Principals’ Perspectives on the Role of Instructional Leadership in Their Well-Being

This qualitative study examined how principals perceive the role of instructional leadership in their well-being using Seligman’s PERMA model. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 Israeli elementary school principals. Participants associated instructional leadership with Positive Emotion, Meaning, and Accomplishment, but not Engagement. They also described relational tensions, although these did not necessarily indicate deterioration in the Relationships dimension of well-being. The findings suggest that principals may experience instructional leadership as professional work through which they enact their expertise, professional identity, and educational purpose. Thus, instructional leadership may represent a source of well-being while also involving relational challenges in professional practice.