The purpose of this study was to examine: (a) the impact of faith; (b) the career paths; and (c) the supports and challenges faced by female administrators in faith-based schools. While female administrators in public schools have been researched in detail, the role of a female as an administrator in a faith-based school has not been explored.
Findings indicated that the women who pursue administration positions in faith-based schools experience additional tensions associated with their roles: expectations specific to the faith-based nature of the organization in which they work and issues related to how their leadership intersects with their sex in an organization that has pre-conceived notions of a woman’s place within a ministry organization. Not only are these women expected to fulfill the role of a school administrator, but they must also be strong in their faith in God.