French School Leaders: Reviewing the Literature

Author(s):

Unni HagenUnni Hagen

Conference:

ECER 2008

Network:

26. Educational Leadership

Format:

Paper

Session Information

26 SES 04, Network 26 Session 4

Paper Session

Time:

2008-09-10

16:00-17:30

Room:

AK2 133

Chair:

Lejf Moos

Contribution

Compared to the Anglo-Saxon world, research on school heads (principals) in France is still in its infancy. Also, most of the studies available in French have not been published in the English language, unlike many of the Scandinavian studies. Thus, it is somewhat harder for the international research community to fully appreciate and take into account recent changes and challenges to contemporary French school leadership. The aim of this paper is not primarily to look into why there is such a gap, but rather to review the existing knowledge base. This has been done by reviewing selected empirical studies and research literature published since mid 1990s. This paper starts by situating the French secondary school head, chef d’établissement (CE) as a newly established profession within the wider context of state education. It then describes key features of the French school leader following moves towards decentralisation, institutional autonomy, modernisation and the quest for a more democratic and equitable National Educational system. Finally the paper teases out some of the key issues and the main strands of arguments circulating through French school leadership in the first decade of the 21st Century. The key issues emerging from this literature review are being compared and discussed in light of international school leadership literature, pointing out some areas for future comparative school leadership studies.

Method

Mapping school leadership discourses drawing on Rolland Paulston's Social Cartography, reading selected research literature in French.

Expected Outcomes

French school leaders are in similar paradoxical positions as many of their international colleagues, expected to shift away form being administrators to being managers, pedagogical inspirators and coordinators for autonomous teacher followers and local authorities.

References

Barrère, Anne (2006) Sociologie des chefs d'établissement. Les managers de la République. (Paris: PUF) Grellier, Yves (1998) Profession, chef d'établissement (Paris:ESF) Hagen, Unni (to come 2008) French School Leaders: Change and Continuity (ENIRDELM Newsletter April) Hagen, Unni (2006) Heads on School Based Management in the 1990s: Norwegian, Russian and Scottish Stories. Doctoral Thesis submittet to the Institute of Education, University of London. Hassani, Mohammad (2007) Regulation Interne des Etablissements Scolaires: Les chefs d'établissement et la régulation des activités des enseignants. Thèse de Doctorat, sous la direction de Denis Meuret, IREDU/UB. Meuret, Denis (2007) Gouvernet l'école. Une comparison France/Etats-Unis (Paris: PUF) Meuret, Denis and Duru-Bellat, Marie (2003) Englsih and French Modes of Regulation of the Education System: a comparison. Comparative Education, 39(4):463-477. Pélage, Agnès (2003) La redéfinition du métier de chef d’établissement secondaire : changement statutaire, construction de l’engagement professionnel et épreuves pratiques, Revue Française de Pédagogie, 145: 21-36. Pélage, Agnes (1996) Devenir chef d’établissement : de la transformation du modèle professionnel aux logiques d’accès à la fonction de direction, Thèse de Doctorat, sous la direction de Claude Dubar, UVSQ. Robin, Jean-Marc (2008) Qu'est-ce qu' un bon chef d'établissement? Published on-line 15 January on www.personnel-direction.fr (accessed 21.01.08). de Saint-Do, Yves; Henry, Marie-Ange; Pointereau, Donatelle (2006) La rôle pédagogique du chef d'établissement: défis d'aujourd'hui - de la théorie à la pratique. (Paris: Berger-Levrault) Vaniscotte, Francine (ed.) (2005) La direction des établissements scolaires. Politiques d'éducation er de formation: Analyses er comparaisons internationales. (Paris: IEEP/epice, 13/2005/1) Woycikowska, Colette (2003) S'occuper du travail des autres. Le management dans l'établissement. (Paris: Hachette Education)

Author Information

Unni Hagen

GRETA21, Academie Dijon, France, ENIRDELM

Moutiers Saint Jean

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