From Blueprint to Enactment: A Ballian Analysis of Principals as Policy Actors in Developing School Mission

Grounded in Stephen J. Ball’s policy enactment theory, this qualitative case study explores how three principals in Lesotho conceptualize and develop their school missions during curriculum reform. Through interviews and observations, the findings reveal that principals are not passive implementers but active policy actors, forming a distinct typology: the Entrepreneur who resists and narrates a counter-mission, the Translator who collaboratively adapts policy to the local context, and the Disciple who faithfully adopts a policy blueprint. This demonstrates that the development of a school’s mission is an inherently complex process that involves the convergence of leadership values, professional identity, and contextual power dynamics at the school level, implying that effective leadership is both contextual and political. Consequently, it is recommended that leadership preparation move beyond technical management to equip principals with the skills for collaborative sense-making and strategic policy mediation.