Abstract:

In recent decades, there has been a growing interest in work-related health concerns stemming from changes that have resulted in multiple occupational pressures in various areas. In the context of education, there is an increasing awareness that the health and well-being of school principals are under threat due to changing working conditions resulting from decentralization, which has increased school authority and granted principals greater autonomy in management, administration, decision-making, and organization. Given this, the role and function of school principals have become more complex, leading to an increased workload and negative health effects. As school principals play a crucial role in our society, contributing to the academic success and well-being of children and young people, the health and well-being of principals are of great concern for the entire society. To address the working conditions of principals that cause occupational challenges, potentially leading to work-related stress and ultimately burnout, more knowledge is needed. It is pertinent to explore antecedents, stressors that may lead to health problems and poor well-being. Consequently, this study aims to explore stressors as experienced and reported by principals, thereby advancing knowledge about principals' occupational health and well-being-related challenges. The aim is also relevant because there is an evident lack of research on Finnish school leaders' health and well-being. The study is both conceptual and empirical. The conceptual section is grounded in extensive research in the fields of educational leadership, health, and well-being, focusing on diverse concepts related to occupational health and well-being. The empirical section explores how principals in Finnish Liberal Adult Education perceive and experience stressors in their educational leadership practice. Qualitative semi-structured interviews and qualitative content analysis methods were applied to gather and analyse data. The results indicate that principals in Finnish Liberal Adult Education face multiple stressors. The findings align with previous research showing that school leaders encounter time constraints, stressors related to excessive bureaucracy, conflicting internal and external expectations, and increased responsibilities and workload. The study contributes to existing research on educational leaders' occupational health and well-being by providing insights into the occupational health and well-being-related stressors that today's school principals face, laying the groundwork for future research on how principals could mitigate and cope with work-related stressors.

Keywords:

Educational leadership, health, well-being, Finland.