In Quest of Principalship

Abstract

The chapter uses a scoping literature review of Finnish school research to make sense of the task and practice of principalship in the Finnish educational context. The data consists of 20 doctoral dissertations from Finnish universities, year 2000 to 2020, in which acting and former principals study various aspects of their own professional practice.The study aims of conceptualizing and comprehending principalship using a two-step process of analysis, with two intertwined analytical frameworks. As a result, principalship is firstly described as consisting of three intertwined practices: being a principal, doing principalship and contextualising principalship. In the second step of the analysis, a framework consisting of two basic dimensions for situating the research interests in the dissertation is constructed. The first dimension consists of school leadership understood as an individual undertaking or as a shared, social and cultural practice. The second dimension either locates principalship in its organisational, cultural and operational context or focus on professional ambitions for strategic development or change. In summary, principalship consists of tasks and duties, capacities and leadership styles, or can be constructed as a contextual social practice, for enhancing collaborative school development.