Challenges New Principals Experience During Transition in Colleges of Education, Ghana

Leadership transition is a critical period in any leader’s tenure. In Colleges of Education in Ghana, the principal’s transition is critical to quality teacher education and training. However, it comes with challenges and complexities. This study therefore investigated to establish challenges new college of education principals encounter during transitions. Phenomenological research design was used for the study and purposive sampling was used to sample the respondents. Ten (10) newly appointed principals of public colleges of education were used for the study. The research instrument was interview protocol. The data collected was analyzed using thematic content analysis method. The study found mainly three categories of challenges in the principals’ transition. The challenges comprised personal, inter-personal and administrative challenges. Also, the findings confirmed that new/beginning principals worldwide encounter similar challenges as they transition. The study therefore, recommended that new and aspiring principals should explore the various transition challenges and plan their way out so that they succeed.