School Leaders And Educational Governance - At The Interplay Between Law, Curriculum And Education

• In Event: The Role of Educational Policy in a Democratic Republic, as Framed by the Constitution and the Courts

Abstract

This study explores the phenomenon of juridification in education with a focus on Norwegian regulation of education through national curriculum and the Education Act. If and how regulation and the current accountability policy context is understood and experienced by school leaders is examined by analysing how governance mechanisms directly or indirectly influence school leaders’ understanding and experience of professional discretion, social relations and educational purpose in a low-stake educational system. Using critical discourse analysis this qualitative study shows that school leaders experience substantial autonomy and trust. Nevertheless, a complex variety of accountability measures impact their work by challenging these matters. Legal accountability (the Education Act) put pressure on professionalism, especially challenging the relations between the schools and the parents.

Authors

• Ragnhild Meland, University of Oslo

• Jeffrey Brooks Hall, University of Oslo