Stress and Well-being of Preschool and Primary School Principals during COVID-19

Abstract

This study explores how preschool and compulsory school principals in Iceland experienced their professional roles, responsibilities and challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as how the pandemic affected their well-being, leadership and working conditions. Drawing on a qualitative interview methodology, the study is grounded in perspectives from emotional labor theory (Hochschild, 1983), the job demands-resources model (Bakker & Demerouti, 2007) and critical leadership theory (Durrani & Makhmetova, 2024). The findings reveal that the pandemic profoundly expanded the scope and complexity of school leadership. Principals were expected to manage tasks far beyond their typical remit, including contact tracing, infection control, crisis communication and emotional support for employees, students and families. This led to blurred boundaries between professional and personal life and an overwhelming sense of moral and operational responsibility.

Participants described leading in constant uncertainty, having to interpret rapidly changing regulations without adequate time or support for reflection. Many articulated a loss of control, describing their work as being in “survival mode” and beyond their professional mandate. The situation placed them in ethically ambiguous roles, sometimes resembling those of healthcare officials, which created tensions with their own sense of professional identity and competence. The expectation to lead with calm and resolve – despite experiencing personal stress, fear and exhaustion – aligns with research on emotional labour in welfare professions (Maslach & Leiter, 2016; Zembylas, 2007). Principals engaged in extensive emotional self-regulation, often suppressing their own needs to safeguard others, which exacerbated their risk of burnout and moral fatigue.

The study also highlights significant systemic and structural pressures. School leaders were held accountable for implementing decisions made by central authorities, often without meaningful involvement in the decision-making process. This mismatch between responsibility and influence led to frustration, fatigue and a sense of institutional betrayal – particularly among preschool leaders, who felt undervalued both publicly and administratively. These findings support insights from critical leadership theory, which argues that leadership must be understood in its socio-political and institutional context, where power asymmetries and lack of recognition undermine professional dignity and agency (Fotheringham et al., 2022; Marchant et al., 2024).

Despite the adversity, many participants expressed pride in their contribution to maintaining educational and social continuity. Solidarity among leadership teams, mutual support among staff and positive communication with families were identified as protective factors that mitigated stress and fostered resilience. Principals who were able to share decisionmaking and cultivate trust within their teams reported more sustainable coping strategies and less emotional exhaustion. These findings align with recent international studies that emphasise the importance of collegial support, distributed leadership and relational trust during crisis leadership (Sahlin et al., 2023; Wang, 2024).

However, several participants also reported long-term impacts, including emotional numbness, chronic fatigue and difficulties re-engaging with strategic leadership postpandemic. Many feared that the full psychological toll had yet to be realised. The study thus underscores the need for structural and systemic support for school leaders, not only duringcrises but also in the recovery phase. Support must go beyond instrumental solutions and include emotional, relational and professional recognition to enable sustainable leadership within welfare institutions.

In conclusion, the findings illuminate the hidden emotional, moral and organisational dimensions of school leadership during times of societal disruption. They point to the need for a renewed understanding of educational leadership as inherently relational and ethically charged, particularly within welfare professions where expectations of care and resilience are often taken for granted. Future policy and leadership development efforts must recognise and support the emotional labour of school principals and create conditions that safeguard both their professional capacity and personal well-being.