A Phenomenological Study of Principals' Perceptions of Principal Preparation Programs

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand participants’ lived experiences in Principal Preparation Programs (PPPs) and their perceptions of how these programs prepared them for their roles as educational leaders in a public school district in the western United States. The lived experience is generally defined as the participants’ experiences, options, and choices and the influence these have on the participants’ perception of knowledge and education related to educational leadership. The historical, social, and theoretical context of principal preparation was highlighted in the introduction. A systematic literature review was conducted to explore issues in principal preparation. The focus was investigating how experiential learning in preparation programs influenced principals in their current practice. The theory guiding this research is Kolb’s experiential learning theory as it relates to how authentic and meaningful learning occurs when learners are involved in learning opportunities that mirror or simulate real-life scenarios. Data was gathered through three collection approaches with 10 participants currently serving as site administrators: individual questionnaires, individual semi-structured interviews, and focus groups. The data analysis revealed three themes: authenticity of experiences, role of mentorship, and limited efficacy of case studies. The data analysis includes a discussion of its empirical, practical, and theoretical implications and recommendations for future research.