Structure, agency and change: early careers of novice principals in Sweden

Figures & data

Figure 1. Illustration of analyses related to the theoretical underpinning of the three strata.

Table 1. Display of the theoretical frame.

Temporal component: (iterative/reflexive); (practical/evaluative); (projective).

Table 2. Structures experienced as enabling and constraining.

Phase

Structures

Enteringprincipalshipand Establishing -phase Applying for, taking on, establishing, withholding, and developing a principal practice. Establish a (possibly) sustainable principal practice.

Enabling structures: -Gaining a post as a principal -Mandatory qualifying education (NPTP) -Stable appointments and supportive structures promoting the municipal/independent level -Eventual situated professional support (independent schools) -Personal individual support (outside of work) -Strong societal discourse of professional and individual(personal) character Lack of structures (constraining): -No formal pathway to principalship -Lack of support structures in the principalship -Ad hoc recruitment processes -Ad hoc appointments -Forced to fill gaps -Overall level avoiding creating situated support structures -Lack of societal social/locally situated discourse

Table 3. Pathway as novice principal, the first years of duty (until last semester in the NPTP).

Head of school	Principal	Type of Principalship and movements between assignments and schools as novice principal. Each school is marked with a letter: (a), (b), etc.
I	Sarah	*Principal 7–9 (a) → 4–9 (a)
M	Henrik	Assistant Principal F–9 (a) → Deputy Principal F–9 (a) → Principal F–9 (a)
M	Jasmine	Principal F–5 (a) → Principal F–3 and EduCare (a)
M	Maria	Principal 1–6 and EduCare (a)
M	Sofia	Deputy Principal (a) → Principal F–3 and EduCare (b)
M	Peter	**Assistant Principal (a) → Deputy Principal (a) → LEA developer → Assistant Principal (b) → Principal F–6 and EduCare: 2 separate schools (c+d)
M	Angelica	Deputy Principal F–5 and EduCare (a) → Deputy Principal (a+b) → Principal (b) → Principal (a+b+c)
M	Lisa	Assistant principal 7–9 (a) → Principal F–6: 2 separate schools (b+c) → Getting a 3:d school (d) → Principal F–9 and EduCare (e)
M	Helena	*Deputy principal F–6 (a) → Principal F–3: 2 separate schools and EduCare (b + c)
I	Jessica	*Assistant principal F–9 (a) → Principal F–9 and EduCare (a)
M	Mattias	Recruited Principal F–3 (a) → Principal 4–9 (b)
M	Camilla	Assistant principal 7–9 (a) → Deputy principal (a) → Principal 4–6 (b)
M	Ulrica	Assistant principal F–9 (a) → Deputy Principal F–9 (a) → Principal F–6 and EduCare (b)
M	Ellen	Principal F–5: 2 separate schools (a + b) → Principal F–5 (a) → Principal F–3 and EduCare (b)

*At ‘home-school’ (i.e. a school where they formerly worked as a teacher).

**This principal has extraordinary solid experience of school leadership before entry into NPTP (linking to school b) in comparison with others.

→ : Movement.

M: Municipal school head.

I: Independent school head.

Table 4. Educational sector as marketplace and the principal as wear-and-tear item.

Societal/educational level	Structure	Project	Agency/stance
Local School	Premises (place of business)	Use of premises (school) and items (principals)	PrincipalBeing merchandised a) Advertise oneself at a cost. b) Being moved and sorted as an item.
Head of school/School organiser/Municipality	Warehousing Buy and sell rates	Merchandise and warehousing	Superintendent Buying and selling Retailing
Nation	Discourses of market orientation in public sector Re-centralization	Producing laws and regulations Influencing societal/political discourse	Government and authorities Bettering the quality of products (principals) through education Regulating the market in terms of products

Table 5. Links between principals and educational societal structures.

Structural power and properties of:	Agentic action of	Agentic power (shaping a project)	Reflexivity (thinking, deliberation, taking action)Stance	Resulting reproduction of structure	Resulting social change
School	Principal	Shaping a personal professional project as principal in any context.	Go with the flow or being subversive in favour of the personal or professional concerns.	Reproducing a market oriented discourse of individual adaption to supply and demand.	Principals’ constant moving around between appointments and responsibilities.
Local school authorities	Municipal superintendent or independent school’s board or the like	Put the puzzle of the municipal (or independent) organisation all together.	Strategic in favour of the municipal (or independent) level perspective. Taking a stance of municipal (or independent) centralisation.	Reproducing a re-centralised structure in which principals at local schools need to adapt to needs of the overarching levels.	Local school context are not anyone’s primary focus. Principals are becoming a sort of merchandise.
The national educational system	Government, Minister of education, Parliament and national school authorities	Making the national principal training programme mandatory.	A stance of strategic re-centralisation of the state.	Reproducing state re-centralisation.	Professional discourse is in focus.