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Research Article

Surviving and Thriving in Educational Leadership: Challenges and Coping Strategies of High School Principals in Nepal

Shankar Dhakal

School leadership in Nepal is shaped by sociocultural, institutional, and resource-related challenges. This study fills a gap in the literature by exa.


  • Pub. date: March 15, 2025
  • Online Pub. date: February 27, 2025
  • Pages: 1-12
  • 145 Downloads
  • 740 Views
  • 0 Citations

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Dhakal, S. (2025). Surviving and thriving in educational leadership: Challenges and coping strategies of high school principals in Nepal. European Journal of Educational Management, 8(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.12973/eujem.8.1.1
Dhakal, S. (2025). Surviving and thriving in educational leadership: Challenges and coping strategies of high school principals in Nepal. European Journal of Educational Management, 8(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.12973/eujem.8.1.1
Dhakal. Surviving and thriving in educational leadership: Challenges and coping strategies of high school principals in Nepal. European J Ed Manage. 2025;8(1):1-12. doi: 10.12973/eujem.8.1.1
Dhakal Shankar. "Surviving and Thriving in Educational Leadership: Challenges and Coping Strategies of High School Principals in Nepal," European Journal of Educational Management 8, no. 1 (2025): 1-12. https://doi.org/10.12973/eujem.8.1.1
Dhakal, 2025, 'Surviving and thriving in educational leadership: Challenges and coping strategies of high school principals in Nepal', European Journal of Educational Management, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 1-12.
Dhakal, Shankar. "Surviving and Thriving in Educational Leadership: Challenges and Coping Strategies of High School Principals in Nepal." European Journal of Educational Management, vol. 8, no. 1, 2025, pp. 1-12, https://doi.org/10.12973/eujem.8.1.1.

Abstract:

S

School leadership in Nepal is shaped by sociocultural, institutional, and resource-related challenges. This study fills a gap in the literature by examining leadership dynamics within this unique and diverse educational context. Guided by resilient leadership theory as a referent, this qualitative case study, grounded in a constructivist paradigm, involved semi-structured interviews with public high school principals to investigate their workplace challenges and coping strategies. The findings reveal challenges including sociocultural and gender biases, teachers’ resistance to modern pedagogical practices, and resource limitations. They navigate these challenges through strategies of humility, intrinsic motivation, and collaborative partnerships. The findings highlight the need for systemic reforms to promote gender equity, enhance professional development, and increase resource allocation. This study presents a resilient and adaptive leadership framework for policymakers, emphasising the need to implement gender-inclusive policies and leadership training programs to address the challenges faced by principals in their diverse educational contexts.

Keywords: Educational leadership, gender equity, leadership challenges, Nepal, resilient leadership, school principals.

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