Conference Agenda
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Please note that all times are shown in the time zone of the conference. The current conference time is: 19th Aug 2026, 21:28:47 EET
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26 SES 07 A: Wellbeing, Workload & Retention (Part 1)
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26. Educational Leadership
Paper Leadership Implications Arising from Research into Employee Work Satisfaction and Wellbeing in English Multi-Academy Trusts and Scottish Collaboratives: A Comparative Study 1: UCL, United Kingdom; 2: University of Glasgow, United Kingdom Presenting Author:This paper offers a comparative perspective on employee work satisfaction and wellbeing across England and Scotland, drawing on research undertaken with multi‑academy trusts in England and regional collaboratives in Scotland. It is necessary to first understand that whilst England and Scotland are both part of the United Kingdom, they have different regulations and governance for their state-funded schools. By examining these two distinct organisational landscapes, the paper highlights cross‑national similarities and differences in how working environments, structural arrangements and system‑level conditions shape teacher and leader wellbeing, recruitment and retention.
Several policy initiatives, frameworks and professional learning programmes in both systems have a significant focus on collaborative approaches within and between schools, local authorities and other providers in a range of sectors. School leaders are seen as pivotal not only in leading collaborative improvement initiatives within the system, but also in driving collaborative learning (Constantinides, 2025; Hargreaves and Fullan, 2015). These leadership activities create opportunities for teachers to engage in the development of both personal and collective critically reflective practices. Although both systems promote collaborative and networked approaches, there remains limited evidence on how organisational conditions in England and Scotland support teachers and leaders to experience positive working environments, sustain wellbeing and remain in the profession.
This paper details findings from a quantitative phase of analysis within a broader mixed-methods study with the purpose of informing school improvement in an increasingly complex educational environment (Constantinides, 2023 a & b; Male, 2024). It provides an in-depth examination of how various environmental factors such as structures, leadership practices and communication channels affect the daily experiences of educators directly and indirectly. Our findings reveal that supportive management, clearly defined roles and a shared vision among staff contribute significantly to cultivating a positive organisational culture.
Institutional theory offers a useful lens for this study because it highlights how different governance arrangements, policy logics and accountability structures shape organisational behaviour and, ultimately, the experiences of teachers and leaders (Constantinides, 2023b; Thornton, Ocasio and Lounsbury, 2012). England’s state-funded school system is characterised by market‑oriented reforms, diversified governance and strong accountability pressures, whilst Scotland operates through a more centralised, policy‑heavy and top‑down approach that emphasises national direction and system coherence. Using institutional theory makes it possible to trace how these contrasting institutional logics influence the design and operation of multi‑academy trusts and regional collaboratives and how these organisational conditions filter down to affect wellbeing, recruitment and retention. This perspective connects individual experiences to the broader institutional forces that structure them, enabling a meaningful comparison of the two systems. Keywords: Wellbeing and Work Satisfaction; Organisational Conditions; Networked Leadership Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources Used England and Scotland provide particularly illuminating cases for comparative analysis because, despite sharing a broadly similar cultural and legislative backdrop, their education systems have diverged markedly in organisational design, governance and approaches to collaboration. England’s multi academy trust landscape and Scotland’s regional collaborative arrangements represent two distinct models for structuring support, accountability and professional networks. These differences create contrasting working environments for teachers and leaders, making the two nations well suited for examining how system level conditions shape employee work satisfaction, wellbeing and retention. Studying these cases side by side enables a deeper understanding of how organisational structures and collaborative practices influence professional experience within the same wider UK policy context. Questionnaire surveys formed a core element of the multi method design, providing an overview of school based employees’ perceptions of their working conditions and professional experiences across both national contexts. The instrument, informed by the wider literature on teachers’ and leaders’ perceptions of school improvement and non academic aspects of school life, was administered in Scotland and England. In total, responses were gathered from 280 employees in a stratified random sample of Scottish secondary schools and from 410 employees working in 11 multi academy trusts in England, generating two comparable datasets that enable cross national analysis of workplace conditions and wellbeing. The research also draws on a number of semi-structured interviews undertaken with local authority/trust leaders, headteachers and teachers within English MATs and Scottish collectives. Exploratory and subsequent confirmatory analyses generated four underlying factors for the models focusing on 1) curriculum, pedagogy and assessment, 2) creating an environment for raising achievement, 3) collaborative school culture and 4) self-efficacy. Results demonstrate that employees’ perceptions of their work vary significantly, and can be dependent on the individual employee, the influence of school leadership, as well as the school culture. Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or Findings The results show that networked forms of leadership within both systems play an important role in shaping workplace culture and professional experience, influencing how employees perceive support, collaboration, and opportunities for growth. Attention to the wider policy and organisational environments in England and Scotland helps explain the convergences and divergences observed across the two settings. The quantitative results further indicate that schools and MATs characterised by strong, collaborative practices tend to report higher levels of staff wellbeing, alongside more effective recruitment and improved retention of high quality educators. Similar conclusions are reached through analysis of qualitative data collected through interviews. Across both national contexts, the findings highlight specific organisational conditions that foster resilience and professional growth, emphasising the importance of targeted professional development and strategic investment in human and financial capital to sustain improvement efforts. References Constantinides, M. (2023a). Making sense of complex relationships in the workplace: Principals in action. Cambridge Journal of Education, 53(5), 587-603. Constantinides, M. (2023a). Making sense of complex relationships in the workplace: Principals in action. Cambridge Journal of Education, 53(5), 587-603. Constantinides, M. (2023b). Instructional reform and multiple institutional logics: insights from executive leadership in English Multi-Academy Trusts. Educational Review, 75(2), 287-304. Constantinides, M. (2025). Leadership at the boundaries of schools: navigating the complexities of collaboration. Educational Management Administration and Leadership, Online First: https://doi.org/10.1177/17411432251343995 Hargreaves, A., & Fullan, M. (2015). Professional capital: Transforming teaching in every school. Teachers College Press. Male, T. (2024). The functioning of multi-academy trusts (MATs) in England. Paper presented at European Council for Education Research (ECER), Nicosia, August. Thornton, P. H., Ocasio, W., & Lounsbury, M. (2012). The institutional logics perspective: A new approach to culture, structure, and process. Oxford University Press. 26. Educational Leadership
Paper Leadership Wellbeing: What does it Mean and How does It Impact Retention? 1: University College London, United Kingdom; 2: University of Toronto, Canada Presenting Author:Abstract Context Along with the global challenge of teacher retention (UNESCO, 2024), there is also evidence suggesting that the supply of school leaders remains a challenge in the UK (Aleynikova et al., 2024). Research points to the significance of wellbeing in maintaining the job satisfaction of school leaders (Tahir et al., 2025) and the need for better understanding how it impacts school leaders’ retention decisions. In 2019 the UK government launched a teacher recruitment and retention strategy as a policy response to addressing the persistent teacher retention challenge (Department for Education, 2019). As part of this strategy, the reformed National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) were relaunched to promote the professional learning and development of specialist teachers, senior leaders, headteachers and executive leaders. This study is part of the larger four-year longitudinal research which examines the effects of the NPQ programmes on school leaders’ wellbeing and retention decisions. Research Objectives The aim of this paper is to provide empirical evidence on the conceptual structure of leadership wellbeing and explain how perceptions of wellbeing by school leaders influence their retention decisions. Drawing upon evidence from a national survey data gathered from participants in the Specialist NPQ programmes (designed for school leaders to deepen expertise in specific school roles), this paper answers the following two research questions:
Conceptual framing: Understanding wellbeing as an umbrella term Interest in teachers’ and school leaders’ wellbeing is not new. Research shows that how teachers feel about their lives and the quality of their day-to-day experience in school (i.e. their subjective wellbeing) can have profound implications for their practices, their retention decisions, and most importantly, the learning and achievement of their pupils (OECD, 2017; Pyhältö, Soini, & Pietarinen, 2010). The OECD (2013) defines subjective wellbeing as “good mental states, including all of the various evaluations, positive and negative, that people make of their lives and the affective reactions of people to their experiences.” (2013, p.10). Research suggests that wellbeing is best to be perceived as ‘a broad category of phenomena’ (Diener et al., 1999: 277) which encompasses three key dimensions: life evaluation (how people reflect on their life overall or specific aspects), affect (day-to-day feelings / emotions), and eudaimonia or psychological functioning (meaning or purpose in life, goal orientation, competence and autonomy). Thus, any effort to support the wellbeing of teachers and school leader must understand that wellbeing is an umbrella term for the different valuations people make regarding their lives, the events that happen to them, and the environments in which they work and live (Diener et al., 2006). Building on this, the Everybody Thriving report by the Education Policy Alliance (2024) offers a more education-specific lens, conceptualising wellbeing as a systemic, multidimensional state that must be actively nurtured within school communities. The report emphasises the role of psychological safety, supportive relationships, professional autonomy, and a culture of belonging in shaping both student and staff wellbeing. It advocates for advancing wellbeing through school culture, leadership practice, and national policy, framing it as a prerequisite for effective teaching and learning. Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources Used Methods Design and research sample This study is part of a larger four-year longitudinal, mixed methods study which explores the long-term impact of a university-led National Professional Qualification (NPQ) programmes on school leaders’ wellbeing, and retention trajectories over time. The cross-sectional study reported in this paper used results from a national survey of participants in the Specialist NPQ programmes. Survey invitations were sent to all school leaders who were active in and close to complete the programmes (N = 2,138). Between October 2022 and January 2024, a total of 387 school leaders responded, representing 18% response rate. These school leaders represented a wide range of leadership roles in their schools including teachers with subject specific leadership responsibilities, middle leaders (e.g. Head of Department), and senior leaders in state schools in England. A priori power analysis indicated a sample of n= 249 with α= 0.05 and df=48 would have 80% power to reject a mis-specified model with RMSEA = 0.05 (Moshagen & Bader, 2024); as such, our sample size was deemed sufficient. Post-hoc power analysis indicated our analytical sample of n = 300 retained 98% power to reject a mis-specified model with RMSEA = 0.06 with α= 0.05 and df = 48. Instruments The instrument used to collect data from the school leaders included a 15-section survey. Responses were rated on a Likert scale of 1-6, with 1 the least positive response and 6 the most positive response. The measurement of each key construct is informed by the synthesis of the latest research on teacher and leadership wellbeing, school leadership and school improvement, and teacher retention. They are also grounded in the survey research led by authors in different country contexts over twenty years. Together, they provide a secure knowledge and empirical base for the study to develop a reliable survey instrument which is fit for purpose. Data analysis We performed Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) to test the construct validity of the multi-dimensional scale measuring leadership wellbeing. We then adopted binary logistic regression modelling to explore the relationships between leadership wellbeing and leaders’ retention decisions, controlling for relevant background factors. We have built four regression models. In this way, we were able to identify how the added variables were related to the outcome variable, when the prior factors were controlled for, and how much variation these factors could explain in the outcome variable. Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or Findings Findings and Conclusions CFA analysis shows that the construct of leadership wellbeing consists four interrelated dimensions: social relationships, leadership capability, job satisfaction, and engagement at work. All sub-scales of leadership wellbeing met or exceeded the widely accepted minimum standards of a-reliability (0.7). CFA yielded an excellent model fit for the data. All of the factor loadings were significant, and the goodness of fit indices were strong. The Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) was 0.033, and the SRMR demonstrated good fit with a value of 0.069. Both the CFI and TLI were 0.955 and 0.938 respectively, offering more evidence of a good fit. Thus, our hypothesis that leadership wellbeing is a multi-dimensional construct is supported. Correlation analysis shows that the four dimensions of leadership wellbeing were significantly and positively correlated with each other, with correlations ranging from moderate to strong (from 0.364 to 0.653). The strongest link was between school leaders’ job satisfaction in the teaching profession and their engagement (r = 0.653). This was followed by a strong correlation between school leaders’ belonging in school and their capability (r = 0.642). This supported that the four sub-scales measured significantly related aspects of the same overarching construct of leadership wellbeing, while being distinct enough to justify separate dimensions. Statistically significant correlations provided additional support for the existence of a second-order factor. Regression models show that among all the considered individual-level and school-level factors, school leaders’ perception of their wellbeing, measured as a four-dimensional umbrella construct, was the strongest and most direct predictor of their retention decisions. Thus, as schools continue to face retention pressures, it is imperative that they are supported to have the capacity and resources to prioritise and nurture wellbeing as a central driver of professional effectiveness and long-term workforce sustainability. References References Aleynikova, E., Rostron, J., Kitson, S., Zuccollo, J., and Jiménez, E. (2024). Recruitment and Retention of Senior School Leaders in Wales. The Education Policy Institute. Department for Education (DfE). (2019). Teacher recruitment and retention strategy. London: DfE. Diener, E., Suh, E.M., Lucas, R.E., & Smith, H.L. (1999). Subjective well-being: Three decades of progress. Psychological Bulletin, 125 (2), 276-302. Diener, E., Lucas, R.E., & Scollon, C.N. (2006). Beyond the hedonic treadmill: Revising the adaptation theory of well-being. American Psychologist, 61 (4), 305-314. OECD (2017). PISA 2015 Results: Students’ Well-being. Paris: OECD Publishing. Pyhältö, K., Soini, T., & Pietarinen, J. (2010). Pupils’ pedagogical well-being in comprehensive school – significant positive and negative school experiences of Finnish ninth graders. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 25 (2): 207-221. OECD (2013). OECD Guidelines on Measuring Subjective Well-being. Paris: OECD Publishing. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264191655-en [Accessed 4 Apr. 2025]. Tahir, L.M., Wan Mohd Yunus, W.M.A., & Rosli, M.S. (2025). Stress and Mental Health Among School Principals: A Scoping Review. School Mental Health. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-025-09825-3 UNESCO. (2024). Global report on teachers: addressing teacher shortages and transforming the profession. Available at: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000388832 Moshagen, M., Bader, M. (2024). semPower: General power analysis for structural equation models. Behav Res 56, 2901–2922. 26. Educational Leadership
Paper Stress and Well-being of Preschool and Compulsory School Principals During COVID-19 University of Akureyri, Iceland Presenting Author:The COVID-19 pandemic constituted an unprecedented global disruption to education systems and profoundly altered the conditions of educational leadership across Europe. School principals were positioned at the intersection of public health governance, educational policy and local school communities, often required to implement rapidly changing regulations while maintaining educational continuity and safeguarding staff and student well-being (Harris & Jones, 2020; Marchant et al., 2024). While international research has documented the impact of COVID-19 on teaching and learning, comparatively less attention has been paid to how school principals experienced the pandemic as a prolonged leadership crisis (Marchant et al., 2024). Against this backdrop, the present study examines how preschool and compulsory school principals in Iceland experienced their leadership roles, responsibilities and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study is guided by the following research questions:
To address these questions, the study draws on an integrated theoretical framework combining emotional labour theory (Hochschild, 1983), the Job Demands–Resources (JD–R) model (Bakker & Demerouti, 2007, 2014), and critical leadership theory (Alvesson & Spicer, 2012; Durrani & Makhmetova, 2024). Together, these perspectives enable an analysis of school leadership as an emotional, organisational and socio-political practice. Hochschild’s (1983) theory of emotional labour provides a lens for examining the often-invisible emotional demands placed on school principals during the pandemic. Principals were expected to convey calm, reassurance and moral responsibility, even while experiencing uncertainty, fear and exhaustion themselves. Prolonged emotional self-regulation in leadership roles has been shown to contribute to emotional exhaustion, moral fatigue and burnout, particularly when such labour is normalised and insufficiently recognised (Maslach & Leiter, 2016; Zembylas, 2007). The Job Demands–Resources model (Bakker & Demerouti, 2007, 2014) explains how the balance, or imbalance, between job demands and available resources shapes employees’ well-being, motivation and professional capacity. Job demands—such as workload, responsibility and emotional strain—may lead to stress and burnout when not adequately balanced by resources, including managerial support, professional autonomy, recognition and opportunities for professional development (Bakker & Demerouti, 2014). The model emphasises that it is not job demands themselves, but a lack of sufficient resources, that leads to negative outcomes (Maslach & Leiter, 2016). In this study, the JD–R model is used to examine how pandemic-related working conditions affected principals’ well-being and leadership capacity. Critical leadership theory situates principals’ experiences within their broader institutional and governance context, emphasising leadership as socially and politically constructed through power relations, accountability structures and recognition (Alvesson & Spicer, 2012). During the pandemic, principals were often held responsible for implementing centrally determined decisions without meaningful participation in decision-making processes, creating tensions between responsibility and professional agency (Durrani & Makhmetova, 2024; Fotheringham et al., 2022). Although empirically grounded in Iceland, the study speaks to shared challenges faced by school leaders across European education systems during COVID-19. By integrating emotional labour, the Job Demands–Resources model and critical leadership perspectives, the study contributes to international discussions on crisis leadership, well-being and governance in publicly funded education systems. Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources Used The study adopts a qualitative research design grounded in an interpretive approach, aiming to capture school principals’ lived experiences of leadership, stress and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. A qualitative methodology was chosen to enable an in-depth exploration of how principals made sense of their roles, responsibilities and emotional experiences within a prolonged and uncertain crisis context (Creswell & Poth, 2018). The empirical material consists of semi-structured interviews with 10 school principals in Iceland: 6 preschool principals and 4 compulsory school principals. Participants were selected through purposive sampling to ensure that all had held leadership positions prior to the COVID-19 outbreak and throughout the pandemic. The principals were drawn from two municipalities, one located in a rural region and one in the capital area, allowing for variation in institutional context while remaining within a shared national governance framework. Data were collected in May and June 2022, approximately two years after the onset of the pandemic, enabling participants to reflect on both immediate and longer-term impacts on their professional roles and well-being. Each participant took part in one interview, conducted online via Microsoft Teams. Interviews ranged from 16 to 42 minutes in length and followed a semi-structured interview guide that focused on leadership responsibilities, decision-making, emotional demands, support structures, and personal well-being during the pandemic. All interviews were audio-recorded with informed consent and transcribed verbatim. Data analysis was conducted using reflexive thematic analysis as outlined by Braun and Clarke (2006, 2021). The analysis followed an iterative and recursive process, moving between familiarisation with the data, initial coding and the development of themes that captured shared patterns of meaning across participants’ accounts. Both authors were actively involved in the analytic process, first coding the data independently and subsequently engaging in reflective dialogue to deepen interpretation and refine themes. NVivo software was used to support data organisation and coding. The analysis was theoretically informed by emotional labour theory, the Job Demands–Resources model and critical leadership theory, allowing for an integrated interpretation of principals’ emotional experiences, working conditions and positioning within institutional power structures. Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or Findings The findings indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally reshaped the nature and scope of school leadership, placing preschool and compulsory school principals under sustained and intensified pressure. Principals described a significant expansion of their responsibilities, including tasks related to infection control, contact tracing and crisis communication, often extending far beyond their formal professional mandate. Leadership during the pandemic was characterised by prolonged uncertainty, blurred boundaries between professional and personal life and a pervasive sense of moral responsibility for the well-being of others. Drawing on emotional labour theory, the findings highlight how principals engaged in extensive emotional self-regulation, suppressing personal stress and fear to present calmness, stability, and reassurance to staff, students, and families. This sustained emotional labour, combined with long working hours and limited opportunities for rest, contributed to emotional exhaustion, moral fatigue and concerns about long-term well-being. From a Job Demands–Resources perspective, the pandemic created a pronounced imbalance between escalating demands and insufficient resources, particularly in professional support, recognition, and meaningful involvement in decision-making. Critical leadership theory sheds light on the structural conditions underpinning these experiences. Principals were held accountable for implementing centrally determined decisions while having limited influence over policy formation, leading to frustration, diminished professional agency and feelings of being undervalued. Preschool principals reported feeling unrecognised in public and administrative discourse. At the same time, the study identifies protective factors that mitigated stress, including collegial support among leadership teams, distributed decision-making and trust-based relationships with staff and families. The findings underscore the need for systemic and relational forms of support for school leaders, not only during crises but also in the recovery phase. More broadly, the study contributes to European and international discussions on sustainable educational leadership by highlighting the ethical and emotional dimensions of school leadership during prolonged societal disruption. References Alvesson, M., & Spicer, A. (2012). Critical leadership studies: The case for critical performativity. Human Relations, 65(3), 367–390. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726711430555 Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E. (2007). The Job Demands–Resources model: State of the art. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 22(3), 309–328. https://doi.org/10.1108/02683940710733115 Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2021). Thematic analysis: A practical guide. Sage. Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). Sage. Durrani, N., & Makhmetova, A. (2024). Rethinking educational leadership through critical perspectives. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 52(1), 3–20. Fotheringham, P., Harriott, T., Healy, G., Arenge, G., & Wilson, E. (2022). Pressures and professional identity in school leadership during COVID-19. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 50(3), 489–506. Harris, A., & Jones, M. (2020). COVID-19 – School leadership in disruptive times. School Leadership & Management, 40(4), 243–247. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632434.2020.1811479 Hochschild, A. R. (1983). The managed heart: Commercialization of human feeling. University of California Press. Marchant, C., et al. (2024). School leaders’ well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Educational Review. Advance online publication. Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. P. (2016). Burnout. Wiley. Upadyaya, K., Salmela-Aro, K., & Pietarinen, J. (2021). School principals’ well-being during COVID-19. Journal of Educational Administration, 59(3), 353–367. | ||