The teaching head in primary schools: tensions, paradigms and coping strategies

Abstract

Headteachers stand at an interface between external and internal demands. Whilst the management of this role is clearer for non‐teaching heads, for teaching heads the problems are sharpened where daily class teaching and loyalties to public demands and to the school as an institution could become conflictual. Such tensions were investigated in a study of head teachers’ own perceptions of their roles and coping strategies. Whilst acknowledging clear pressures within their public and institutional duties the sample indicated strong allegiance to a class teacher role. As such they operated in a paradigm which differs significantly from that of the non‐teaching head. Strategies were evolved to cope with these administrative and public functions though shortcomings were observed in their successful implementation.