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Moral distress among school leaders: an Alberta, Canada study with global implications

Stelmach, Bonnie, Smith, Lee, O’Connor, Barbara·2024·International Journal of Leadership in Education
DOI 10.1080/13603124.2021.1926545
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Abstract

Moral distress is experienced when one knows the right thing to do, but cannot do it because of institutional or external constraints. This study aimed to understand the extent to which moral distress affects a school leader’s role, and the key sources of moral distress. Using a web-based survey (n = 954) and focus groups including school leaders, we found that the increasing complexity of classrooms places competing demands upon school leaders. Moral distress emerged from expectations from school district leaders and parents. This study introduces moral distress to educational research, and provides a conceptual lens for describing the moral dimension of challenges that school leaders face. Future scholarship is necessary to understand the impact of moral distress on school leaders as they strive to adapt to increasing demands from both their districts and their school communities.

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  • The consequences of diminished professional identity manifest as professional demoralisation and 'moral distress'.

    “The consequences manifest as professional demoralisation (Santoro 2018) and 'moral distress' (Stelmach, Smith, and O'Connor 2021, 834) when teachers' core professional identity is diminished.”

    From A prescriptive continuum analytical framework for measuring school curriculum structure (2026) · cites this paper as Stelmach, Smith, and O'Connor 2021

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Metadata

Authors
Stelmach, B., Smith, L., & O’Connor, B.
Affiliations
  • University of Alberta (CA)
  • University Of Alberta
Corresponding author
Stelmach, Bonnie
Venue
International Journal of Leadership in Education
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Published
2021-09-14
Volume
27
Issue
4
Pages
834-856
ISSN
  • 1360-3124 (ISSN-L)
  • 1464-5092
DOI
10.1080/13603124.2021.1926545
OpenAlex
W3200606237
Cited by
12
References
96
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 2
FWCI
1.13
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
International Journal of Leadership in Education (publishedVersion)
Funders
Alberta Teachers’ Association
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Ethics in medical practice
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Ethics in Business and Education
  • Social Sciences › Education › Educational Leadership and Practices
Keywords
moral distress, school leaders, school principals, school leadership, institutional constraints, competing demands, parental expectations, classroom complexity

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