Between Stress and Service: Five Head Teachers’ Leadership Narratives

Abstract

This study explored how public school head teachers experience workplace stress and the strategies they employ to manage stressful leadership encounters in the context of Kathmandu, Nepal. Grounded in an interpretivist paradigm and employing a narrative inquiry approach, the study examined the subjective meanings that head teachers attached to workplace stress and their coping practices. Five public school head teachers, representing varying levels of leadership experience, were purposively selected from five long-established secondary schools in Kathmandu District. Participants were selected using predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria, and data were collected through in-depth, face-to-face interviews. Major sources of stress included student-related concerns, teacher-related challenges, parental pressure, extended working hours, inadequate recognition, excessive institutional demands, and insufficient resources. Despite these challenges, the participants employed several constructive coping strategies. These included viewing the profession as a form of service rather than merely an obligation, strengthening collaboration among teachers and other school stakeholders, treating workplace challenges as opportunities for professional learning, practising morning self-management exercises, and engaging in reflective practice in the evening. The study concludes that collaborative relationships, service-oriented leadership, reflective practice, and personal self-management are important resources for strengthening head teachers’ resilience and well-being in resource-constrained public school settings. Keywords: workplace stress, public school head teachers, coping strategies, narrative inquiry, educational leadership, reflective practice