Description
Book SynopsisThis book discusses principals’ prerequisites and work within the five Nordic countries and focuses on schools as formal institutions that carry out functions delegated to them by the social collective. It includes a discussion about what kind of state policy demonstrates autonomy in Nordic schools, as well as the ways in which school leaders as sense makers in local schools possess and enact policy in a globalized economy and a changing world.
The book draws both on a range of theoretical frameworks and educational leadership and policy research to provide multiple comparative perspectives of school leadership in the Nordic countries, the moral purpose of schooling, school governance and power relations, expectations towards school leadership, handling of crises, and cultures of trust. The chapters range from in depth-case studies and policy document analyses to large-scale data sets and literature reviews. All chapters have multiple messages for practitioners, policy makers and researchers as they seek to engage with school leadership as a core activity in times of societal changes.
As democratic welfare states, the five Nordic countries have many similarities, but also differences which makes it interesting to understand more about various ways to strive towards democracy and well-educated citizens.
Table of ContentsChapter 1. Introduction.- Chapter 2. School Leadership in Denmark: Leading education and leading a school.- Chapter 3. Finland—A Structure of Trust.- Chapter 4. School leaders within the Icelandic education system: Complex roles, multilevel relations, and fragmented support.- Chapter 5. School leadership in Norway: Key characteristics and current challenges.- Chapter 6. Sweden – Good will on all governance levels is not enough to create sustainable improvement.- Chapter 7. Principals’ Autonomy in the Nordic Countries - Governing positions, responsibilities, and expectations.- Chapter 8. Principals’ roles in a Nordic education context: Shared responsibility and pedagogical engagement.- Chapter 9. Policy demands, expectations, and changed leadership roles during the COVID-19 crisis: Critical comparative case studies from Denmark and Iceland.- Chapter 10. Principals’ preparation and professional development in Nordic countries.- Chapter 11. Making sense of Nordic school leadership – Four perspectives on similarities and variations.
