Lala Ismayilova

Mrs. Lala Ismayilova is a PGR researcher and educator at the University of Bristol and an alumna of its Education Leadership and Policy programme. She was awarded a prestigious State Scholarship from Azerbaijan to pursue her studies. Her research focuses on educational leadership, teacher occupational well-being, and leading in a culture of change, using comparative case studies from England and Azerbaijan. She argues that reform often increases pressure and undermines well-being, leading to absenteeism and presenteeism—systemic signals, not personal failings. She advocates for leadership that prioritises people over performance, acknowledges the subjectivity of staff, and embeds teacher occupational well-being into school culture.