Aim
To investigate how head teachers frame their professional identities within different local and national contexts.
Research questions:
• To investigate and compare how the national policies for education and external accountability influence school leaders’ identity, how they decide on work priority and their practice.
• To investigate relations between school leaders and local contexts regarding quality development and support.
• To explore the continuing process of identity construction by head teachers to uncover the ways in which structure, power, and personal agency are inter-related and shaped.
• To compare training and learning experiences of school leaders with reference to changing working practices during their careers.
Methods
A life history approach was chosen to get a better understanding how headteachers frame their professional identities within different local and national contexts. The study included a parallel analysis of the national and local contexts for school leadership in the countries participating in this project.
Findings
Møller, J. (2004). Lederidentiteter i skolen. Posisjonering, forhandlinger og tilhørighet. Universitetesforlaget.
Biott, C., Moos, L. & Møller, J. (2001). Studying Headteachers’ Professional Lives: Getting the life history. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 45(4), 395 – 410.
Sugrue, Ciaran (Ed.) (2005). Passionate Principalship. Learning from the life histories of school leaders. RoutledgeFalmer.
