英文摘要 |
Purpose The aspiring principals' administrative internship (AI) set at the local education bureau is an emerging principal preparation program implemented throughout Taiwan. The program enables aspiring principals to develop administrative practices that can be transferred from the school campus to educational administration units. This study aims to explore how the AI program was implemented in three different cities/counties and to investigate the program features as well as the participation experience of the aspiring principals. Furthermore, this study analyzes and reviews the impact of the AI program on the aspiring principals and the local education bureaus. Design/methodology/approach The research adopted a qualitative approach with a multiple case study design. A purposive sampling method was utilized to select the AI programs of the three cities/counties as the cases to be studied. Data were mainly collected through in-depth interviews and document analysis, and a total of twenty-nine participants were interviewed from the three cities/counties. Findings This study came to four conclusions: 1. The case study revealed the following features of the AI program: the program is an administration-based, field-practice-oriented internship; the program is long term and intensive; the role of the AI has discursively shifted from providing administrative support to providing principal trainingprograms. 2. Participation in the AI program provides a cross-field socialization opportunity to the aspiring principals to develop an understanding of the educational regulations and systems from a government administrative perspective and obtain an educational administration experience that would otherwise not be encountered in the regular campus environment. 3. On an individual level, the AI program has improved the aspiring principals' administrative capabilities, systematic thinking, and understanding of both the policies and the policy implementation process as well as the operation mechanisms of local education bureaus. The program has also allowed the establishment of a network with bureau members. 4. On an organizational level, the AI program serves as a temporary solution to reduce staff turnover within the education bureau and provides much-needed manpower. The program has also facilitated the formation of a two-way relationship between principals and the bureau, and in so doing, the AI program has contributed to the bureau's administrative operation and facilitated the effective execution of policy. Originality/value The aspiring principal AI program set within local education bureaus has been implemented across numerous cities/counties throughout Taiwan over the last ten years. However, prior to this study, there have been limited domestic or foreign empirical studies that have explored this subject. The findings of this study contribute to the gap in literature and provide a reference for municipal and county governments in the future planning of AI programs for aspiring principals. The results also create an enhanced understanding of alternative internships in the academic study of principal preparation programs at home and abroad. |