La présélection informelle des directions d’école : comprendre la pratique de la « tape sur l’épaule » dans les écoles de langue française de l’Ontario

Authors

  • Marthe Foka Université du Québec à Montréal

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53967/cje-rce.6895

Keywords:

informal preselection, shoulder tapping, school principals, recruitment and selection, French-language schools in Ontario

Abstract

This qualitative study examines the practice of informal preselection for principal positions in Ontario’s French-language schools. Faced with a dwindling pool of candidates for principal positions, an informal strategy known as shoulder tapping is used within the school system to attract candidates for these positions. Our research objective is to identify the actions considered as shoulder tapping in accessing a principal position. It is based on semi-structured interviews with 11 principals and assistant principals and six teachers. The findings suggest three main actions that participants viewed as informal preselection: acknowledging one’s competencies, offering advice on how to access the position, and offering informal mentoring. Turner’s (1960) theoretical framework of organizational mobility allows the study to explain how these informal practices can both support and limit the upward mobility of individuals within the organization. 

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Published

2025-12-31

How to Cite

Foka, M. (2025). La présélection informelle des directions d’école : comprendre la pratique de la « tape sur l’épaule » dans les écoles de langue française de l’Ontario. Canadian Journal of Education Revue Canadienne De l’éducation, 48(4), 1287–1312. https://doi.org/10.53967/cje-rce.6895