Date of Award
Summer 8-6-2026
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
First Advisor
Ali Hachem, Ph.D.
Second Advisor
Kevin L. Jones, Ph.D.
Third Advisor
Wendy K. Killam, Ph.D.
Fourth Advisor
Brian Uriegas, Ed.D.
Abstract
Assistant principals play essential roles in supporting instructional leadership and campus operations. However, limited research has examined how novice assistant principals experience their transition into administration and interpret their preparation and support. This study addressed the gap in understanding how novice assistant principals in a suburban Texas public school district made sense of their preservice preparation and early leadership practice, and how these experiences shaped their perceptions of training and organizational supports. The purpose of this qualitative, experiential, phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of novice assistant principals during their first three years in the role. The study was grounded in experiential learning theory, informed by transformational leadership and adult learning theories, and situated within an interpretivist paradigm. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit assistant principals, and data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Phenomenological procedures were used to analyze the data, and six interconnected themes were identified. The study organized findings into six themes that described participants' lived experiences as novice assistant principals: (a) experiencing the transition into the assistant principalship, (b) navigating the complexity of the assistant principal role, (c) learning to lead through experience, (d) evaluating preparation and professional learning, (e) relationships and support as the foundation of leadership
development, and (f) developing instructional and organizational leadership capacity. Findings indicated that the transition into the assistant principalship is a process of leadership development in which novice assistant principals build professional knowledge through experience, reflection on learning, supportive relationships, and ongoing adaptation. The findings could inform policy and practice regarding leadership preparation, mentoring structures, and professional learning for novice assistant principals.
Repository Citation
Vidal, Gregory, "Experiences of Novice Assistant Principals: Perceptual Evidence from Texas" (2026). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 669.
https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/669
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
