Visible at night: US school principal nontraditional work-hour activities and job satisfaction

Abstract

The work of school principals is complex; however, little research has examined how they navigate this complexity outside of traditional settings and times. This specific line of inquiry is important, because principals’ time allocation is related to various desirable student outcomes, and how many hours principals work (and when) is associated with job satisfaction. To address this gap in the literature, we asked (a) How much time do principals spend on work-related activities outside of traditional school hours and how is that time used? and (b) In what ways do nontraditional work-hour activities influence principals’ job satisfaction? An analysis of our interview data revealed (a) principals spend a significant amount of time outside of traditional school hours completing school-related administrative work, being visible at school and community events, and being virtually visible via email and various social media platforms; and (b) time spent during nontraditional work hours influences principals’ job satisfaction. We discuss implications for policy, practice, and leadership preparation.