Abstract
This book investigates education leadership policies and practices in five European countries, including Southeast European post-socialist Croatia and Slovenia, Baltic state Lithuania, and other small European countries like Denmark and Norway. This book contains 12 chapters with detailed information and two parts (i.e. country reports and thematic chapters). The first chapter provides an overview of educational leadership discourse and systems in Europe, focusing on critical policies and practices in Croatia, Slovenia, Lithuania, Denmark, and Norway. Next, the authors compare educational leadership discourses and institutions in diverse political contexts worldwide. Due to global pressures influencing traditional institutions and discourses, local educational leadership policies shift. In addition, two methods to establish educational leadership discourse and systems must be examined when studying and discussing educational leadership.
This book starts with part 1, which consists of chapters 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, and discusses “country reports.” As demonstrated by the national drive for educational leaders’ accreditation and the “reform” diaspora, institutional and leader autonomy are lessened. The authors also use economic research to expose the inefficiency of Croatian education. This part outlines the educational system in Croatia since the 1990s. It promotes worldwide and professional organizations’ academic quality trends.
Additionally, this part analyzes the evolution of Slovenia's educational system over the decades. After independence, Lithuania's educational system underwent significant changes. It highlights significant accomplishments in education policy in light of Lithuania's particular circumstances. Lithuania's new republic began developing its educational system from a sociocultural perspective. After 30 years, the economic model eventually triumphed over the sociocultural educational paradigm in Lithuania. They reached Educational Objectives using a Welfare State Discourse. It examines Norwegian schooling beginning in the early 1980s. Since 2001's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) test placed Norway in the OECD's middle, efforts to improve students’ literacy, arithmetic, and scientific skills have been undertaken. School leadership positions have been altered by contemporary institutional theory. Since the 2001 PISA study, reading, math, and science have improved a national quality assurance system. In 2006, the Norwegian Education and Training Directorate oversaw the implementation of a curriculum modification dubbed “Knowledge Promotion”.
Part 2 contains thematic chapters 7–12. The part covers worldwide benchmarking in education policy and practice. It aids in analyzing educational outcomes, identifying strengths and weaknesses, and promoting best practices in school growth. Despite criticism, PISA rankings drive educational institutions and stakeholders. The part also looks at the issues that European education faces. It covers the Digital Maturity Framework, strategic planning, and digital transformation. Strong leadership, strategic planning, and decision-making are necessary for digital transformation education. The impact of the digital revolution on education is examined. Leadership is required for both information culture and digital culture. All essential leadership jobs are monitoring, directing, developing, innovating, brokering, facilitating, and mentoring. It also discusses leadership and governance measures that aid in integration. Critical success elements for inclusive education in Croatia, Italy, and Portugal are discussed. A grounded theory approach was used to identify “Critical Success Factors for Inclusive Education”. Finally, national policymakers’ vision and leadership in achieving universal education and promoting institutional collaboration are reviewed. Governments must have vision and leadership to achieve accessibility as a national goal. However, school leadership has an indirect effect on teachers and other stakeholders.
The part also evaluates critical European school leadership discourses from the last three decades. It portrayed the principal as an independent and accountable manager, demonstrating a shift in the public image of school administration. The Improving School Leadership program and related issues are examined closely after national agents’ engagement in traveling leadership and management discourses. School leadership is embedded in institutional principles, ideas, and standards. It addresses autonomy and autocracy before analyzing power distribution and decision making in government to determine if decisions should be taken at the national, regional, local, or institutional levels. Finally, the part examines how historical events affect international relations and the creation of transnational alliances or unions. New public management decision-making techniques were also offered.
This book examines educational leadership, its challenges, and its potential from European discourse and systems perspective. It applies to general education leadership and provides a lens for individuals unfamiliar with the European educational leadership system or interested in learning more and doing comparative study. The analytical strategy of grouping concepts from broad to specific is beneficial for individuals seeking more general viewpoints. While the issues in each chapter may seem redundant to those seeking a more comprehensive understanding of educational leadership in Europe, they are likely to reinforce a deeper awareness of the issue. Finally, this book is recommended for students, professors, teachers, and educational leaders.
Footnotes
Correction (November 2022):
This article has been updated with author names.