Education and Democracy in the Nordic Countries Making Sense of School Leadership, Policy, and Practice

This 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, policymakers 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.

Chapter 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 – Fourperspectives on similarities and variations.

Ann Elisabeth Gunnulfsen (PhD) works as associate professor in educational leadership at the department of Teacher Education and School Research, at the University of Oslo, Norway. Her research interest concerns school leadership, education policy and micro policy making. She is involved in a series of national and international research-projects and collaborative leadership developing programs with schools. She is leading a part of the national evaluation of the contemporary curriculum reform in Norway (EVA2020) looking into the governance and leadership perspectives of the reform work locally. Gunnulfsen has a background as school principal in compulsory schools and has been a municipality adviser in school improvement projects.   

Helene Ärlestig (PhD) works as professor in educational leadership at the Centre for Principal Development, Umeå University, Sweden. Her research interest concerns organizational communication, pedagogical leadership, principal’s professionalism and governance. She is involved in several international research networks, for example the International Successful School Principal Project, ISSPP and International School Leadership Development Network, ISLDN. Dr Ärlestig has a background as principal in compulsory schools and are engaged in school improvement projects that combine research and practice. 

Merete Storgaard ( PhD) works as a school principal in the Municipality of Svendborg and an independent researcher and part-time educator at Aarhus University and UC Professional College, Denmark. Her research interest is centered on the intersections between international, national and local policy and governance tendencies in education and educational leadership. Storgaard graduated with a PhD degree from the Danish School of Education, Aarhus University in 2019. She is currently involved in Nordic and Danish research within the NordLead research network and a research collaboration at Aarhus University studying teachers´ leadership expectations in times of the COVID-19 crisis. Formerly, she has contributed to Danish leadership programs and research informing the practice field at more institutional levels.