No school principal is an island: From individual to school sense-making processes in reform implementation

Educational reform implementation in today’s fast changing world requires a critical transition from individual to school sense-making processes. Managing expectations from above (e.g. external demands) and below (e.g. internal school goals) while performing within multiple overlapping contexts, principals seem pulled in many different directions simultaneously. This article proposes the concept of sense-making as a collaborative framework, explaining how principals make sense with their teachers through dialogue and negotiation to improve their schools as they constantly seek to understand the unique contexts in which they operate. This holistic approach invites a new perspective on how to develop models for reforming education systems while paving the way for a collaborative sense-making process within unique school contexts.