Thriving in the middle: the role of mindfulness, psychological capital, and supervisor support for assistant principals

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the well-being of public school assistant principals (APs) by examining how sociocognitive mindfulness (SCM), psychological capital (PsyCap), tenure and perceived supervisor support (PSS) – contribute to their experience of thriving, a construct reflecting overall well-being. This cross-sectional quantitative study explored the mediating role of PsyCap, PSS and tenure in the relationship between SCM and thriving among public school APs in Texas. SCM, PsyCap and PSS were all positively associated with holistic thriving. PsyCap fully mediated the relationship between SCM and thriving, but PSS did not mediate it. This study identified a portable resource-building route (SCM → hope/efficacy/resilience/optimism) by which individuals can maintain well-being while navigating identity disruption, increased accountability and ambiguous authority typical of “sandwiched” middle management roles. This study addressed a gap in educational leadership and human resource development (HRD) literatures by testing SCM’s predictive relationship with holistic well-being, among the under-researched population of school APs, highlighting the role of positive psychological resources and supportive work environments. SCM, which is amenable to brief training interventions, can positively influence overall thriving, a cross-domain construct associated with overall positive life outcomes. The study highlights the value of strengthening supportive work environments for complex, high-demand roles where employees must continuously learn and adapt. As such, this study contributes to the understanding of the mid-manager role by focusing on the school AP.