Current Challenges in School Leadership in Estonia and Finland

• In Event: Moscone Center North Roundtable Session 15
  In Roundtable Session: Educational Leadership Across the Boarder

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine what are the current challenges successful principals identify in developing their schools in Estonia and Finland. Moreover, the strategies used in dealing with these challenges were analyzed in the framework of “growth mindset pedagogy” as an educational approach in school leadership. Principals were interviewed and the data was analysed with both inductive and deductive content analysis. The results showed that the challenges are similar in both countries. They were related to principals’ professional development, curriculum development and learning community development. The Estonian principals identified more challenges related to learning community development than their Finnish peers. In both countries principals used mostly strategies related to growth mindset pedagogy in dealing with the challenges.

Authors

• Kirsi A. Tirri, University of Helsinki

• Eve Eisenschmidt, Tallinn University

• Katrin Poom-Valickis

• Elina Kuusisto, University of Helsinki