Primary and Secondary School Principal Training Research Based on Implicit Wisdom

Abstract

This paper focuses on a training programme based on implicit wisdom for primary and secondary school principals in China. In spite of great achievements, there are still some problems in this training programme, such as the majority of training remaining at a low level; there is little consideration of the actual needs of the trainee principals and the content of the principal training programme is updated slowly and does not keep abreast of the latest theory and ideas. Over the last two decades, many researchers have turned to the old concept of wisdom. Studies on wisdom can contribute to providing the solutions to the three main issues of principal training. This present study applied two methods, the implicit-theoretical method and a case study of training, and reached the following conclusions: First, the implicit wisdom of Chinese primary and secondary school principals contains 13 factors and can be divided into two dimensions: a “Cognitive Dimension” and a “Social Dimension”. Second, based on the factors of implicit wisdom, this study formed a Case Evaluation Method to assess wisdom of principals. Finally, this study established simple procedures for the development of training programmes.