Women principals in Greek secondary education: Gendered stereotypes, role models, and work-life balance

Abstract

This small-scale qualitative study examines how gendered social roles and expectations shape women’s engagement with leadership in secondary education through the accounts of female principals in Attica, Greece. Semi-structured online interviews were conducted with four principals using an original interview guide addressing demographic and professional background, gender as social identity, and perceptions of the principal role. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic analysis through iterative coding and theme development. Findings indicate persistent gender stereotyping and an experienced double standard in leadership evaluation, with women described as facing closer scrutiny and with “strictness” more readily legitimized in men than in women. Participants also linked hesitation and self-restraint to the limited visibility of female role models. Family support, from both the family of origin and the immediate family, emerged as a key enabling condition for pursuing leadership. Work–life balance was depicted as contingent on time management, shared domestic responsibilities, and school culture, while administrative workload was experienced as displacing pedagogical engagement and challenging principals’ pedagogical identity. Participants associated effective leadership with relational and organizational capacities including empathy, communication, flexibility, mediation, and the ability to motivate colleagues. The findings point to the need for gender-sensitive leadership development, mentoring structures, and organizational measures that reduce administrative burden and strengthen conditions for sustainable work–life integration.