THE PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY OF THE SCHOOL PRINCIPALS

Education constitutes a challenge and an essential pillar in the development of society, which positions it as a main axis in the political agendas at the national and international level. Currently, the society marked by knowledge and information and characterized by its constant change and dynamism means that educational centers are not exempt from such transformations. In this way, they will have to adapt and respond to the demands of this society, which are increasingly demanding and complex. educational. Although educational research has not established an ideal and unique profile of a school director, the figure of the same is the subject of debate, study and analysis as there is the certainty that the educational direction constitutes an essential pillar in success of educational organizations. Currently, the conception of educational management breaks with the traditional vision of management and encompasses more elements than the figure of the school principal, as the sole manager, administrator and leader of the educational center. Specifically, in Spain it presents a unique character in its model of educational management: who exercises this position is a teacher chosen by their own colleagues who, after passing through the management (4-8 years), returns to the teaching staff . Said ”going” and ”return” itinerary supposes, in terms of identity, the presence of a series of duplicities: leader and / or manager, representative of the administration and / or fellow teachers; accountability agents and / or pedagogical agent. The term identity is complex because it is not an objective reality nor is it the same as a role, but rather a discursive and mental construction that individuals use to express a certain way of verse and feel connected with their environment.

In this chapter, educational management is understood from a perspective that encompasses the professional identity of school principals.

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