Distributed Leadership, Teacher Autonomy, and Power Relations Between Headteachers and Teachers Under Low-Stakes Accountability Conditions: An Ethnographic Account from Switzerland

Abstract

Distributed leadership is propagated internationally as an effective means to improve teaching and learning in schools. Increasingly it is acknowledged that practices of distributed leadership depend on its context, not only on the school level but also on the larger governing conditions. This article discusses how distributed leadership is put into practice within a “loose” governing regime with low-stakes accountability. The example is taken from Switzerland, where the strengthening of leadership is one of the core instruments of New Public Management reforms, while high-stakes accountability instruments have not been implemented. By taking a governmentality perspective, the article analyses the (self-)governing practices that distributed leadership generates between headteachers and teachers in a primary school. It argues that a “loose” accountability regime produces an opaque field of power relations, in which the self-governing imperative of distributive leadership conflicts with claims of traditional teacher autonomy.

Politik Inklusiver Bildung

“…Neben einer standardisierten Berichterstattung, diversen Unterrichtseinblicken sowie Gesprächen mit Lehrpersonen wird in einer Sitzung zwischen Inspektor und lokaler Schulführung -also sogenannte »operative« Schulleitende und »strategische« Führung durch die Schulkommission -die Zielerreichung der 1 Die vorliegende Ethnographie versteht sich als fortführende Studie eines durch Dr. Judith Hangartner geleiteten Forschungsprojektes mit dem Titel »Schulpraxis unter den Bedingungen ›evaluationsbasierter Steuerung‹« (vgl. Hangartner & Svaton 2013;2015a;20215b;2016c;2020;2022). Das Vorgängerprojekt sowie auch das Dissertationsprojekt »›Integration‹ und ›Differenz‹ in der Umsetzung ›besonderer Massnahmen‹ in der Volksschule des Kantons Bern« (vgl.…”

Teacher wellbeing and retention: The impact of rapidly transforming learning and teaching with digital technologies

“…One of the main debates on the political nature of distributed leadership is whether it is possible to distribute leadership without introducing political elements. Some scholars contend that the very act of distributing leadership inherently involves negotiations, power dynamics, and the potential for conflict (Hangartner & Svaton, 2022). They argue that decision-making, regardless of the structure, is influenced by different actors' interests, values, and agendas.…”

“…Additionally, the challenges of collaboration with authority in distributed leadership include difficulty, lack of follow-through, lack of efficiency, lack of acceptance, and dealing with immature team members. In a recent study, Hangartner and Svaton (2022) explored power relations between headteachers and teachers in the context of distributed leadership in Switzerland. The study reveals that New Public Management reforms (which subscribe to distributed leadership) lead to tensions between headteachers and teachers due to conflicting expectations.…”

Representation of Ataturk’s Leadership Qualities in “The 8th Grade Textbook for The History of Turkish Revolution and Kemalism’’, in the Context of the Skills Relevant to the 21st Century.

“…By providing the students of the educational environments of the 21st century with the seeds of leadership skills, they are raised as strong, creative, highly motivated individuals with a will to learn new knowledge (Zehir-Gülebi & Bayar, 2019), capable of guiding others effectively with direct influence and inspiration (Hamarat, 2019), combined with consistent and ethical behavior, the ability to provide guidance to others, embracing responsibility with others, and guiding one's team towards its objective (Aydın, 2019;Güçlü, 2022). Leadership in education arose as a strong discourse, not only facilitating organizational and pedagogical development on the part of teachers and schools to help students learn better but also paving the way for equality, social justice, and participation in education (Hangartner & Svaton, 2022). Doing so is a shot at equipping individuals with the skills and experiences to enable them to perform well in leadership roles demanded by the 21st century (Leblebici, 2008).…”