Relationships and Structure: Male and Female Saudi Principal Perspectives of School Leadership, Challenges, and Responses

Abstract

This qualitative study examined Saudi male and female principal perspectives regarding their work as school leaders, the challenges that they encounter, and how they respond to those challenges adding to the research on Saudi principals and particularly Saudi female principals. The findings indicated that female principals hold a communal view of school leadership, challenges, and responses to challenges in which relationships and meeting stakeholder needs are prioritized as compared to an agentic, self-oriented view of leadership tasks, procedures, and structural issues by male Saudi principals. Using grounded theory to analyze open-ended survey responses, theories were developed for both genders of Saudi principals and are discussed in relation to prior research as well as recommendations for pre-service Saudi principals and policymakers.