Comparing Leadership Autonomy in Swedish, Finnish and Icelandic Municipalities and Schools

This research project aims to explore the autonomy of superintendents and school principals from a comparative and historical perspective.

The project studies how autonomy is formed at the intermediate level between superintendents and principals and focuses on educational leadership in municipalities and schools in Sweden, Finland, and Iceland since 1990.

A particular focus is placed on leadership autonomy in matters of school improvement and inclusion.Theoretically, autonomy is seen as multi-dimensional and dynamic, as well as contextualised in historical and cultural contexts (cf. Wermke & Salokangas, 2021).

As Nordic welfare states, Sweden, Finland and Iceland share similarities, but there are also relevant differences between the countries regarding educational governance.

The project is structured by three sub-studies with different methodological approaches, including document analysis of national policy and leadership union journals; interview studies with superintendents and principals; and nation-wide questionaries to superintendents and principals.

The project contributes to the general theoretical understanding of the way in which educational governance affects superintendents’ and principals’ professional autonomy.

The project also makes an empirical contribution, since it analyses the autonomy of superintendents and principals in municipalities and schools in three Nordic countries.