Principal views on changes in school leadership post pandemic: the new normal

The COVID–19 pandemic revealed a critical gap: school principals were unprepared for prolonged, comprehensive crises due to outdated leadership development. This dissertation investigates the pandemic's impact on school leadership, examining principals' perceptions of role changes, the "new normal," and job satisfaction. This study analyzed survey data from 133 principals and interviews, focusing on gender and experience. RQ1 found a universal transformation of the principal's role, expanding to crisis management, social services, technology, and political navigation, regardless of tenure. RQ2 illuminated lasting shifts in time allocation towards student well–being, absenteeism, administrative burdens, and parent interactions. A key finding was the disproportionate, statistically significant increase in workload and responsibilities for female principals. RQ3 showed that despite perceiving their jobs as "much harder," principals maintained high overall satisfaction through resilience. However, a deeper analysis revealed a statistically significant rise in stress and fatigue, especially among female principals, leading to more frequent thoughts of exhaustion–induced absenteeism. This study offers an evidence–based understanding of school leadership's profound, often gender–differentiated transformation post–pandemic. Findings underscore the urgent need to re–align principal preparation and professional development to equip leaders with robust crisis management, holistic well–being support, and strategies for intensified demands.