This research provides further knowledge regarding how school leaders navigate their power in the daily interactions they have with members of the school community (deputy principals, teaching staff, and students) and the ways in which this process influences the prevailing management styles.
It presents a case study conducted in a secondary education school, and the collected data present a micro-political analysis of the management types used by a principal. The results of the research align with previous studies that emphasize that highly centralized educational systems hinder principals from exercising leadership.
The principal assumes that their role is to introduce management types that ensure the smooth functioning of the school from an interpersonal and hierarchical perspective characterized by avoiding conflicts. The principal's conflict-avoidance approach allowed students to violate regulations, leading to professional dissatisfaction among the teachers.
The lack of leadership and the abdication of responsibilities created a gap that allowed a disconnection mindset to thrive, resulting in the principal, deputy principals, and teachers being detached from their professional roles. The disconnection mindset of the staff affected students' sense of belonging (I belong and it belongs to me) in the school community.
The results demonstrate the inadequate role of the school as a professional institution, a place where the opinions of young people (citizens) are shaped.
