Session Information
26 SES 11 C, Educational Leadership for Diversity and Equity
Paper Session
Contribution
The Swedish school law and curriculum calls for a leadership that promotes equal opportunities for all children and students. International research on educational leadership, school leadership, and its relation to students’ educational outcome is extensive (e.g., Leithwood, Harris & Hopkins, 2020; Heck & Hallinger, 2014; Schrik & Wasonga, 2019). There is also an interest in international research about the relevance of school leaders for equity (Leithwood, 2021) and how different ways of perceiving and operationalising concepts like inclusion have an impact on equality (Alexiadou et al., 2016).
One of the biggest challenges in relation to schools’ work for equal opportunities for students is gender based differences in outcomes. Grade levels among boys are lower than among girls when they leave compulsory schools in Sweden (Skolverket, 2022). These gender based differences have consequences for boys' chances to attend upper secondary school, and ultimately higher education. In the long run this also affects boys' ability to find work that demands a certain level of education which in turn affects their well-being. Other factors beyond gender, such as educational level of the parents and the students’ migration background, also affect the overall grade. However, boys receive lower grades than girls even when considering these background factors (Skolverket, 2022).
From an international perspective there has been an interest in the phenomena of gender differences in educational outcomes for a long time (Salisbury, Rees & Gorard, 1999; Collins, Kenway & McLeod, 2000). However, there has been little consensus about what causes the differences. Previous research has shown that different norms of masculinity constitute limitations for boys. One example is the discussion on how anti-study culture or anti-effort culture affect how boys relate to their studies, which also affects their outcomes (Zimmerman, 2018).
In a Swedish context, equity in education can be described in three strategies: equal access to education, equal quality of education and that education is organized in such manner that all students can succeed in school (SOU 2020:28). The third strategy can be described as the school's assignment to counteract inequalities that arise on the bases of the students' different prerequisites based on socioeconomic, gender and migration background. In Sweden it is the principal's responsibility to ensure that the education is aligned with the goals formulated in the steering documents for Swedish schools (Lgr22; SFS 2010:800; SFS 2008:567). In addition, principals in Sweden are responsible to organize strategically and use resources effectively, while the municipality (school organizer) has an overriding responsibility to organize and allocate resources to different schools based on their different prerequisites. One obligation in this work is to counteract gender differences and tighten the gap between boys' and girls' outcomes. Given this governing structure principals and representatives for the school organizer are key agents in counteracting these gender differences.
The purpose of the study is to explore how principals and representatives for the school organizer in one municipality in Sweden understands and describes the problem of gender differences in educational outcomes. Further, how they work to promote equity. We are guided by the following research questions:
- How is the problem formulated by the interviewees? What are the underlying assumptions in their reasoning?
- What measures and strategies do the informants find necessary to address the problem?
- What potential consequences do the informants' way of thinking and acting have for gender equity?
Our analysis builds on Bacchis WPR-approach (Bacchi, 2012). Since this approach is both a theoretical framework and a methodology it is presented under the section. Methods/Methodology.
Method
The analysis presented here is part of a collaborative project between researchers and a Swedish municipality with the focus on gender based grade differences. Data consists of three focus group interviews with principals (both preschool and compulsory school), one focus group interview with gender- social- and ethnic equality workers at a strategic level, one individual interview with the superintendent and one with the operation manager. The questions focused on the informants´ perception and on how the work with gender based grade differences was conducted in practice, by whom and for what reasons, in order to get accounts of different actors’ experiences and perspectives. The interviews were transcribed ad verbatim and MAXQDA2020 software was used to facilitate the qualitative analysis. A basic assumption of the study is that perceptions of what causes the inequalities in student outcomes influence what measures the principals, or other actors included in the study, take to tighten the gap. The analysis of data was therefore inspired by policy analysis as presented by Carol Bacchi’s (2012, se also 2018) approach that focuses on “the unexamined assumptions and deep-seated conceptual logics within implicit problem representations” (2012 s.22) in relation to the gender based differences, to identify different problem representations of the informants, and to enable an analysis of what possible effects and consequences these might have. In the qualitative analysis, the data were read and reread exploratory. The following analytical questions form the WPR approach were related to the data: Question 1: How are the problems of gender based grade differences represented? Question 2: What are the assumptions and presumptions underlying these representations? Question 3 How has this representation of the ‘problem’ come about? Question 4: What is left unproblematic in this problem representation? Where is the silence? Can the ‘problem’ be thought about differently? Question 5: What are the effects produced by the problem representations described? Question 6: How and where has this representation of the “problem” been produced, disseminated, and defended? How has it been and/or how can it be disrupted and replaced? Step 7: Apply this list of questions to your own problem representations In the data several representations were found. However, in this article the three main representations were chosen in order to illustrate the dominant pattern. Besides being the three largest representations, these were also present among all the informants included in the study.
Expected Outcomes
The municipality formulates a willingness to work towards change. There are three types of representations. Firstly, one problem articulated is that companies find it difficult to recruit staff to male dominated occupations. This representation derives from a socioeconomic viewpoint that highlights the labor market’s need for an educated workforce. Secondly, the interviewees articulate a problem that became visual through their quality assessment work. When comparing student outcomes in relation to other similar municipalities their analysis shows that their scores were lower. One way of improving their scores is to promote the lowest performing group, the boys. This is a rational that can be linked to ideas derived from New Public Management (NPM). Thirdly, articulations also visualize an ethical perspective. They challenge the assumption of an individual perspective on students, and knowledge development in relation to educational goals. Rather, they attribute the gender based differences to societal norms which also affect the students stay in school. Therefore, the society as well as the school have a responsibility to challenge these norms. The measures the municipality imposes are directed toward several areas. One was to contact a university and start a collaborative project focusing on equity. Another example is that the municipality is directing money into several development programs initiated by educators and principals. One of these programs has gender theory and learning in focus. Further, this project engages pre-schools and compulsory schools. Finally, what potential consequences does this way of thinking and acting have for gender equity? Key actors are important for the problem to be raised. However, some of the representatives of the school organizer primarily argue for the sake of lifting the grades from a socioeconomic- or NPM-standpoint. This may hinder efforts to deal with the structural aspects and might hinder the efforts to promote development.
References
Alexiadou, N. et al. (2016) ‘Managing inclusion in competitive school systems: The cases of Sweden and England’, Research in Comparative and International Education, 11(1), pp. 13–33. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/1745499916631065. Bacchi, C. (2012). Introducing the ‘What’s the Problem Represented to be?’ approach. In Bletsas A. & Beasley C. (Eds.), Engaging with Carol Bacchi: Strategic Interventions and Exchanges (pp. 21-24). South Australia: University of Adelaide Press. Bacchi, C. (2018) ‘Drug Problematizations and Politics: Deploying a Poststructural Analytic Strategy’, Contemporary Drug Problems, 45(1), pp. 3–14. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/0091450917748760. Collins, C., Kenway, J. and McLeod, J. (2000) ‘Factors Influencing the Educational Performance of Males and Females in School and their Initial Destinations after Leaving School’. Heck, H.R. and Hallinger, P. (2014) ‘Modeling the longitudinal effects of school leadership on teaching and learning’, Journal of Educational Administration. Edited by P.F.R. and D.E.K. Professor Tobias Feldhoff, 52(5), pp. 653–681. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-08-2013-0097. Leithwood, K. (2021) ‘A Review of Evidence about Equitable School Leadership’, Education Sciences, 11(8), p. 377. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11080377. Leithwood, K., Harris, A. and Hopkins, D. (2020) ‘Seven strong claims about successful school leadership revisited’, School Leadership & Management, 40(1), pp. 5–22. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/13632434.2019.1596077. Lgr22 (2022) Läroplan för grundskolan, förskoleklassen och fritidshemmet. https://www.skolverket.se/publikationer?id=9718 [Hämtad: 6 september 2022]. Schrik, P. and Wasonga, T.A. (2019) ‘The Role of a School Leader in Academic Outcomes: Between Self-efficacy and Outcome Expectations’, ATHENS JOURNAL OF EDUCATION, 6(4), pp. 291–306. Available at: https://doi.org/10.30958/aje.6-4-3. Salisbury, J., Rees, G. and Gorard, S. (1999) ‘Accounting for the Differential Attainment of Boys and Girls at School’, School Leadership & Management, 19(4), pp. 403–426. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/13632439968943. Skolverket (2022) ‘Statistik’. Skolverket. https://www.skolverket.se/skolutveckling/statistik [Hämtad: 4 oktober 2022]. SFS. 2008. Svensk författningssamling, [Swedish Codes of Statutes], Diskrimineringslag [The Discrimination Act], 2008:567. Stockholm: Fritzes. SFS. 2010. Svensk författningssamling [Swedish Codes of Statutes], Skollagen [The School Law], 2010:800. Stockholm: Fritzes SOU 2020:28 En mer likvärdig skola – minskad skolsegregation och förbättrad resurstilldelning [A more equitable school – reduced school segregation and improved resources], Stockholm: Fritzes. Zimmerman, F. (2018). Det tillåtande och det begränsande: en studie om pojkars syn på studier och ungdomars normer kring maskulinitet [The allowing and the limiting – A study about boy’s view on studying and youth’s norms of masculinity]. Göteborg: Acta Universitatis Gothoburgensis.
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