Principals’ Sensemaking in the Process of Implementing Educational Policies: A Scoping Review

Document Type : Original Research

Authors

1 Associate Professor, Department of Educational Administration and Planning, Faculty of Psychology and Education, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Ph.D in Educational Administration, Faculty of Psychology and Education, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran

3 Professor, Department of Educational Administration and Planning, Faculty of Psychology and Education, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran.

4 . Associate Professor, Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Persian Literature and Foreign Languages, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Background and Objectives: The achievement of educational policy objectives is contingent upon their implementation in schools. School principals, as the primary executors and leaders, interpret and construct new meaning from policies, thereby determining how these policies are operationalized. The "how" and "why" of this meaning construction and the subsequent actions of principals have consistently attracted the attention of researchers and policymakers. In this context, the sensemaking approach, as a novel framework from organizational studies, was introduced into educational research and has been welcomed by scholars as a lens for explaining intra-school processes. Based on this approach, individuals, when faced with the ambiguity and turbulence caused by change, construct a new sense of their role to guide appropriate actions. Despite over two decades since the introduction of the sensemaking approach into the field of education, and specifically into policy implementation research, this approach has not been utilized in educational studies within Iran. Therefore, this research aims to clarify the concept of school principals' sensemaking during the implementation of educational reforms and policies, and to illustrate its application in research within this domain. Methods: This study employed a scoping review methodology, a relatively new approach to literature reviews. The process followed the five-stage framework by Arksey & O'Malley (2005). After formulating the research questions, relevant studies were identified and selected. Subsequently, a table summarizing the key information from the selected studies was created, data were organized and synthesized, and finally, the findings were reported. Findings: The review of selected studies revealed that school principals are considered active sense-makers during the implementation of educational policies and reforms. This means that when encountering new policies and reforms, they interpret new information, procedures, and work arrangements, thereby constructing a fresh understanding of their leadership role. The main themes in research focused on principals' sensemaking can be divided into two categories: 1) understanding the meaning constructed by principals, and 2) investigating the factors influencing their sensemaking process. All reviewed studies utilized qualitative research designs, with interviews serving as at least one of the data collection tools. Conclusion: Utilizing the findings of this study in designing and guiding research through the sensemaking approach can equip researchers with a novel perspective and yield innovative analyses. Elucidating how educational policies and reforms are implemented within the school context, along with the reasons behind the resulting outcomes, will assist policymakers and educational leaders in navigating the complex journey of policies from formulation to execution. This understanding will provide the necessary foundation for developing more effective future educational policies and programs.

Keywords

References

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