Our study focused on the leadership strategies of Estonian and Finnish principals aimed at encouraging teachers to participate in school development. We also looked at context-bound factors that form the framework within which principals discuss their work regarding (1) creating a shared vision, (2) implementing shared leadership practices, (3)…

Teacher identity is a dynamic nexus of experiences and narratives on which teachers draw to understand and situate themselves in teaching. Additionally, teacher identity becomes pedagogy as we teach who we are. This narrative inquiry used an Appreciative Inquiry (AI) framework to explore stories of teaching that have interwoven into the teacher…

The importance of school leaders' work for the development of schools is often highlighted in the research literature. However, school leadership is enacted in a social setting influenced by political, cultural, historical, and economic factors across societal as well as national settings. In Sweden, the turnover rates of school principals are…

Historically, teachers had been delegated the primary responsibility for the organization and management of classroom instruction in US public schools. While this delegation afforded teachers professional autonomy in their work, it has also resulted in disparities in students' educational experiences and outcomes within and between classrooms,…

Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate the effect of principal leadership (PL) on teacher professional learning (TPL) with the possible mediation of teacher trust (TT) and teacher agency (TA) using a broader set of data collected from published research. Design/methodology/approach: The study uses meta-analytic structural equation…

Purpose: We analyse the practices of distributed leadership exercised by principals in two Spanish primary schools. We provide evidence in this area. The study is framed in the Spanish context, in which autonomy is limited and the trend from the administration is the promotion of a distributed leadership model. Design/methodology/approach: We…

This article focuses on Nordic school leaders and how rural principals experience autonomy and control in current governance regimes using a sample of principals in the very north of Norway and Sweden as a case. An analysis instrument constituting four different schooling domains (educational; social; developmental; administrative) and the ways in…

This qualitative study used Glaser and Strauss' (1967) grounded theory design and explored leader and teacher perspectives of driving and restraining forces when implementing Finnish strategies for joyful leading, teaching, and learning. The study examined teacher perceptions of autonomy as well as differences between Ohio school district…

Prior research has identified five in-school factors that impact teacher retention: positive school culture, supportive administration, strong professional development, mentoring programs, and classroom autonomy. While much of the national attention is focused on state or district-level policies to address the teacher retention crisis, this study…

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the school principal's role in promoting physical activity for inactive children in school settings. Design: Exploratory qualitative interview study. Setting: The study was conducted in seven elementary schools in central Sweden. Method: Data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews with…

Purpose: This study investigated special education principals' perspectives regarding the conditions that promoted and hindered their self-fulfilment at work. The research aimed to answer two central questions: (1) What factors do special education school principals identify as promoting self-fulfilment? and (2) What factors do they perceive as…

While teachers' trust in principals is the most commonly studied trust relationship between and among school stakeholders, left largely unexplored is trust between leaders within a school system. Findings presented answer the question: What are indicators of superintendent trustworthiness as experienced and perceived by elementary school…

Heads of Secondary Schools (HSS) grapple with a multitude of challenges that directly influence their job satisfaction, subsequently affecting their overall job performance. This study delves into the experiences of HSS in Tanzania, aiming to identify strategies for improving their job satisfaction. Employing a mixed methods research approach, the…

This study encompasses research on the role of mentoring in the experiences of instructional supervisors in K-12 school districts and how mentoring contributed to their professional development. The method used for this research included a questionnaire, one-to-one interviews, and a panel discussion to capture the essence of the work of the…

The study explored vice-principals' interpretations of their loneliness experiences in the workplace. The following questions guided the research: (1) How do vice-principals perceive the consequences of their loneliness in regard to their personal and professional lives? (2) In what ways do vice-principals perceive that their loneliness…