Challenges of Being a Chinese Principal: Practitioner Perspectives

Abstract

This qualitative study examined how public-school principals spent their professional day, the challenges they faced, and their advice to new principals regarding how to respond to the challenges they identified. The themes that emerged from the data underscored the demands of high-stakes test preparation that the participants felt undermined education quality and stifled student creativity. The relationships across themes that emerged identified being a good teacher and life-long learner as essential to instructional supervision and maintaining one’s focus on raising the quality of student’s educational experiences. Demonstrating a good moral character was even more critical, however, to maintaining one’s priorities and serving as a role model for teachers and students.