Date of Award

2024

Degree Name

Leadership Studies

College

College of Education and Professional Development

Type of Degree

Ed.D.

Document Type

Dissertation

First Advisor

Dr. Bobbi Nicholson, Chairperson

Second Advisor

Dr. Eugenia Lambert

Third Advisor

Dr. Chantel Perry

Abstract

In recent years, within the United States and globally, workforce members who directly and tangentially treat and serve traumatized individuals have begun to experience an additional occupational hazard in the form of compassion fatigue.

Consistent school leadership can be a critical factor in increased student achievement and school-based performance outcomes. However, the principalship has become more physically and emotionally taxing due to increasing demands, duties, and expectations. Principal burnout has become a critical factor that has escalated principal turnover, often destabilizing a school community (Buckman, 2021). While many individual and organizational factors contribute to principal burnout but remain relatively unexamined, the purpose of this phenomenological study will be to analyze the factors that contribute to compassion fatigue as a contributing factor leading to burnout among principals in several districts on the East and West Coasts of the United States. Findings highlight the impact of compassion fatigue, potential principal attrition, and coping strategies, mechanisms, and resources to address compassion fatigue and principal burnout and attrition.

The researcher utilized non-experimental semi-structured interviews from a randomly selected sample of school principals in varied school districts within six states in the United States. The research data and study results are designed to support recommendations to local education agencies (LEAs) regarding the need to provide resources, counseling, and training to address, prevent, and overcome the negative emotional impact of the abovementioned phenomenon.

Subject(s)

Educational leadership.

School principals.

Secondary traumatic stress.

Burn out (Psychology)

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