| Abstract [eng] |
Summary In recent years, the Lithuanian education system has been undergoing intensive change: curriculum renewal, the strengthening of inclusive education, digitalisation of educational and managerial processes, growing community expectations, and increasing social and geopolitical uncertainty. These processes transform the everyday professional life of school leaders. The principal is no longer merely an administrator but also a strategic leader, a facilitator of educational quality, a mediator between policy and practice, a supporter of staff, a communicator with families and institutions, and a decision-maker in complex and unpredictable situations. The aim of this thesis is to reveal how school leaders experience, interpret and manage the challenges of everyday professional life in new educational contexts. The theoretical part is based on concepts of educational change, school leadership, professional capital, Bourdieu’s field theory, emotional labour and digital education governance. The empirical part is designed as a qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews with six school leaders. The data are analysed using reflexive thematic analysis according to Braun and Clarke (2006, 2012, 2021). Preliminary findings indicate four key themes: the intersection of administrative, human and policy-related demands; time management, workload and the blurring of professional boundaries; communication, trust, delegation and distributed leadership; and the potential of digital technologies and data-informed governance. The thesis argues that the everyday professional life of school leaders should be understood not merely as a set of managerial functions but as a complex social, managerial, emotional and ethical practice. Keywords: school leader, everyday professional life, educational change, leadership, thematic analysis, new educational contexts.  . |
