Leading in remote, indigenous community schools: Principals' perspectives

This interpretivist study sought to understand the day-to-day experiences of school principals in remote, indigenous communities and examined how they adapt and respond to such a distinctive context. A qualitative approach, using comparative case studies, was used to investigate the professional practices of three non-local, non-indigenous principals. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, non-participant observations and document analysis, and presented as narratives. The study confirms that schools in such contexts generate highly unconventional leadership circumstances attributable to a complex interrelationship of idiosyncratic factors. The research has implications for the preparation and support of principals located in remote, indigenous community schools. Declaration