Gender Troubles in School Administration a Study of the Issues Faced by Female Principals Serving in Rural Areas of Sri Lanka

Abstract

The women who render their services as principals in primury and secondary schools in rural Sri Lanka are facing many issues due to their gender. The rural environment of their work places intensifies the severity of the troubles they experience. This phenomenological study explores and exposes the problematic situations faced by female principals in primary and secondary schools in rural areas of Sri Lanka. The primary data were gathered from five female principals who are currently working in the aforementioned context using semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was used when analyzing the qualitative data gathered from the respondents. Sexism, undrocentrismi, hegemonic masculinity theory and role theory were the theoretical lenses utilized in data analysis. The research lerealed that societal pressure, which is characterized by patriarchy, negative beliefs regarding the effectiveness of women's leadership, and socially constructed gender roles create conflict-ridden situations when women occupy the positions of principals, and the scverity of these conflicts are intensified by the rural socio-cultural and economic conditions. Furthermore, the female principuls in rural areas in Sri Lunka are oppressed due to the harshness and risks inherent in the rural environment, lack of human and physical resources in schools, and the complex nature of the educational administration,