Inspiring Change: A Hermeneutic Phenomenology Exploring the Lived Experience with Emotional Labor by Female Health Champions Implementing Comprehensive School Health Reforms

Date
2018-07-09
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
This hermeneutic phenomenological study explored the lived experience with emotional labor of five female Health Champions as they navigated through flux and systemic instability while implementing Comprehensive School Health initiatives. Framed by complex adaptive systems theory, the purpose of this study was to discover the immediate emotional and embodied experiences identified by five change agents having horizontal differentiation of roles including: pre-service student teacher, educational assistant, teacher, school leader, and system leader while undertaking educational reforms introduced between 2009 and 2016 in Alberta, Canada. This study uncovered insights into their common understanding the phenomenon of emotional labor while implementing the Comprehensive School Health framework, a reform to Physical and Health Education that coincided with the Inspiring Education movement. The findings of this study include: insight into the unique nature of the emotional work of change agents in educational settings; a phenomenological example of a possible lived experience with emotional labor; and suggestions for areas of future study for educational leaders interested in implementing Comprehensive School Health initiatives.
Description
Keywords
Health Champions, Emotional labor, Comprehensive School Health, Hermeneutic phenomenology, School leadership, Complex adaptive systems
Citation
Kendrick, A. H. (2018). Inspiring Change: A Hermeneutic Phenomenology Exploring the Lived Experience with Emotional Labor by Female Health Champions Implementing Comprehensive School Health Reforms (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. University of Calgary, Calgary, AB. doi:10.11575/PRISM/32350