What We Talk About When We Talk About Vision: A Phenomenological Study of Principals’ Understanding of Vision.

Abstract

The concept of ‘vision’ in the principalship is simultaneously extremely important yet surprisingly vague in its definition and practical application. This phenomenological study investigates the ways that principals understand and use the concept of vision in their daily work and their approach to school leadership. The study examines the ways that principals understand and use vision in the daily work of the principal, considering questions of genesis of vision, cultivation of vision, and frameworks for understanding vision. The researcher conducted interviews with five recent Principals of the Year from an urban school district and concludes with a framework for a phenomenological understanding of vision based upon the metaphors used by these principals.