The Leadership Lens: A Phenomenological Study of the Lived Sensemaking Experiences of School Leaders Implementing Virginia's New Standards of Accreditation and Accountability

Engineering notes

Key topics: autonomous driving. See the paper for implementation details and experimental results.

Chinese explanation / 中文解读

中文解读待补充：本站会优先为端到端自动驾驶、BEV感知、3D目标检测、轨迹预测、路径规划、LiDAR感知等高价值论文补充中文说明。

Original abstract

This phenomenological study exposes the complex cognitive and organizational processes school leaders navigate as they translate high-stakes state mandates into localized action. By examining the implementation of Virginia’s revised Standards of Accreditation and Accountability (SOA), this study challenges the prevailing managerial paradigm that views policy implementation as a linear, mechanical execution of directives. Instead, grounded in sensemaking theory and SDT, this research conceptualizes implementation as a situated and interpretive act shaped by leaders’ prior experiences, beliefs, and psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Using a qualitative phenomenological design, data were collected through semi structured interviews with 12 school and division leaders within a single public school system during the early stages of SOA implementation. Analysis revealed four interrelated themes that characterize leaders’ lived experiences: (a) navigating uncertainty amid shifting expectations and limited clarity, (b) experiencing persistent tension between compliance and authentic teaching and learning, (c) reconstructing leadership roles as translators of policy, and (d) reframing accountability through an emphasis on equity, student growth, and expanded definitions of success. Findings indicate that policy implementation occurs within an internal organizational void created by top-down standardization, where formal structures fail to produce shared understanding. Within this space, leaders engage in active sensemaking, moving beyond surface level compliance toward deeper, adaptive responses that align with the realities of their schools. This process requires leaders to transcend traditional managerial roles and function as curators of knowledge, fostering conditions for double-loop learning and questioning governing norms. This study contributes to the literature by extending sensemaking theory to include the active reframing of policy meaning, applying SDT to leadership in accountability contexts, and advancing a post-managerial perspective on educational leadership. The findings highlight the limitations of compliance-driven systems and underscore the importance of contextual responsiveness, professional agency, and relational accountability. Ultimately, this research positions school leaders not as passive implementers of policy but as active agents who shape its meaning, impact, and potential for advancing equity and epistemic justice in public education.

Links and sources

• PDF from original source

Comments