Swedish Principals’ Understanding of the Concept: Education Based on Research and Proven Experience

Abstract

This study aims generate new knowledge concerning how principals in primary and secondaryeducation in Sweden conceive of and experience the concepts of ‘research basis’ and ‘provenexperience’. The study included in-depth interviews with eight principals. The interviews wereanalysed, and the results are theoretically founded in the phenomenographic life-world.The results indicate that Swedish principals in primary and secondary schools are poorlyprepared for managing schools where the education must be based on research and provenexperience. The principals have no education in this area, nor do they have any co-workerswho can take the responsibility to implement and/or generate research-based knowledge. Aninteresting question is: Does education require a specific research concept that differs fromthe academies definition?