Interrelations between teachers’ perceptions of school leadership group practices and collaborative school development in Finland

Abstract

This study contributes to research on collective forms of leadership by exploring the interrelations between Finnish comprehensive schoolteachers’ perceptions of school leadership group's leadership practices and collaborative school development. The study was conducted in small and middle size municipalities ( N = 16) in Southern Finland. The results from a survey data ( N = 1030) showed that teachers who perceived their school's leadership group as acting coherently in line with shared values, also considered that there are clear goals for school development and practices for assessing the attainment of those goals. Teachers’ perceptions of participative leadership group practices were positively associated with perceiving a conversational environment and students’ engagement in school development work. Teachers having experience of working in the leadership group showed a stronger sense of shared responsibility for school development compared to teachers with no such experience. Overall, the study highlights the role of coherent and participative leadership practices of school leadership groups. Thus, school principals need to be trained and supported in organizing their leadership structures to enhance collaborative efforts of school development. As one of the first quantitative studies focusing on leadership groups, this article offers instruments for future research and informs policy about school leadership structures.