Table Of ContentPALGRAVE STUDIES ON LEADERSHIP
AND LEARNING IN TEACHER EDUCATION
SERIES EDITORS: MARIA ASSUNÇÃO FLORES · THUWAYBA AL BARWANI
Educational Leadership,
Improvement and Change
Discourse and Systems in Europe
Edited by
Lejf Moos · Nikša Alfi rević
JJJuuurrriiicccaaa PPPaaavvviiičččiiiććć ··· AAAnnndddrrreeejjj KKKooorrreeennn
LLjjiilljjaannaa NNaajjeevv ČČaaččiijjaa
Palgrave Studies on Leadership and Learning
in Teacher Education
Series Editors
Maria Assunção Flores
Institute of Education
University of Minho
Braga, Portugal
Thuwayba Al Barwani
College of Education
Sultan Qaboos University
Al Khod, Muscat, Oman
The series focuses on original and research informed writing related to
teachers and leaders’ work as it addresses teacher education in the 21st
century. The editors of this series adopt a more comprehensive definition
of Teacher Education to include pre-service, induction and continuing
professional development of the teacher. The contributions will deal
with the challenges and opportunities of learning and leading in teacher
education in a globalized era. It includes the dimensions of practice,
policy, research and university school partnership. The distinctiveness of
this book series lies in the comprehensive and interconnected ways in
which learning and leading in teacher education are understood. In the
face of global challenges and local contexts it is important to address
leadership and learning in teacher education as it relates to different
levels of education as well as opportunities for teacher candidates, teacher
educators education leaders and other stakeholders to learn and develop.
The book series draws upon a wide range of methodological approaches
and epistemological stances and covers topics including teacher education,
professionalism, leadership and teacher identity.
More information about this series at
http://www.palgrave.com/gp/series/16190
Lejf Moos • Nikša Alfirevic
́
Jurica Pavicic • Andrej Koren
̌ ́
Ljiljana Najev Čacija
̌
Editors
Educational Leadership,
Improvement
and Change
Discourse and Systems in Europe
Editors
Lejf Moos Nikša Alfirević
Danish School of Education Department of Management, Faculty
Aarhus University of Economics, Business and Tourism
Copenhagen, Denmark University of Split
Split, Croatia
Jurica Pavičić
Department of Marketing, Faculty of Andrej Koren
Economics and Business International School for Social and
University of Zagreb Business Studies
Zagreb, Croatia Celje, Slovenia
Ljiljana Najev Čačija
Department of Marketing, Faculty of
Economics, Business and Tourism
University of Split
Split, Croatia
ISSN 2524-7069 ISSN 2524-7077 (electronic)
Palgrave Studies on Leadership and Learning in Teacher Education
ISBN 978-3-030-47019-7 ISBN 978-3-030-47020-3 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47020-3
© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer
Nature Switzerland AG 2020
This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the
Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of
translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on
microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval,
electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now
known or hereafter developed.
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this
publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are
exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.
The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information
in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the
publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to
the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The
publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and
institutional affiliations.
Cover pattern © John Rawsterne/patternhead.com
This Palgrave Pivot imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature
Switzerland AG.
The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland
F
oRewoRd
RemembeRing the histoRy
For several years, much research has been devoted to the Europeanisation
and globalization of education systems. A Global Education Reform
Movement (GERM) is circulating internationally, supported by international
organizations and agencies, which carry different political technologies:
accountability, school improvement, New Public Management, evidence-
based education, digitalization. However, these reforms as well as their
related policies come to contrasting results. In addition, as this book
demonstrates, understanding changes requires a retrospective outlook
at the history of countries and education systems. Different paths of
modernization have been chosen depending on specific legacies. The
building of national identities and the development of the State have
largely influenced the settlement of firm principles that still govern visions
of citizenship, knowledge and inclusion.
While school market and privatization are increasing worldwide, the
social and civic dimension of European countries helps to resist this
international trend. But in Northern as in Eastern Europe, countries
face similarities in the implementation of accountability mechanisms, the
strengthening of local autonomy and the decentralization of decision-
making, while the renewal of the education professions is at stake. The
top-down and bureaucratic type of school governance has shown some
limits: other governing approaches are emerging without giving up the
reduction of inequalities and social inclusion.
v
vi FOREWORD
The book analyses these points of divergence and convergence in
details through an informed comparison of the most recent trends in
specific countries: Denmark, Norway, Lithuania, Croatia, Slovenia. This
perspective makes it possible to relativize a conception of Europeanisation
that would be limited to Western Europe. It also shows how some origi-
nal solutions can be found in reforming education systems as opposed to
autocratic and technocratic approaches that do not work. Among condi-
tions for success, the implementation of an open, dynamic, interactive
school leadership at local level is an essential asset. Provided that its
cultural, social and political foundations are not forgotten. This book,
which deepens our knowledge on European education and its constitu-
ents, is a necessary and relevant contribution to the reflection about
limits faced by instrumental policies that ignore historical and institu-
tional contexts.
Romuald Normand, Professor, University of Strasbourg, Faculty of Social
Sciences, France. He works on comparative education policies and politics,
school management and leadership, and Higher Education and research. He
is editor of the Routledge series “European policy and politics in education”
and convener of the network “sociologies of European education” of European
Educational Research Association.
CRitiCal analyses aRe needed
Examples from five countries meet in this volume problematizing educa-
tional leadership. Five countries with very different historical background,
culture and prerequisites for education over time. Some are today part of
the European Union and all are connected to the OECD. The comparison
is built upon a shared frame with themes describing local conditions,
practices and reflections.
Much look the same on the surface, trends flow over the world and the
international language can give a picture of similarities that occur are thus:
what is possible to compare through, for example OECD’s choice of what
is of importance? What is the heart of the education in everyday life in
schools; how do educational leaders act and what is tolerated behind the
classroom door? What is visible and not? Is there a hidden canon given by
tradition and immaterial values also among countries that seem to have
adopted the trend of measurement and competition? Why does faith in
and for professions like principals and teachers vary between different
stakeholders in different countries, and how does that affect the view of
FOREWORD vii
what is important in education? There is always a risk that we only value
what we evaluate and not evaluate what we value, which is more difficult.
It is indeed of importance that researchers conduct critical analysis of
educational leadership in different countries including the invisible aspects
of the profession. And even if the educational system, the education of
principals and teachers, is of high quality, it is of importance to analyse the
different contextual circumstances for each school and the gap between
the goals for education and everyday life in society to build a scientific
basis, which can stimulate a serious and public dialogue about the aim of
education.
Elisabet Nihlfors, Professor of Education with focus on leadership at
Uppsala University, Sweden. She leads the research unit, Research in
Educational Leadership (REL) at Uppsala University. Her research includes
governance of schools, leadership, policymaking and democracy.
Faculty of Social Sciences Romuald Normand
University of Strasbourg, France
Uppsala University, Sweden Elisabet Nihlfors
a b
bout the ook
The book analyses and discusses the selected, critical concepts of policy
and practice of educational leadership in five small European countries.
From the area of South East Europe, Croatia and Slovenia were included,
as examples of post-socialist countries, going through the processes of
socio-economic transition, with Lithuania analysed as a comparable small
country from the Baltic Region. In the North West of Europe, we have
included experiences from additional two small European countries—
Denmark and Norway.
Analyses deal with the issues of convergence and divergence in the local
educational leadership policies and practices are developing and emerging
from traditional structures and discourses under global and regional influ-
ences. National reports from the five selected countries contribute to the
analysis of individual experiences, related to the development of education
leadership and school improvement in small European countries.
Additional chapters explore topics of interest, viewed from the European
context. Those include the use of international benchmarking in educa-
tion, inclusive education policies and practices, digital transformation and
e-learning.
In many ways this volume builds on the following Palgrave volumes:
Alfirević, N., Burušić, J., Pavičić, J., & Relja, R. (Eds.). (2016). School
Effectiveness and Educational Management. Towards a South-Eastern
Europe Research and Public Policy Agenda. Palgrave Macmillan
ix
x ABOUT THE BOOK
Ingþórsson, A. H., Alfirević, N., Pavičić, J., & Vican, D. (Eds.). (2019).
Educational Leadership in Policy. Challenges and Implementation Within
Europe. Palgrave Macmillan
All three volumes study the development, the discourses and systems
of educational leadership in diverse political settings within Europe, the
question how are trans-n ational inspiration and influences being inter-
preted and enacted in national systems and settings. Publishing all three
volumes has been made possible by the financial assistance of the Ministry
of Science and Education of the Republic of Croatia, through the support
of the Croatian Scientific Centre of Excellence for School Effectiveness
and Management (SCE—SEM).
