Crisis leadership: Principals’ metaphors during COVID-19

Abstract

The roles of school principals changed during the Covid-19 pandemic, alongside all changes in the school system and society. Exploring the metaphors they used, the current qualitative research is an exploration of 42 Israeli Arab and Jewish middle-school principals’ interpretations of their leadership role in the time of crisis. Analysis of semistructured interviews yielded three themes: the organizational role, the professional role, and the emotional role. The metaphors expressed the principals’ perceptions of what was required from them during the pandemic. Metaphors can simplify complexities and break down that which is abstract and incomprehensible into understandable images, thus illuminating school principals’ reflection on their role during the pandemic crisis. This study expands the currently limited knowledge on how principals interpret their role during crisis times and provides implications and further research avenues.