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ERIC Number: EJ1469220
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-May
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1741-1432
EISSN: EISSN-1741-1440
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Factors Affecting Educational Leader Wellbeing: Sources of Stress and Self-Care
Sebrina L. Doyle Fosco; Melia A. Brown; Deborah L. Schussler
Educational Management Administration & Leadership, v53 n3 p582-601 2025
Purpose: The purpose of this mixed-methods research is to understand leader stressors, the impacts of stress, self-care strategies used to mitigate stress, and gender-related differences. Research Methods: School and district leaders in a suburban school district in the northeastern United States (n = 33) completed a mixed-methods survey. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed separately. Data were compared and integrated, then interpreted to understand educational leaders' experiences. Findings: Leaders reported high levels of role-related stress from external pressures, responsibilities related to managing others, interactions with families, and job-related concerns. Impacts of this stress were multifaceted and found to spill over to home. Female leaders were more likely to report stress from concern for the well-being of others and from interactions with teachers and staff. To mitigate effects of stress, leaders engaged in cognitive, emotional, occupational, spiritual, and physical self-care. Female leaders were more likely to report occupational self-care and social support seeking. Implications for Research and Practice: This research suggests that districts should invest in providing mentorship, professional learning communities, and professional development focused on well-being to support educational leaders. More research is needed on individual and school-level characteristics that may influence leader experiences of stress and engagement in self-care.
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub-com.bibliotheek.ehb.be
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A