Education and Democracy in the Nordic Countries

Ann Elisabeth Gunnulfsen (PhD) works as associate professor in educational leadership at the department of Teacher Education and School Research, at the University of Oslo, Norway. Her research interest concerns school leadership, education policy and micro policy making. She is involved in a series of national and international research-projects and collaborative leadership developing programs with schools. She is leading a part of the national evaluation of the contemporary curriculum reform in Norway (EVA2020) looking into the governance and leadership perspectives of the reform work locally. Gunnulfsen has a background as school principal in compulsory schools and has been a municipality adviser in school improvement projects.   Helene Ärlestig (PhD) works as professor in educational leadership at the Centre for Principal Development, Umeå University, Sweden. Her research interest concerns organizational communication, pedagogical leadership, principal’s professionalism and governance. She is involved in several international research networks, for example the International Successful School Principal Project, ISSPP and International School Leadership Development Network, ISLDN. Dr Ärlestig has a background as principal in compulsory schools and are engaged in school improvement projects that combine research and practice. Merete Storgaard ( PhD) works as a school principal in the Municipality of Svendborg and an independent researcher and part-time educator at Aarhus University and UC Professional College, Denmark. Her research interest is centered on the intersections between international, national and local policy and governance tendencies in education and educational leadership. Storgaard graduated with a PhD degree from the Danish School of Education, Aarhus University in 2019. She is currently involved in Nordic and Danish research within the NordLead research network and a research collaboration at Aarhus University studying teachers´ leadership expectations in times of the COVID-19 crisis. Formerly, she has contributed to Danish leadership programs and research informing the practice field at more institutional levels.

• Chapter 1. Introduction.- Chapter 2. School Leadership in Denmark: Leading education and leading a school.- Chapter 3. Finland—A Structure of Trust.- Chapter 4. School leaders within the Icelandic education system: Complex roles, multilevel relations, and fragmented support.- Chapter 5. School leadership in Norway: Key characteristics and current challenges.- Chapter 6. Sweden – Good will on all governance levels is not enough to create sustainable improvement.- Chapter 7. Principals’ Autonomy in the Nordic Countries - Governing positions, responsibilities, and expectations.- Chapter 8. Principals’ roles in a Nordic education context: Shared responsibility and pedagogical engagement.- Chapter 9. Policy demands, expectations, and changed leadership roles during the COVID-19 crisis: Critical comparative case studies from Denmark and Iceland.- Chapter 10. Principals’ preparation and professional development in Nordic countries.- Chapter 11. Making sense of Nordic school leadership – Fourperspectives on similarities and variations.