COVID-19 and school leadership: a tale of transition

The COVID-19 pandemic offered significant challenges for educational leadership in terms of promoting the use of novel pedagogical approaches, such as online learning, and ensuring the health and well-being of students and staff. However, the same challenging time also provided an opportunity for leaders to emerge and thrive. This study provides an account of school principals' leadership orientation in both the pre- and post-pandemic eras to better understand leadership responses amid the challenges posed by the pandemic. The study used a mixed-methods longitudinal research approach by collecting data from school principals in the pre and post COVID-19 eras. The results provide insights about the transition in school leadership orientation before and after the pandemic. The study also explored the reasons that led school principals to opt for particular leadership orientation frames before and after the pandemic. The study has implications for research by supplementing leadership-related literature. It also has implications for policy and practice in understanding the importance of educational leadership in managing schools in the post-pandemic era.