The process of self-renewal among women headteachers in mid-career

The purpose of this study was to expose the phenomenon of self-renewal and its dynamic aspects among women headteachers in mid-career. Based on findings from an exploratory study conducted among Israeli primary school women headteachers in their midcareer period, the study presents the phenomenon of self-renewal that was experienced by these headteachers. This phenomenon included elements such as coping with burnout crisis, critical inner reflection, reframing managerial perspectives, elation and energy replenishing and reinforcing innovative behaviors. A conceptual frame is presented in order to understand the process of self-renewal and its contextual and biographic determinants which enable the existence of the phenomenon in mid-career.