Incidence de la COVID-19 sur la gestion et le leadership des équipes de direction d’établissements scolaires en milieux francophones minoritaires dans l’Ouest canadien

Abstract

This article presents results from a collaborative action research study involving school leadership teams from Francophone minority settings in Western Canada. It is from these practitioners’ (n=63) points of view that a comparative picture of the impact of COVID-19 on the management and leadership practises during this extraordinary health crisis is drawn. These management teams’ tasks are presented according to the theoretical concepts of management and leadership and then particular considerations during this crisis context are discussed. The questionnaire focused on the elements of management, on the relationships between the stakeholders and on the health and well-being of the management teams. Herein, only the results of the first two aspects of the questionnaire are presented and discussed. Results reveal a strong consensus around management and leadership functions associated with the need to preserve and support staff well-being, ensure regular and constant communication, encourage and motivate teachers, and revise schedules to ensure the proper functioning of the school.Certain characteristics were found to influence certain results, such as positions held, gender, and location and size of schools. The nature of the relationships between some stakeholders, particularly the departments of Education and members of the management teams during the pandemic, were noticeably adversely impacted compared to others. The support received from staff, co-workers, family, and close friends more than made up for the shortcomings elsewhere.