Successful health-promoting leadership – A question of synchronisation

Abstract

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to identify the role of the principal in establishing a whole school approach for health and wellbeing. Two questions are asked: (1) What do successful Swedish principals do when they take on a whole school approach? (2) How do these results relate to previous research on successful school leadership?Design/methodology/approachThis paper focuses on the complexity of organisational processes and considers the role of successful leadership in managing a whole school approach to health promotion. It presents findings from two different but interlinked projects, and draws on document studies and interviews with principals, student health team members and teachers in Sweden.FindingsThis paper argues that successful school leaders are crucial in establishing a whole school approach, because of the work they do to synchronise the health-promoting activities in schools. The study identifies four aspects of coordination that need to be enacted simultaneously when leading health-promoting processes. The fifth aspect identified is that a whole school approach is not limited to the school, but the whole local school context, i.e. a synchronisation between different system levels.Originality/valueAlthough limited in scale, this paper reports key findings that could have practical implications for school leaders. The study suggests that successful school leadership research needs to use a health-promoting lens in order to make leadership practices health-promoting practices. It also proposes extended comparative research from different fields and contexts.

School leadership that supports health promotion in schools: A systematic literature review

“…However, this responsibility was only devolved to other staff members because school leaders viewed PE as an additional burden in an already overcrowded curriculum. In Sweden, Skott (2021) reported that schools showed remarkable progress in health-promoting activities when principals supported work using a distributed leadership approach. In contrast, Viig et al (2012) found that a top-down approach was regarded as effective in the development and implementation of school health promotion by programme leaders in Norway, as this way, teachers gave it greater priority, and school leaders had the authority to allocate time and resources.…”

The Importance of School Leaders’ Attitudes and Health Literacy to the Implementation of a Health-Promoting Schools Approach

“…However, the implementation and maintenance of HPS are complex, as different actors, contents, and levels must be considered. Therefore, leadership and the coordination of such processes are essential [ 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ]. Studies show that school leaders act as gatekeepers for health promotion and, thus, decisively influence schools’ prevention and health-promotion activities [ 25 , 26 ].…”

“…Studies show that school leaders act as gatekeepers for health promotion and, thus, decisively influence schools’ prevention and health-promotion activities [ 25 , 26 ]. School leaders not only initiate health-promoting activities, but also continuously accompany the health-promotion actions of their schools by handling motivational, organizational, and content-related aspects, and integrating health promotion into daily practice [ 13 , 24 ]. The significance of school leaders in health promotion is also identified by Zumbrunn et al and Gieske and Harzd [ 16 , 27 ] who ascribe a central role to school leaders in ensuring and coordinating health-promotion activities in their schools.…”

“…In contrast to school leaders’ health, several studies have investigated school leaders’ attitudes toward HPS, showing that their mindsets are highly relevant to the implementation of health promotion [ 16 , 21 , 24 ]. For example, Clarke et al [ 21 ] found that US school leaders perceived the relationship between children’s health and their learning as a major driver in promoting school health.…”

Health-promoting leadership in education: Relevance to teachers in township schools

“…HPL enhances the health of subordinates in several ways. First, HPL is integral to developing health-promoting environments (Skott, 2022), which may lead to enhanced teacher performance, commitment and satisfaction. Second, leaders may also change working conditions by creating a supportive working atmosphere and nourishing resources that foster employee health (Bregenzer et al, 2019).…”