The cross-field socialization experience: Exploring aspiring principals' administration internship practice in three local education bureaus

Purpose The aspiring principals' administrative internship (AI) set at the local education bureau is an emerging principal preparation program implemented throughout Taiwan. The program enables aspiring principals to develop administrative practices that can be transferred from the school campus to educational administration units. This study aims to explore how the AI program was implemented in three different cities/counties and to investigate the program features as well as the participation experience of the aspiring principals. Furthermore, this study analyzes and reviews the impact of the AI program on the aspiring principals and the local education bureaus.