UC San Diego

Restorative practices (RP) have been shown through research to produce positive results on school culture and reductions in measures of exclusionary discipline especially when a whole-school and culture change approach is utilized. Further, the benefits of RP include fostering community, belonging, and supporting the development of positive relationships among staff and students. However, the role of school principals and their role in RP implementation has been underexamined in the literature. This study aimed to answer the following research questions: 1) What are the lived experiences of secondary school principals working to create transformative change through leadership in restorative practices? 2) How do school principals integrate restorative mindsets and behaviors in their leadership practices? 3) How do they transfer knowledge about their practices to staff members? 4) What conflicts and tensions (if any) do they face as they seek to engage in culture change? The purpose of the study was to use school principals’ experience to define restorative leadership and surface the challenges they face. The study employed a phenomenological approach to explore the experience of school principals who are currently implementing restorative practices at their school site. In-depth semi structured interviews were conducted with seven school principals from California and New Mexico. Interview data was analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Four themes surfaced from school principals’ experiences which were 1) Holism 2) Power 3) Advocacy and Organizing and 4) Purpose, Meaning, and Values. These themes are proposed by the study as components of restorative leadership