Gender equality is a part of the implementation of Agenda 2030. The assignments in schools for gender equality are extensive, in laws and in curricula.   

In Sweden, The School Act links the gender equality mission to human rights and democracy. Curricula formulate responsibility for active work to counteract traditional gender patterns. Curriculum changes 2022 also reinforce the gender equality mission in school, with writings on sexuality, consent, violence and oppression. Employees are expected to actively work for equality. The principal is ultimately responsible for this work. Principals are also expected to work for equality from an employee perspective, with the support of the Work Environment Act and the Discrimination Act.  

 The Swedish Schools Inspectorates inspection of elementary schools show that, in general, school staff works more reactive than proactive with changing limiting norms (such as gender stereotyped, sexualized language, and gender-related vulnerability). A systematic way of working with gender equality is missing (Skolinspektionen, 2020). New parts in the introducing parts of curriculum for elementary school (from fall 2022) integrates gender equality even more, addressing how schools can work with gender issues from several different perspectives (gender stereotypes, violence, safety) –according to Swedish National Agency for Education. There seems to be a lack of systematic, preventive gender equality work (Skolinspektionen, 2020). An earlier study on principals at Umeå University also shows that gender equality work is a challenge for many (Kolam, 2014). Some explanations given are that it is difficult, there is a lack of time and that the principals do not ask for results from equality work.   

During several years of work with principals attending the national school leadership training program in Sweden, principals' experiences of a difficult assignment emerge.   
 

One starting point is that in organisations, gender is intertwined with other processes like divisions, symbols, interaction and internal identity work (Acker, 1992). This means that the ‘doing gender perspective’ with the understanding that gender is created and the meaning of gender is formed through different relational activities in an organisation, is used (Acker, 1992; Gunnarsson et al, 2003; West & Zimmerman, 1987). 

Gender is seen as something that is constituted through interactions (West & Zimmerman 2009). It is an ongoing activity in everyday interaction. This perspective helps to not only see individuals, but also put attention to interactional and institutional arenas, and open up possibilities for change (ibid).  

An example of a lack of understanding of unreflected assumptions based on gender (Martin, 2003) is given in a research project that aimed to explore new approaches in the classroom with gender equality in focus (Berge & Ve 2000). Teachers at an elementary school engaged in exploring new ways to pedagogically challenge stereotypical assumptions about gender in the classsroom. One important outcome, was how the participating teachers themselves behaved in a way that sorted the pupils influenced by gender. One conclusion was that the design of the research should have included learning and reflections also among the teachers (ibid).  
   

The aim of the paper is to explore principals narratives about leading schools for gender equality, both what kind of leadership is needed and how the engagement varies and why. 

The results is to also inform a future action research project. In projects using Action oriented gender research, where the doing gender-perspective is combined with learning theory from action research, there has been different research projects about the concept ”Gender aware leadership” (Amundsdotter & Andersson, 2018; Argyris & Schön, 1974; Andersson & Amundsdotter 2012; Andersson et al, 2009). Some results indicates a potential to work with new inclusive practices is in the hands of middle managers.

The empiri for the first study has been collected with 120 principals attending the national school leadership training program in Stockholm, Sweden.   First study was done through a three-step interaction. This included individual writings, work in groups and reflections of participating school leaders. The theme was what a gender aware school leader can be, and what they have done and thoughts about their leadership.   Second study will be done with a total of 100 principals from another group at the program, also attending the program. The aim is to explore, with an interactive approach, whether it is difficult to lead for gender equality and how it can show in the participating principals leadership. This study will also use writings, interactions between principals and a common process in the group. The group is divided in half, so 50 principals each time. The empiri from both studies will be categorized into themes. Notes will be taken from the joint knowledge processes in the groups. These two studies will inform the third step; which is an action oriented gender research with a group of principals. The aim is to work with developing practices for leading schools for gender equality.     Research projects at universities about gender and leadership, show a similar result as the earlier mentioned project at the secondary school (Berge & Ve, 2000). Male researchers and teachers were given advantages in an unaware way (Amundsdotter et al. 2018). Through learning processes, exploring your context with different kinds of observations, and common reflection processes in the group of leaders and managers, a series of events became apparent, where assumptions and expectations of women and men showed different conditions and different possibilities. Through the joint learning processes in the group of participating leaders and the researchers, new knowledge and new ways of acting emerged, which led to new action patterns and through that new norms – assumptions and values – could develop (ibid.)   There are challenges, working with gender awareness and new practices: gender is done often without awareness and reflection (Martin, 2003). This needs to be addressed in the design for the action research project.    The action research project with principals will use a similar design.

In previous projects working with common reflection processes in groups of leaders and managers, assumptions and expectations of women and men showed different conditions and different possibilities (Andersson & Amundsdotter, 2012). Through the joint learning processes between the participating leaders and the researchers, new knowledge and new ways of acting emerge, which can lead to new action patterns and, through that, new norms, assumptions and values. In this study, we expect varied results: Some leaders will express disinterest, while some will want to learn more. Others will already be engaged with issues in an initiated way and will have seen what impact it may have on the school’s work. Questions and comments on how to work with gender issues in single-sex environments with many women will probably arise, which can give important knowledge about how to take perspectives on gender equality in organisations dominated by one sex. Narratives about how gender equality mission and work can be opted out, will give important knowledge about leadership in schools and pre-schools. How come that the work become more reactive than pro-active? The results will inform further research, and also how the national training program can develop to support skills for leading for gender equality.

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