Page 57 - ALR2018 Handbook

The principals in group B do not give themselves the time to, or have the knowledge of how
to combine their duties working towards national goals, while at the same time succeeding in
creating a climate where the teachers as a group take responsibility and challenge individual
teachers’ notions regarding assessment and grading work. There is also group C, which fully
prioritizes issues other than those associated with assessment and grading work.

Importance for theory, practice, and policy

Even if many agree that school leadership is important, there is a need for more qualitative

understanding of how leader actions is executed. Using ideal groups to show differences
awake new questions and possibilities to understand leadership actions in relation to practice
and policy, which in turn can create new theoretical insights. Even though these depictions
are based on characteristic features, they can among practitioners serve as the basis for
conversations about values, routines, priorities and knowledge. These depictions may
challenge or validate personal perceptions and priorities in the day-to-day operations of a
school, reflections that can in turn contribute to learning and changed practice.

The connection to the conference theme

The conference theme ‘The West wind vs. The East wind: Understanding leadership for
teacher Learning’ fits well with my proposal and what I will present. Methods to understand
qualitative differences in pedagogical leadership is an area that needs further attention in all
kind of contexts.

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