Newly appointed principals' challenges in learning and adjusting to school culture

Abstract

This study explored the lived experiences of two new principals of secondary schools. It focused on the principals' experiences of learning the school culture through interactions with the staff and attempting changes which they felt were necessary for improving the teaching and learning process. The study aims to contribute to the literature on newly appointed principals' experiences by highlighting the way newly appointed principals learn about school culture and the setbacks they are likely to face during the learning process. These findings have implications for principal preparation programmes and hiring policies. Participants were selected from two secondary schools located in one of the eleven Education Districts in Guyana. Findings indicate that newly appointed principals experienced challenges that impacted their ability to manage the school culture and institute the changes that were needed for ensuring improvements in teaching and learning.