Abstract
This study explores the problems faced by novice principals and their impact on work performance. Based on a qualitative research design, we adopted an exploratory design and applied in-depth interview method through purposive sampling for which eight novice principals were interviewed. The findings indicate that novice principals faced various problems such as isolation, time management difficulty, lack of position-related knowledge, failure to integrate theories with real practices, lack of experience in decision-making and problem solving, and inability to adapt to the culture at the new school. Such situations assert undue pressure on the novice principals to the extent of affecting their performance in the initial stage of their appointment as school administrators. These findings suggest that novice principals should attend the National Professional Qualification for Educational Leader course for exposure to theories of school leadership and management. In addition, the findings further suggest implementing socialisation and induction programs for novice principals prior to their appointment. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n4s3p562
Highlights
Education in Malaysia does have high social accountability to serve the best interests of the public and is geared toward serving as the medium to spur progress towards the development of the nation
Based on the results from interviews with the participants of the principalship mentoring program, the researchers found that the novice principals faced several similar problems, namely isolation, difficult to manage time, lack of principalship knowledge, inability to integrate between theories with actual situations, and difficulty to adapt to the management culture and administration in the new schools
The problems faced by the novice principals were discussed in accordance with the main themes of isolation, difficulty managing time, lack of knowledge principalship, failure to integrate between theory with the actual situation in the school, inability to adapt to a new culture in a new school, and lack of experience in decision making and problem solving
Summary
Education in Malaysia does have high social accountability to serve the best interests of the public and is geared toward serving as the medium to spur progress towards the development of the nation. These goals can only be achieved when the entire system, beliefs, climate, spirit, and excellent culture are practiced by every school, student, support staff, teacher, and administrator To realise these expectations, schools need to be effectively governed by credible and competent principals in order to produce generations of qualified individuals equipped with the knowledge and skills to advance the nation (Muhyiddin, 2010). According to Yirci & Kocabas (2010), the novice principals are already prepared and cannot wait to perform their duties as principals, they still feel the pressure and are nervous and hesitant to perform their tasks in the new school environment They are likely to face problems in managing the school’s financial matters, staff, students, community, and generally have problems in implementing their responsibilities. They face the dilemma of trying to implement the directives from the Ministry of Education and to meet the needs of parents and the community (Azlin Norhaini & Roselan, 2007)
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