The World School Leadership Study (WSLS) has three aims. First, it aims to gain empirical insights into compulsory education school leaders’ leadership work and their professional health in around 40 countries. Second, based on the national data gathered in each country, comparative analysis will be conducted to identify similarities and differences across countries. Third, the WSLS aims to generate knowledge which can support policy formulation and implementation for the professionalization of school leaders and their work environment. Hence, this study contributes to the knowledge base of different human resource management aspects, e.g. attracting, recruiting, training and developing school leaders. The WSLS also has implications for institutions to provide professional support infrastructures for school leaders. The data will be analyzed and reported nationally with an ideographical perspective and internationally with a comparative perspective. The WSLS draws on several strands of literature originated in different positions in the field of educational leadership. This is necessary to understand the challenges of leadership related to shifting policy contexts and governing regimes where perspectives on leadership roles and core practices may differ over time and across countries.

The WSLS intends to answer the following research questions:

1. What are school leaders´ roles and functions? 
2. How do school leaders’ work settings and conditions look like and how are they experienced by school leaders? 
3. How do school leaders practice their leadership, what are preferences and strains, how do they experience their competences as to professional challenges? 
4. What programs exist for preparation of school leaders?
5. What programs exist for introduction of newly appointed school leaders and what programs exist for established and experienced school leaders in the different countries?
6. Which are the particularities and challenges of these programs?

Corresponding to the above research questions, particular research design, methods and instruments are designed to support the researchers from the participating countries to collect data. The aim of the symposium is to develop the research design and methodology further as well as examining theoretical models which will be used as frameworks for the project. A further aim is to provide insights into educational systems, role of school leadership and state of research on school leadership from different continents and stimulate discussion with the international audience.

 Data for the WSLS will be collected using a mixed-methods approach. The mandatory part of the study comprises a country report (document analysis and expert interviews) and an online survey. The optional part of the study includes an end-of-day log and in-depth follow-up interviews. Each contribution presents findings but also some critical key questions about the profession of school leadership. First results will be presented based on the findings of the country reports from various countries including Sweden, Ireland, Iceland, Spain, Australia, Kenya, India, and Russia

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