Reconceptualizing School Leadership Development: A Phenomenological Inquiry into the Lived Experiences of Master Trainers

Abstract

School leadership development programmes (SLDP) have commenced as a critical phenomenon in refining and redefining institutional effectiveness and educational quality. However, lived realities of leadership development programs require to be more focused to underline. This study reconceptualizes school leadership development via a phenomenological inquiry into the lived experiences of master trainers (MTs). By exploring the reflections, challenges, perceptions and cope-up strategies of MTs; the study exposes deeper insights into how leadership development is constituted in real-world contexts. The sample based on criterion purposive sampling (14 MTs) having direct experience of SLDP were selected. The semi-structured in-depth interviews were driven after acquiring prior consent of participants. The self-developed instrument was employed and validated from five experts and a Mock interview practice was conducted. The data were collected personally and by employing thematic analysis themes was generated by the researcher. The findings of the study explicated that SLDP is an essential step in leadership development of school heads and advocate that organized training programme such as SLDP is crucial for school heads. The role of MTs in SLDP is a driving seat and inseparable in making SLDP successful. The study recommended that MTs requires to be well-trained meritoriously selected experienced to get more efficacious results in future.

Keywords: School Leadership Development Programme, Master Trainers, Skill, Leadership, Reconceptualizing. Phenomenology