Balancing managerial and professional demands: school principals as evaluation brokers

Abstract

The evaluation trend in the global education field implies new professional challenges for school principals. The purpose of this article is to describe and analyse Swedish school principals’ experiences of prevailing evaluations and the implications for the profession. Specifically, we examine: a) how principals respond to evaluations and their consequences in their schools; and b) the implications of the evaluations for the profession in light of professional responsibility and accountability. The interviewed principals are ascribed huge evaluation responsibilities and are in this respect key actors but to some extent are also ‘victims’ of external pressures. All schools are embedded in a web of evaluation systems. They share the view that evaluations that are useful for improving teaching, student achievement and everyday school life are those conducted close to practice, and involve teachers. Most of them are also aware of the risks for the reduction of the broad goals of schooling and for work overload. The principals express a desire to protect the fundamental values of professional responsibility but the total demands of the local evaluation web have involved a shift in their professional role towards professional accountability.

• school leader
• assessment
• governance
• professionalism

Notes

1 The project “Consequences of evaluation for school practice: governance, accountability and school development” is funded by the Swedish Research Council.

2 “Central” in this quotation refers to the Education Department in the municipality in question.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Agneta Hult

Agneta Hult is Associate Professor at the Department of Education, Umeå University. Her research interests are mainly focused on the implications and consequences of evaluations and assessment in the field of education. Email: [email protected]

Ulf Lundström

Ulf Lundström is Associate Professor at Umeå University, Department of Applied Educational Science. His main research interests lie within the areas of the teaching profession, education policy (e.g. focusing on marketisation and inclusion) and evaluation. Email: [email protected]

Charlotta Edström

Charlotta Edström holds a PhD in educational work. Her main research interests encompass the areas of evaluation policy and practice as well as gender equality issues. Email: [email protected]