the role of the rural principal
Within this article, we thematically present common challenges associated with the role of the rural principal
With regard to this literature review, we delimited our search to include only literature published within the past decade (i.e., 2003–2013) so that it represents current literature on the challenges associated with the rural principalship
Summary
We thematically present common challenges associated with the role of the rural principal. Additional challenges include juggling diverse responsibilities, lack of professional development and resources, gender discrimination, and issues surrounding school accountability and change This information is beneficial for researchers, policymaker, senior educational leaders, principals, vice-principals, teachers, parents, and community members interested in school leadership within rural communities. While conducting this literature review, a limitation we identified was the general lack of research addressing the challenges that principals face in in rural communities (Arnold, Newman, Gaddy, & Dean, 2005; Institute for Educational Leadership [IEL], 2005); the research that was available emanated predominantly from American, Canadian, and Australian rural settings, limiting the global applications of results. If no quantifiable definition of rural was provided but the author portrayed the school as rural, we recognized the authors’ research integrity and included the study in our review
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