Leader practices during crisis events in the schooling sector: A scoping review

This scoping review summarises the corpus of research on crisis leadership in primary and secondary schools, focusing on leader practices. Crisis leadership in schools refers to the set of skills, practices, attitudes, and processes deployed by principals, leadership teams and teachers, to effectively manage and respond to critical situations or emergencies that may arise within the school environment. These unforeseen circumstances require immediate and effective responses from school leaders who are challenged to adapt and reshape their approach to their work. This scoping review addresses a research gap, identifying education leader practices that are required for effective crisis leadership in schools. Emergent themes related to crisis leadership include staff and community engagement and support, demonstrating adaptability and responsiveness, gathering perspectives and information; fostering collaboration and positive relationships; preparedness; and engaging with and managing critique. The review reveals that crisis leadership in schools demands specific practices which are tailored to the context of the crisis. The nature of the crisis, the scale of its impact, and the duration significantly influence leaders’ capacity for response.  The presentation concludes with the implications of findings for the development of leader preparation for crises and practice during events.