From teacher to school principal. Analysis of an identity transition process

The transition from teacher to school principal has been shown to be a professional challenge, and even though the research has identified the challenges involved, little is known about how the way it is approached determines the identity change it entails. We used a longitudinal design with a single case and multimodal data to describe the identity transition of a novice principal in his first year in this role. Based on the dialogic perspective, we describe his position on the critical incidents and analyse the episodes of identity transition and their function in his adoption of the new role. The analysis enabled us to identify the negotiation among the multiple voices (positions) when the principal was faced with challenges. The results show that some incidents opened up episodes of negotiation and repositioning that lasted over time, hindering him from effectively resolving the incidents and consequently taking on the new role of principal. The results have implications for the design of training that fosters the resolution of challenges through repositioning processes and the exploration of dialogic strategies that favour the construction of professional identity.