부산대학교 도서관

This paper reports the results of a research study investigating the experiences of new school vice-principals in Ontario, Canada, as they transition from teaching to administration. The objectives were to catalogue the challenges and successes experienced by participants, to identify sources of vulnerability during transition, and to uncover supportive practices. Thirteen individual interviews and six focus-groups involving a total of 25 participants were conducted with vice- principals who had been 0-4 years in the position. Participants indicated that they were unprepared for the demands of the transition and they were challenged by the lack of role clarity and the complexity of administrative roles. They attributed success to their ability to mobilise personal resources and to build their own networks of support. Their experiences indicate that structural, political, and cultural characteristics common to the role have rendered the vice-principalship inherently ambiguous and vice-principals institutionally vulnerable, with vulnerabilities at both structural and psychological levels. The findings provide a more nuanced understanding of the challenges faced by vice-principals and greater appreciation for the complexity of potential solutions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]