Principals’ sensemaking in the process of educational policies’ implementation: A scoping review

Articles in Press

Document Type : Review Article

Authors

1 Allameh Tabataba'i University

2 Faculty of Psychology and Education, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran

3 Department of Educational Administration and Planning, Faculty of Psychology and Education, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran

4 Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Persian Literature and Foreign Languages, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran

10.48310/itt.2025.17449.1014

Abstract

Achieving the goals of educational policies depends on how they are implemented in schools. Principals, as the main executives and leaders, sense-making and interpret policies and determine how to implement them. How and why these interpretations and actions of principals have been the constant attention of researchers and policy makers. In this regard, the sense-making approach was introduced as a new approach from organization studies to education research and was welcomed by researchers as a framework for explaining the processes within the school. Based on this approach, principals, facing the ambiguity caused by new educational policies, interpret a new meaning of their leadership role in order to fulfill the demands of the policies based on it. Although more than two decades have passed since the introduction of the sense-making approach to the field of education and especially the implementation of educational policies, it has not been used in educational studies in Iran. The current research was done with the aim of clarifying the sense-making concept of school principals in the implementation of educational reforms and policies. By applying the findings of this study to research adopting a sense-making approach, researchers can gain new insights and develop innovative analytical frameworks. Understanding how educational policies are implemented within schools and why certain outcomes occur can help policymakers and educational leaders navigate the complex process of policy implementation.

Keywords

Theory and Practice in Teachers Education

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 15 March 2025

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