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Going beyond systemic drivers such as principals’ increasing workload, the study explains why some schools face sharper shortages than others. Four deterrent categories emerged: location, school size, the presence of an incumbent, and local educational politics. Smaller applicant numbers did not imply waning interest; principal aspirants increasingly apply strategically. The paper also examines social and generational change, demographic factors, and teacher resistance to modern principalship, alongside counter-trend developments.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":40,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/unpacking-the-issues-researching-the-shortage-of-school-principals-in-two-states-in-australia/593388/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/unpacking-the-issues-researching-the-shortage-of-school-principals-in-two-states-in-australia/593388.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Elsa","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-29","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":24},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"What does the study investigate regarding principal supply in Australia?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"It investigates the declining supply of school principals in two states in Australia and how deterrents affect the number of applications for vacant principal positions.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"What four categories of deterrents are associated with declining applications?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"The study identifies deterrents related to location, the size of the school, the presence of an incumbent, and difficulties arising from local educational politics.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"Does fewer applicants mean teachers are losing interest in school leadership?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"No. The paper argues that principal aspirants’ interest remains relatively high, but they have become more strategic in their applications.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},593388,1792190325,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":39,"category_name":40,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":24,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":139,"language":140,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":144,"read_time":145,"preview_page_count":4},137455077381,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_994ba38a5ba835b3df7d355c54d3ed8d","Unpacking the Issues: Researching the Shortage of School Principals in Two States in Australia  \nKarin Barty  \nDeakin University  \nPat Thomson  \nThe University of Nottingham  \nJill Blackmore  \nDeakin University  \nJudyth Sachs  \nThe University of Sydney  \nAbstract  \nAn investigation into the declining supply of principals in two states in Australia revealed that a mosaic of issues surrounds the overall trend towards fewer applications for vacant positions. Looking beyond systemic factors influencing this trend – factors such as the increasing workload of principals – this study discovered why some schools are more affected by a shortage of applicants than others. We found that one of four categories of deterrents was generally involved with declining numbers of applications: location, the size of school, the presence of an incumbent, or difficulties arising from local educational politics. We found, furthermore, that smaller numbers of applicants for vacant positions do not necessarily indicate a decline in interest in school leadership: interest in the principalship remains relatively high but principal aspirants have become increasingly strategic in their applications. Whilst drawing attention, in this paper, to the research finding that numerical interpretations of principal supply have serious limitations, we are keen to acknowledge, briefly, the research data that refers to (a) social and generational changes (b) demographic information,(c) teacher resistance to the modern principalship and how these data explain declining numbers. We also include information about recent changes that go counter to the trend.  \nThe Australian Educational Researcher, Volume 32, Number 3, December 2005 •1  \nKARIN BARTY, PAT THOMSON, JILL BLACKMORE AND JUDYTH SACHS  \nIntroduction  \nGovernments across the world are convinced of the importance of school principals to the achievement of successful school reform. This view is supported by researchers from the school change, effectiveness and improvement fields, as well as those who undertake in depth school ethnographies. When it is reported that there is a looming shortage of teachers willing and able to apply for the position of principal, policymakers and the research community alike respond with interest and concern.  \nInternational researchers have begun to explore the reasons for this apparent shortfallin applications (Beaudin et al. 2002, Bell 2001, Bowser 2001, Johnson 2002, Jones 2001, Krüger et al. 2001, Olson 1999, Pugmire 1999, Rader 2001, Williams 2001) . Some suggest that while large numbers of teachers take part in leadership training activities, less are inclined to turn this into bids for the position. It is argued that this is because the job is simply too big and unattractive. Others point to the attrition rates in the principalship, concluding that retention in the job is as big an issue as attraction to it. In recent years, there has also been considerable investigation of the problem of principal supply in Australia (Bond 2002, Carlin et al. 2003, Gronn & Rawlings-Sanaei 2003, Lacey 2002a) . Like their overseas colleagues, local scholars largely attribute the supply problem to declining teacher interest produced by changes in the amount and nature of principals’ work, and to inadequate succession planning. Both issues need attention, they argue, and we agree.  \nThe bulk of this international and Australian research has been conducted at a system or state level. At this scale, the data provide convincing evidence that there is both a declining interest in principalship and also a strong probability that the situation will get worse, as younger teachers show low interest in school administration. However, in the USA, a recent re-appraisal suggested that the shortage of principal applicants could neither be described as pervasive nor as universal. Roza et al (2003) argue that the supply problem is confined to particular schools and/or particular districts.  \nThis is precisely w","cbCaiuhwyXh6Lz7V","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiuhwyXh6Lz7V","pdf",145915,18,"English","# Introduction\n## Desperately seeking statistics","[{\"question\":\"What does the study investigate regarding principal supply in Australia?\",\"answer\":\"It investigates the declining supply of school principals in two states in Australia and how deterrents affect the number of applications for vacant principal positions.\"},{\"question\":\"What four categories of deterrents are associated with declining applications?\",\"answer\":\"The study identifies deterrents related to location, the size of the school, the presence of an incumbent, and difficulties arising from local educational politics.\"},{\"question\":\"Does fewer applicants mean teachers are losing interest in school leadership?\",\"answer\":\"No. The paper argues that principal aspirants’ interest remains relatively high, but they have become more strategic in their applications.\"}]","Unpacking the Issues - Researching the Shortage of School Principals in Two States in Australia | PDF",1792077168,45]