Female Managers' Perceptions of Their Role in Greek Secondary Education

Abstract

This study set sights on the perceptions that female principals hold, about their administrative role in Greek secondary education. The administration of education has been analysed from a male perspective and has been enriched with elements that come from the experience of men. As Acker (1995) points out, there has not been much discussion about issues that concern the gender - role of managers, and, in particular, the experience of women in managerial positions of schools, in terms of power relations at school, the requirements of their role, the prospects for their career development and, above all, the obstacles they confront (compliance or resistance to standards), their professional values, their view on the formulation of management theories. There is a gap, of female subjectivity in this role. Moreover, there is an implicit assumption, that male experience is the norm in school administration. Greek scientific research, while it has dealt with issues of administration and education, it has not dealt with thoroughly at theoretical and research base with women as subjects and their place in administration of schools and particularly of secondary schools. Taking under consideration that the perception of the administrative role by the directors of schools, holds a significant meaning in the configuration of their administrative behaviour and noting that issues related to gender relationship have not been much discussed, the aim of this study is to assess and evaluate those factors and conditions that are involved in the female, administrative, school reality of high school. The survey is divided into two parts. The first part is presented through the review of literature, the dominant theories about school management, feminist approaches to administration in education, managerial behavior of women, with an emphasis on quantitative data of their participation, in the case of the 3rd district of Athens, during the period 2016-2017. The second part includes the presentation of the research, with reference to the methodology followed, until the production of the final text. The survey was based on the qualitative method, using personal interviews with women who were already directors. The survey proved that the women in question, perceived their role as either administrative either as coordinating or supporting, towards pupils and teachers at the school unit. Moreover, they use a more democratic, participatory, administrative style, interpersonally oriented, contributing to educational administration with “feminine values and practices”.