Exploring leaders' perceptions of school resilience during COVID-19: Constructing the framework for school development

The study aimed to develop a framework for evaluating school resilience, focusing on leaders' perceptions. This framework examined two critical aspects: firstly, how pre-pandemic school development activities influenced schools' response during the COVID-19 remote learning period, and secondly, how experiences gained during the pandemic could shape future practices.

Two research questions guided the study: (1) What predictive factors contribute to leaders’ ability to manage daily leadership during distance learning? (2) What factors do leaders identify as enabling schools to enhance their learning capacity for the future?

The survey was conducted among Estonian school leaders at the end of the first pandemic wave in June 2020. Two multiple linear regression models were employed to explore the variance in coping with leadership challenges during the remote learning period and the potential impact on future teaching practices.

The results show that leaders effectively managed the challenges of the remote learning period, drawing on their pre-pandemic experience with joint discussions and distance teaching practices, established routines working with data and collaboration with parents. Moreover, the perception of the distance learning period as a learning opportunity for the future stemmed from their previous experiences in distance teaching, data-driven decision-making, and joint discussions with colleagues.

The developed resilience framework serves as both a research and self-evaluation tool to assess schools' capacity to navigate uncertainty. Additionally, it can be integrated into leadership training or school development programs to bolster schools' resilience and cultivate context-sensitive leadership skills.