Exploring enhanced pedagogical leadership: an action research study involving Swedish principals

Abstract

This article reports on a joint action research study about principals' pedagogical leadership and what happens when principals explore pedagogical leading. In this study, the theory of practice architectures interacts with the method chosen for analysing the processes and results. Partnerships between universities and practitioners are seen as an important arena for professional development, and the results of this study illustrate how cooperation between scholars and practitioners can promote professional learning and capacity building amongst both parties. The findings show how trustworthy relationships are necessary in order to change the practice and evolve a critical and emancipatory approach among the participants. Student learning and development appear to be important components of the principals' pedagogical leading. Pedagogical leading is about arranging the conditions for teachers so that they are given the opportunity to improve their teaching. Pedagogical leaders do not only talk about changes but also call for concrete actions in schools' internal work. Principals' pedagogical leading involves orchestrating the surrounding arrangements in such a way that they enable school's learning and collaborative practices. Part of this orchestration involves supporting forms of cooperation so that good norms and a culture that nurtures development are established. ARTICLE HISTORY

Building leadership capacity in school leadership groups: an action research project

“…The framework of practice architectures is inspired by Schatzki's practice theory and philosophy (Schatzki 2006), first presented by Kemmis and Grootenboer (2008) and still undergoing development (Kemmis, Wilkinson, and Edwards-Groves 2017). The theory is used in the literature regarding theoretical, reflective and analytical frameworks, for example, concerning school leadership (Seiser 2019;Skoglund 2020). Changing practices requires changing the conditions that support the practices and the practice architectures that enable and constrain them.…”

A professional development practice to enhance principals' instructional leadership – enabling and constraining arrangements

“…The theory has been used, for example, in studies focusing on middle leading and teachers and principals' PD (e.g. Edward-Groves et al, 2019;Forssten Seiser, 2019;Langelotz, 2017).…”

“…In the Swedish context, research focusing on principals' instructional leadership from the perspective of PD is limited, although some does exist (e.g. Aas and Blom, 2017;Forssten Seiser, 2019;Nehez and Blossing, 2020;Salo et al, 2015). Forssten Seiser (2019) arranged a university-school partnership with 12 principals who regularly met over one and a half years to explore their leadership.…”

“…Aas and Blom, 2017;Forssten Seiser, 2019;Nehez and Blossing, 2020;Salo et al, 2015). Forssten Seiser (2019) arranged a university-school partnership with 12 principals who regularly met over one and a half years to explore their leadership. The trustworthy relationship that developed overtime among the principals turned out to be necessary for the principals' possibility to share experiences and failures, and thus for learning to take place.…”

Initiering av nya professioner och ny kompetens i skolan för närvarofrämjande arbete

“…Denna studie har en praktikteoretisk ansats, en ansats som används av forskare för att stödja förbättringsinitiativ (Forssten Seiser, 2020;Nehez & Blossing, 2020). En praktik är det som sägs och görs mellan individer i ett specifikt sammanhang i en specifik tid för att åstadkomma ett specifikt mål (Kemmis et al, 2014;Schatzki, 2001).…”