Dissertation Defense Announcement Ed.D. Program: Joanna Joaquin “‘It’s Like Jesus Christ Came Down From Heaven and Gave Us AI’:How P-12 Principals and Vice-Principals Experience Generative Artificial Intelligence”

School administrators experience job demands that contribute to ongoing stress and burnout (Dicke et al., 2020; Grissom et al., 2015). To manage this stress, school administrators are increasingly turning to generative artificial intelligence (GenAI). Existing research focuses largely on classroom use, student learning, and academic integrity concerns (Manczka, 2024; Searson et al., 2024). Much less is known about how GenAI may support administrators as they manage daily managerial, instructional, and leadership responsibilities (Fullan et al., 2023; Shahzad et al., 2023). Because GenAI is new and advancing quickly, we need research that examines how school leaders use these tools and whether they help alleviate professional stress and workload pressure (Wieczorek et al., 2024).

The purpose of this qualitative exploratory study was to understand how P–12 school administrators in New Jersey experienced and perceived the use of GenAI tools in their professional practice. The study was grounded in a regenerative leadership framework to understand how generative AI might support professional renewal. Data were collected from 16 school administrators and included semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and a survey about participants’ practice before and after using GenAI.

The data revealed five major findings. First, generative artificial intelligence tools supported a wide range of routine leadership tasks that reflect four leadership domains: instructional leadership, communication, managerial, and reflective and analytical tasks. Second, GenAI tools improved administrative efficiency and productivity. Third, GenAI enabled administrators to focus on instructional leadership. Fourth, the use of these tools supported leadership rejuvenation. Fifth, participants navigated concerns related to ethics and privacy.

This study contributes new knowledge about how generative artificial intelligence tools can reduce routine workload demands and renew school leaders’ overall leadership capacity. The findings have implications for district policymaking, professional development, and administrator preparation programs, as they consider how to integrate and teach the ethical and purposeful use of GenAI in leadership practice.