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The Dynamic Nature of Emotions in Educational Leadership: Lessons from the Career Stories of Israeli Late-Career Principals

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New Understandings of Teacher's Work

Part of the book series: Professional Learning and Development in Schools and Higher Education ((PROD,volume 100))

Abstract

In light of the emergent research on emotions of educational leadership, I would like to display in this chapter a developmental view of emotions in school leadership through life stories of late-career Israeli principals who have been interviewed in-depth about their professional identity and career experiences during their career cycle. From their accounts we gain much knowledge about the dynamic aspects of origins, qualities and effects of emotions in educational leadership. Briefly, it is apparent that school principal’s emotional understanding, empathy, trust and emotionality develop throughout the years in post to a point in which emotions play a key role in lives and career of the late-career principals.

This research was supported by THE ISRAEL SCIENCE FOUNDATION (grant No. 181/07). A special gratitude is endowed to Debby Yanku-Haddad for her research assistance in this study.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The first number refers to the principal’s age and the second to the length in principalship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Education, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Izhar Oplatka

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  1. Izhar Oplatka
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Correspondence to Izhar Oplatka .

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  1. School of Education, University of Nottingham, Wollaton Road, Nottingham, NG81BB, Nottingham, United Kingdom

    Christopher Day

  2. Hong Kong Institute of Education, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong/PR China

    John Chi-Kin Lee

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Oplatka, I. (2011). The Dynamic Nature of Emotions in Educational Leadership: Lessons from the Career Stories of Israeli Late-Career Principals. In: Day, C., Lee, JK. (eds) New Understandings of Teacher's Work. Professional Learning and Development in Schools and Higher Education, vol 100. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0545-6_12

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