Systems Thinking Among Enrollees in a Principal Preparation Program

Principal preparation programs are criticized for failing to produce school leaders who can successfully face the growing complexity of today’s educational leadership. Inasmuch as the literature highlighted systems thinking as beneficial for complex situations, this study aimed to explore how preservice principals, enrolled in a systems thinking course as part of their principal preparation program, would identify practical opportunities to apply systems thinking principles in school leadership. Findings showed that preservice principals considered the characteristic of leading wholes as helpful for instructional leadership (curriculum and community) and the characteristic of adopting a multidimensional view as useful for interpersonal relationships and decision making. Implications and further research are discussed.