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  • 151.
    Kolam, Kerstin
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science.
    Jämställdhet - en utmaning för rektor och förskolechef2014In: Ledarskap i centrum: Om rektor och förskolechef / [ed] Monika Törnsén & Helene Ärlestig, Malmö: Gleerups Utbildning AB, 2014, p. 113-130Chapter in book (Refereed)
  • 152.
    Kolam, Kerstin
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    Rektor, förskolechef och media2016In: Skoljuridik / [ed] Viola Boström och Kjell Lundmark, Stockholm: Liber, 2016, 4, p. 395-406Chapter in book (Other academic)
  • 153.
    Kolam, Kerstin
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science.
    Tidsbrist och okunskap står i vägen för jämställdhet2015In: Chef & Ledarskap, ISSN 1653-5340, no 1, p. 33-35Article in journal (Other (popular science, discussion, etc.))
  • 154.
    Lapointe, Claire
    et al.
    Laval University.
    Langlois, Lyse
    Laval University.
    Valois, Pierre
    Laval University.
    Aksu, Mualla
    Akdeniz University.
    Arar, Khalid
    The College for Academic Studies.
    Bezzina, Christopher
    University of Malta.
    Johansson, Olof
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    Norberg, Katarina
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    Oplatka, Izhar
    Tel Aviv University.
    An International Cross-Cultural Validation of the Ethical Leadership Questionnaire (ELQ)2016In: International Studies in Educational Administration, ISSN 1324-1702, E-ISSN 1839-2768, Vol. 44, no 2, p. 55-76Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Abstract: By investigating the ethical perspectives of school principals in five different countries and verifying the cultural invariance of the Ethical Leadership Questionnaire (ELQ), this paper addresses the need to develop cross-cultural research instruments to better understand the work of school leaders in different contexts. In order to verify the invariance of the ELQ according to culture, school leaders from Canada (n=668), Israel (n=117), Malta (n=130), Sweden (n=260), and Turkey (n=460) completed the ELQ. A measurement invariance analysis was then conducted using the multiple indicators multiple causes (MIMIC) approach, followed by a verification of item translation and equivalence of meaning. Invariance analyses demonstrated some differences in factor loadings (i.e. the regression coefficients indicating the strength of the relation between the items and the constructs they are assumed to measure). Results showed that the ELQ was culturally invariant, and that only one item out of 23 needed to be modified.

  • 155.
    Larsson, Magnus
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    Effekter av miljöövervakning och användning av miljöövervakningsdata2020Report (Other academic)
    Abstract [sv]

    Denna rapport ämnar att ge en inledande beskrivning om hur miljöövervakningen och miljödata är tänkt att komma till användning för olika aktörer samt om och i så fall hur den faktiskt kommer till användning för dessa aktörer. Miljöövervakning är en omfattande verksamhet som har bäring på nationell, regional och lokal nivå. Utvärderingens begränsade omfattning innebär att endast nedslag i några områden av den svenska miljöövervakningen kommer att göras.

    Rapportens slutsats är att kunskapen om miljötillståndet skulle vara mindre och miljöarbete som initierats utifrån miljödata skulle troligen inte komma till stånd eller initieras senare om det inte fanns ett miljöövervakningssystem som tillhandahåller aktuell miljödata. Åtgärder och beslut på nationell, regional och lokal nivås skulle baseras på sämre underlag.

    Vidare skulle det vara svårare för lokala aktörer att utföra sin miljöövervakning om inte nationell miljöövervakning fanns på plats eftersom den nationella miljöövervakningen ger en vägledning och kan hjälpa till att prioritera i det lokala arbetet med miljöövervakning. Detta gäller såväl stora som små kommuner.

    Avslutningsvis så finns det också en möjlighet att kostnaden skulle bli högre i slutändan eftersom små studier skulle behövas genomföras vid varje enskilt behov av kunskap vilket skulle kunna innebära större kostnaden än om ett miljöövervakningssystem finns på plats.

    Rapporten pekar också ut ett antal områden som behöver studeras ytterligare.

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  • 156.
    Larsson, Magnus
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science.
    Rektor, profession och autonomi2021In: Att jobba som rektor: om rektorer som professionella yrkesutövare / [ed] Björn Ahlström; Gunnar Berg; Marcia Håkansson Lindqvist; Frank Sundh, Lund: Studentlitteratur AB, 2021, 1, p. 57-66Chapter in book (Other academic)
  • 157.
    Larsson, Magnus
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    Using environmental evaluation systems and their contribution to sustainable development2021In: Evaluation, ISSN 1356-3890, E-ISSN 1461-7153, Vol. 27, no 4, p. 453-472Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Drawing on previous research into evaluation use and sustainable development, this article investigates to what extent and how a national evaluation system can advance sustainable development. The data comprise interviews with key actors, observations at seminars where evaluations were discussed, and analysis of evaluation reports. The actors were divided into three categories (i.e. central, proximal, and peripheral) to indicate their closeness to the national policy cycle. The results indicate that the evaluations were used mainly by central and proximal actors, primarily because the evaluation knowledge met most of their knowledge needs, and very little used by peripheral actors, such as environmental and business organizations. The evaluation system’s main influence was to consolidate environmental work and provide guidance on the environmental dimension of sustainable development at the national level. The evaluation system also served as a recurring reminder for stakeholders about the national objectives, their achievement, and everyone’s responsibility for their implementation.

  • 158.
    Larsson, Magnus
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    Ahlström, Björn
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science.
    Rantala, Anna
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science.
    Leo, Ulf
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    Poromaa Isling, Pär
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    Mapping controversial issues among Swedish principals2023Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Controversial issues (CI) are a recurring part of everyday life in schools’, inside and outside the classroom. How principals understand and manage these issues are therefore an interesting topic of inquiry. In this paper we set out to examine, from the theoretical standpoint of agency, principals understanding of what a CI is and how they can and cannot be managed. CI has been a recurring topic in the educational literature for the last four decades (Hand & Levinson 2012; Anders & Shudak 2016) and in a globalised world characterized by polarisation and mediatisation the need for schools to handle CI has potentially become increasingly salient (Larsson & Lindström 2020). However, what is perceived as a controversial issue differs between contexts and can change rapidly. In order to analyse how principals manage CI we build on Emirbayer and Miche’s (1998, p. 953) conceptualisation of agency. They argue that agency should be seen as ‘temporally embedded process of social engagement’ informed by and directed towards the past, future, and present.

    The primary focus in the literature concerning CI is teachers and teaching situations. This paper takes another point of departure focusing on principals’ and how they understand and manage CI. Even though CI are present outside formal teaching situations at the school, research on principals’ understandings and management of CI are scarce or lacking. In addition, international educational policy discussions have underscored the importance that principals manage and develop strategies in relation to CI. The aim of this paper is to explore how principals understand and manage CI.

    To be able to investigate how principals understand and manage CI a definition, sensitive to principals’ practice, must be put forward. Since this is lacking in the literature the first step is to provide a conceptualization of CI, based on the ongoing scientific debate, but from a principal’s perspective. The empirical part is made up of interviews with 29 principals in the Swedish education system, who are asked about what CI they are confronted with and how they manage these issues.

    The analysis was conducted in two steps. First, the CI articulated by the principals were thematically organized to provide an overview of what CI are prevalent. Second, the principals’ description of how they managed CI was analysed through the lens of Emirbayer and Misches (1998) depiction of agency. Preliminary results show that themes concerning segregation, racism, hbtqi and religion are recurring. In addition, how principals relate to and understand their past, future, and present with regards to the CI at hand have consequences for how they manage the CI.

    Anders, P. & Shudak, N. (2016) Criteria for Controversy: A Theoretic Approach. Thresholds in Education, 39(1), 20–30.

    Emirbayer, M. & Mische, A. (1998) What is agency? American journal of Sociology, 103, 962-1023.

    Hand, M. & Levinson, R. (2012) Discussing controversial issues in the classroom. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 44(6), 614-629.

    Larsson, A. & Lindström, N. (2020) Controversial societal issues in education: Explorations of moral, critical and didactical implications. Acta Didactica Norden, 14(4), 1-6.

  • 159.
    Larsson, Magnus
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    Rantala, Anna
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science.
    Leo, Ulf
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    Ahlström, Björn
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    Poromaa Isling, Pär
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    Controversial issues for principals in Sweden: an exploratory approach2023In: ECER 2023 Programme, 2023Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Controversial issues (CI) are a part of everyday life in schools’, inside and outside the classroom. How principals understand and manage these issues are therefore an interesting topic of inquiry. In this paper we set out to examine, from the theoretical standpoint of agency, principals understanding of what a CI is and how they can and cannot be managed. CIs has been a recurring topic in the educational literature for the last four decades (Hand & Levinson 2012; Anders & Shudak 2016) and in a globalised world characterized by polarisation and mediatisation the need for schools to handle CI has potentially become increasingly salient (Larsson & Lindström 2020). However, what is perceived as a controversial issue differs between contexts and can change rapidly.

    The primary focus in the literature concerning CIs is teachers and teaching situations. This paper takes another point of departure focusing on principals and how they understand and manage CIs. Even though CIs are present outside formal teaching situations at the school, research on principals’ understandings and management of CIs are scarce and seldomly explicitly addressed. In addition, international educational policy discussions have underscored the importance that principals (not just teachers) manage and develop strategies in relation to CIs (Council of Europe, 2017). The aim of this paper is to explore how principals understand and manage CIs, more specifically the following research questions are applied:

    What do school leaders understand as controversial issues in the Swedish education system?How and why do school leaders manage controversial issues in the Swedish education system?To categorize and analyse what principals understand as CIs (RQ1) the literature on what constitutes a CI is invoked. There is an ongoing debate on what criteria should be applied to deem something a CI (cf. Anders and Shudak, 2012). This debate differentiates between behavioural, political, epistemic, social, and theoretical criteria for defining an issue as controversial. However, this debate is primarily grounded in the question what teachers should (and should not) teach as a controversial issue which means that several of the criteria are unapplicable in principals professional practice. Based on the literature and the specific professional practice of principals’ we apply the following definition: a controversial issue is any issue that creates opposition or disputes at an organisational or societal level in schools and pre-schools.

    In order to analyse how principals manage CIs (RQ2) we build on Emirbayer and Miche’s (1998) conceptualisation of agency as well as Eteläpelto et al (2013) conceptualisation of professional agency. Emirbayer and Miche’s (1998, p. 953) argue that agency should be seen as ‘temporally embedded process of social engagement’ informed by and directed towards the past, future, and present. This is complemented by Eteläpelto et al’s (2013) understanding of professional agency, which is dependent on professional knowledge and competencies as well as specific conditions of the workplace. Taken together, we understand professional agency as a dynamic concept rooted in temporal dimensions that emerges in relation to socio-cultural conditions of the workplace and professional identity, knowledge, and experience.

    Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources Used: The empirical part of the study is made up of 29 interviews with principals in Sweden. In the selection process we elected a heterogenous sample aiming for maximal variation among the principals (Ritchie & Lewis, 2013). This process started with identifying central categories of principals to make sure that the sample would include principals in different contexts and with different prerequisites. This, in turn, allows our mapping of principals’ understanding of controversial issues to include several different points of view. The categories used in the selection process was: including both men and women (gender); principals working in schools from different education stages (education stage): whether the school was placed in a central or rural setting (city-countryside) and whether the principal was experienced or novel (professional experience).

    Since the research on principals understanding of CIs is limited, we elected an exploratory approach to make sure that we did not steer the principals’ understandings of what a CI is for a principal. However, to provide some sort of guidance we presented the respondents with the following generic definition of a CI in the beginning of all interviews: by controversial issues we mean issues that arouse strong feelings and/or divide opinion in schools, communities, and society. After the respondents was asked to give a brief professional background, the respondents were invited to bring up the most pressing controversial issue in their role as a principal. To each controversial issue a set of follow up questions were asked including: “why is this a controversial issue; who are involved; who are affected; how do you manage this issue?”. After the respondent had brought up their most pressing CIs questions intended to help to broaden the respondents’ perspective was applied. These questions entailed aspects such as: previously encountered controversial issues; controversial issues regarding teaching situations, norms and values, or connected to the larger society or the immediate community.

    To answer the first research question the answers from the respondents were categorised thematically. First, any issues brought up by the respondents that fell outside our broad definition of CI were sifted out. After that the controversial issues were thematically organised into specific topics (religion, sustainability, racism, LGBTQI etc) and types of controversial issue (social, political, behavioural etc.). To answer the second research question the respondents answers to how they handle and manage controversial issues were analysed through the concept of professional agency as depicted above.

    Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or Findings: Preliminary results concerning the first research question show that themes concerning segregation, racism, LGBTQI and religion are recurring examples the principals give of CIs. Apparent difference can be found between the different categories of principals. For example, pre-school principals deal with CIs concerning the relation with parents claims to a larger extent than other principals. In addition, several issues brought up by the principals are not deemed controversial given the definition applied in this paper. The most salient of these issues are interpersonal issues between principals and teachers or other school staff. When these issues are not clearly connected to an organizational and/or a societal level they were not deemed a controversial issue.

    Preliminary results concerning the second research questions show that how principals relate to and understand social-temporal aspects of their professional work influences how they perceive the CI at hand and have consequences for how they manage the CI. For example, how the principal understands racial tensions at his or her school influences whether s/he manages the issue proactively or simply deals with the issue as it flares up. Even though this paper is a first step in mapping and understanding CIs for principals more research is needed to provide a better understanding of how principals understand and manages controversial issues.

    References: 

    Anders, P. & Shudak. (2016) Criteria for Controversy: A Theoretic Approach. Thresholds in Education, 39(1), 20–30.

    Council of Europe (2017) Managing controversy – Developing a strategy for handling controversy and teaching controversial issues in schools. A self-reflection toll for school leaders and senior managers.

    Emirbayer, M. & Mische, A. (1998) What is agency? American journal of Sociology, 103, 962-1023.

    Eteläpelto, A., Vähäsantanen, K., Hökkä, P. and Susanna Paloniemi, S. (2013) What is agency? Conceptualizing professional agency at work, Educational Research Review, 10, 45-65.

    Hand, M. & Levinson, R. (2012) Discussing controversial issues in the classroom. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 44(6), 614-629.

    Larsson, A. & Lindström, N. (2020) Controversial societal issues in education: Explorations of moral, critical and didactical implications. Acta Didactica Norden, 14(4), 1-6.

    Ritchie, J., Lewis, J., McNaughton Nicholls, C. and Ormston, R. (2013) Qualitative Research Practice: A Guide for Social Science Students and Researchers. SAGE.

  • 160.
    Larsson, Magnus
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science.
    Rantala, AnnaUmeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science.Ärlestig, HeleneUmeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science.
    Rektors förmågor i centrum: att omsätta kunskap till handling2024Collection (editor) (Other academic)
  • 161.
    Leffler, Eva
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Education.
    Hörnqvist, Maj-Lis
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    Entreprenöriellt förhållningssätt i skolan: möjligheter och utmaningar för skolledare2014In: Ledarskap i centrum: om rektor och förskolechef / [ed] Monika Törnsén & Helene Ärlestig, Malmö: Gleerups Utbildning AB, 2014, p. 131-143Chapter in book (Refereed)
  • 162.
    Leffler, Eva
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Education. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    Näsström, Gunilla
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Education.
    Att medvetandegöra det omedvetna: lärdomar från fältet2021In: Att förbättra skolor med stöd i forskning: exempel, analyser och utmaningar / [ed] Niclas Rönnström, Olof Johansson, Natur och kultur, 2021, p. 451-477Chapter in book (Other academic)
  • 163.
    Leo, Ulf
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science.
    Förväntningar, ansvarighet och tillit som påverkar rektorer och rektorsprofessionen2021In: Att jobba som rektor: om rektorer som professionella yrkesutövare / [ed] Björn Ahlström; Gunnar Berg; Marcia Håkansson Lindqvist; Frank Sundh, Lund: Studentlitteratur AB, 2021, p. 285-296Chapter in book (Refereed)
    Abstract [sv]

    Rektorer känner ofta starka förväntningar på sig, och de har en särskilt komplex omvärld som påverkar deras yrkesroll. Det finns exempelvis starka förväntningar från stat och huvudman om att elevers resultat ska mätas och höjas, personalen vill ha goda arbetsförutsättningar och kontinuerligt stöd, och många vårdnadshavare har krav på specialinsatser för sina barn och en direktkontakt med rektor. Vissa förväntningar upplever rektorer som stimulerande och andra är belastande. En utgångspunkt i detta kapitel är att förväntningar är grundläggande fundament för den interaktion som sker mellan rektorer och andra aktörer, och att förväntningarna påverkar rektorers yrkesutövande. De upplevda förväntningarna spelar en stor roll inom ramen för det professionsattribut som kallas "erkännande av omvärlden" i denna antologi.

    Två andra grundläggande begrepp i kapitlet är ansvarighet och tillit. Förståelsen och tillämpningen av dessa begrepp har stor betydelse för ett annat professionsattribut, rektorers "autonomi". Autonomi är i detta sammanhang starkt knutet till rektorers yrkesmässiga handlingsutrymme där rektorers ansvarighet och relationer som kräver tillit både kan öka och minska rektorers autonomi.

  • 164.
    Leo, Ulf
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    Ledarskapsutveckling genom grupphandledning: om metod, praktik och teori2020In: Perspektiv på handledning för ledare i förskola och skola / [ed] Ulf Leo och Eva Amundsdotter, Malmö: Gleerups Utbildning AB, 2020, 1, p. 63-82Chapter in book (Other academic)
  • 165.
    Leo, Ulf
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    Motstridiga förväntningar på rektor2023In: Etiska perspektiv på skolledares arbete / [ed] Åsa Söderström; Anette Forssten Seiser, Lund: Studentlitteratur AB, 2023, 2, p. 167-181Chapter in book (Other academic)
  • 166.
    Leo, Ulf
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    Normer som styr rektorers arbetssituation: om att hantera förväntningar och sätta gränser2024In: Rektors förmågor i centrum: att omsätta kunskap till handling / [ed] Magnus Larsson; Anna Rantala; Helene Ärlestig, Gleerups Utbildning AB, 2024, p. 65-80Chapter in book (Other academic)
  • 167.
    Leo, Ulf
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    Rättslig reglering och professionella normer som påverkar rektorers ledarskap2016In: Retten i skolen: mellom pedagogikk, juss og politikk / [ed] Kristian Andenæs og Jorunn Møller, Oslo: Universitetsforlaget, 2016, p. 245-259Chapter in book (Refereed)
  • 168.
    Leo, Ulf
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    Adolfsson Nordström, Carina
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science.
    Skolledares föreställningar om en likvärdig skola2024In: Att rekonstruera skolor med stöd i forskning: om vägar till likvärdig utbidning / [ed] Niclas Rönnström; Olof Johansson, Natur och kultur, 2024, 1, p. 51-71Chapter in book (Other academic)
  • 169.
    Leo, Ulf
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    Amundsdotter, EvaStockholms universitet.
    Perspektiv på handledning för ledare i förskola och skola2020Collection (editor) (Other academic)
  • 170.
    Leo, Ulf
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    Persson, Roger
    Arvidsson, Inger
    Håkansson, Carita
    External expectations and well-being, fundamental and forgotten perspectives in school leadership: a study on new leadership roles, trust and accountability2020In: Re-centering the critical potential of Nordic school leadership research / [ed] Lejf Moos, Elisabet Nihlfors, and Jan Merok Paulsen, Cham, Switzerland: Springer, 2020, p. 209-229Chapter in book (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    In this paper, the authors argue that the link between expectations, health and well-being is a fundamental and often forgotten perspective in school leadership. The principals' work situations contain many possibilities that may evoke unclear, or negative outcome expectations, which may trigger the physiological stress response and associated feelings of stress and discomfort. These expectations are companioned with signs of an imbalance between personal resources and the challenges faced, preventing the principals from achieving their full potential for both their own benefit and that of the organization. A contributing factor to the orchestration of the principals' stressful expectations is the introduction of more layers of leadership. This has led to a clash between different forms of accountability; distrust and uncertainty about what mandate, responsibility and accountability the principals have in their schools and, in the process, created a feeling of inadequacy among the principals.

    The study is based on nine group interviews conducted in three cities. It seems like a healthy and well-functioning balance between different external expectations, challenges, resources, trust, control and different forms of accountability are health-promoting factors. Well-being will certainly be an important factor in recruiting new principals in the near future.

  • 171.
    Leo, Ulf
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development. Centrum för skolledarutveckling.
    Rasmusson, Bodil
    Lunds universitet.
    Wickenberg, Per
    Lunds universitet.
    Barns rättigheter i skolmiljö: från internationella initiativ till lokal praktik i skolmiljö2019In: Perspektiv på barnkonventionen: forskning, teori och praktik / [ed] Lina Ponnert, Anna Sonander, Lund: Studentlitteratur AB, 2019, p. 327-359Chapter in book (Other academic)
    Abstract [sv]

    FN:s konvention om barnets rättigheter är en internationell överenskommelse, beslutad 1989, som fått stort inflytande på barnpolitik och lagstiftning i många av världens länder. Vi presenterar här några erfarenheter från ett mångårigt utbildningsprogram om barns rättigheter inom utbildningssektorn, finansierat av Sida och genomfört av Lunds universitet. Författarna har medverkat i programmet som lärare och har genom åren besökt ett 20-tal länder och fått nära inblick i förändringsarbeten på skilda administrativa nivåer i dessa länders skolsystem. Kunskaper om hur implementering kan gå till i andra länder och världsdelar ger perspektiv på utvecklingen i Sverige.

  • 172.
    Leo, Ulf
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    Rasmusson, Bodil
    Child Rights Institute, School of Social Work, Lund University, Sweden.
    Wickenberg, Per
    Child Rights Institute, Sociology of Law Department, Lund University, Sweden.
    Children´s Rights in Schools: from International Initiatives to Local Implementation2019In: International Studies on Enactment of Children´s Rights in Education: 30 researchers from non-western countries / [ed] Wickenberg, Per; Rasmusson, Bodil; Leo, Ulf, Sociology of Law, Lund University , 2019, p. 135-160Chapter in book (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

    The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is a human rights treaty adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1989, which has had a major impact on children’s rights, policies and legislation in many countries around the world. This paper describes longstanding experiences of running a Sida-funded training programme on children’s rights at Lund University. The authors have participated in the programme as teachers, and have, over the years, visited around 20 countries and gained deep insights into change processes at different administrative levels of these countries’ education systems. These experiences from similar projects in other countries and continents help put developments in Sweden into perspective.

    The aim of the present chapter is firstly to gain an understanding of how the CRC can be used to bring about change in schools and in the classroom. The chapter’s secondary aim is to analyse and reflect on, from a norm perspective, how the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) has contributed to bringing about change at different levels of the participating countries’ education systems.

    The chapter consists of five sections. Each one begins by describing the programme’s background, goal and objective. This is followed by a description of the changes implemented in the participating countries since 2003, which are based in three key CRC perspectives: ’Participation’, ’Protection’ and ’Provision’. The third section introduces norm-theory and the importance of norms in change processes, both in an international as well as as a Swedish context. The fourth section deals with change processes from the local to the national level and can be initiated both from the bottom–up as well as top–down. The final discussion addresses how some school problems, seen from a Swedish perspective, could be discussed in terms of changing norms in areas where children and students are able to exert a degree of influence.

    The terms “children”, “pupils” and “students” are used variably throughout the text. The Swedish Education Act adheres to the CRC and defines children as “every human being below the age of eighteen years” (the Swedish Education Act 2010:800, Chap.1 §10). Additionally, the student is also defined as “whomsoever participates in education under this act, with the exception of children attending preschool” (the Swedish Education Act 2010:800, Chap.1 §10).

  • 173.
    Leo, Ulf
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    Ärlestig, Helene
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science.
    Johansson, Olof
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science.
    Principal ownership towards increased teaching quality: the Swedish case2024In: How successful schools are more than effective: principals who build and sustain teacher student wellbeing and achievement / [ed] Christopher Day; David Gurr, Springer, 2024, p. 247-267Chapter in book (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

    In Sweden as in many other countries, there is increasing segregation due to students' socio–economic background. This study aims to identify and nuance what successful school principalship looks like in a school situated in a low socioeconomic area. The school has, for several years, had a high turnover of principals and teachers in combination with low academic results among students. The study seeks answers on how leadership promotes teacher quality, academic emphasis, and equity in the organization to turn around a school and make success sustainable. Studying a school with students who have not yet received high academic grades means we look for other signs of success. We used a mixed methods approach for interviews and a survey for teachers based on the revised ISSPP protocol. The first priority of the principal was to restructure the school day and introduce common pedagogical models to improve teaching. After two years in the organization, the principal is now taking ownership and creating an inclusive agenda. There are many ongoing complex processes in the school, where the principal’s energy and initiative is crucial. One concern is how the principal can go deeper and wider, sustaining the momentum.

  • 174.
    Lidström, Anders
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science.
    Eckerberg, Katarina
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science.
    Wimelius, Malin E.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science.
    Johansson, Olof
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    Konsolidering och breddning: 2000-20152015In: 50 år med Statsvetenskap i Umeå / [ed] Anders Lidström och Gunnel Gustafsson, Umeå: Statsvetenskapliga institutionen, Umeå universitet , 2015, p. 53-83Chapter in book (Other (popular science, discussion, etc.))
  • 175.
    Liljenberg, Mette
    et al.
    Department of Education and Special Education, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
    Ärlestig, Helene
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    Nordholm, Daniel
    Department of Education, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
    For what purpose?: Swedish superintendents' perspectives of professional development for principals2023In: Journal of Educational Administration, ISSN 0957-8234, E-ISSN 1758-7395, Vol. 61, no 4, p. 325-340Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Purpose: The purpose of this article is to expand knowledge on Swedish principals' professional development (PD) from the perspectives of superintendents. In particular, the article analyzes how superintendents understand and organize PD for principals.

    Design/methodology/approach: Empirical data are derived from a strategic sample of ten (n = 10) superintendents. Transcribed interviews were analyzed in two steps. The first step was carried out inductively to identify prominent aspects of PD for principals. In the second step, the detected themes and categories were analyzed more deductively through the theoretical lens of learning in organizations.

    Findings: The analysis revealed that the purpose of PD for principals and the principal leadership that must be nurtured from the perspective of superintendents spans a scale, from knowing what is already required to critically examining and exploring the unknown. In addition, the understanding of learning stretches from an individual enterprise to a collective activity. However, noteworthy differences between the superintendents were detected and organized into three ideal types.

    Research limitations/implications: Despite a profound research design and a careful selection of superintendents, the sample sets some limits because of the plurality within the decentralized Swedish school system.

    Practical implications: The results can support strategies from superintendents, principals and educational authorities to build infrastructures that foster PD at different levels of school systems.

    Originality/value: This article offers a novel perspective by analyzing principals' PD from the perspectives of superintendents.

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  • 176.
    Lindberg, Erik
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    Principals with and without performance measures means no change?2014In: Journal of Organizational Change Management, ISSN 0953-4814, E-ISSN 1758-7816, Vol. 27, no 3, p. 520-531Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Purpose - Purpose – This paper seeks to explore how principals use their time when the requirement exceeds the activities are desirable. In the scholarly debate it has been pointed out the heads think that too much time is devoted for the financial and administrative issues, or to solve acute problems. This means that there is not enough time to work with educational issues. The purpose of this study is to clarify how principals use the time they have devoted for the educational area and what activities they prioritize. It will also increase our knowledge of reasons behind their prioritizing and reflect on some of the consequences. Results relate to the question if introduction of performance measures has increased a short term perspective on student performance or if it works as a suitabel tool for the principals to achieve the schools goals and to create more effective schools in the long run. The question if stakeholders can get required insight by the performance measures as they are designed today and if the principals got the right incentives is raised.

    Design/methodology/approach - Design/methodology/approach – A quantitative approach is used and a mail questionnaire was distributed to the principals in all upper secondary schools in Sweden and a comparative cross-sectional study was conducted

    Findings - Findings – Principals' perceptions suggest that, their prioritization when working with educational issues is influenced by a more short term perspective and that they prioritize teaching, which have a much faster impact on student outcome, over long-term school development which facilitate the conditions for the former. These findings increase our insight into the need, for as well stakeholders as principals, to develop performance measures to stimulate change when needed.

    Practical implications - Practical implications – These findings have implications on the direction of the development of performance measures. The result points out the lack of transparence for stakeholders and uncovers the need to know when change and long term development is ongoing or not. The study show how principals need incentives for prioritizing these activities and that this can be done by the stakeholder by designing required measurements for as well teaching as long term school development when change is needed or to maintain a successful process.

    Originality/value - Originality/value – This paper fulfills an identified need to study how the performance measures of today can be complemented with measures for stakeholders for increased insight in ongoing activities with development and required change for long term school success.

  • 177.
    Lindgren, Joakim
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Education. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of applied educational science.
    Rönnberg, Linda
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of applied educational science. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science.
    Benerdal, Malin
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of applied educational science. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    Laurin, Emma
    Uppsala university.
    Exploring the 'Student Health Market': Swedish municipalities as buyers of commercial resources2024Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Research topic/aimIncreasing health issues among school children is a critical concern, given its profound and far-reaching implications across multiple domains. As principal organisers, the 290 Swedish municipalities are responsible for student health provision in theirschools. Still, they often struggle with the complexities of various health promotion strategies and preventative measures,addressing problems such as bullying, absenteeism, and low academic achievements, as well as hiring staff to implementsuch measures. In this context, commercial entities offer a range of student health resources to municipalities. Still, we knowvery little about which and how such commercial resources are purchased, used, and experienced in schools and municipalities. This paper, therefore, aims to undertake an initial exploration of experiences associated with the sale,procurement, and utilization of commercial resources in student health, from the perspective of Swedish municipalities.

    Theoretical frameworkAnalytically, we use the notion of projectification (Fred & Godenhjelm, 2023), encompassing the increasing reliance in thepublic sector on projects, seen as ‘temporary organisations’ (Sahlin-Andersson & Söderholm, 2002). Located in the widerliterature on Scandinavian institutionalism (Czarniawska & Savon, 2005), projectification is used as a lens to “scrutinise thelogic, politics and power behind temporary (or temporalities of) initiatives as well as their practices, contexts andconsequences” (Fred & Godenhjelm, 2023, p. 8).

    Methodological designThis study is part of the project Student health as a market (VR 2022-03782), and we draw on interviews from 30 municipalstudent health officers (or equivalent) from municipalities with varying demographic and socio-economic conditions. Thesampling was based on Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions’ categorisation of municipalities. The interviews,lasting around 60 minutes, included questions on purchases and motives, but also more generally on the organisation andexperience of municipal-private actor interaction in the context of student health services.

    Expected conclusions/findingsThe analysis shows that for instance staffing, different forms of consultancy and digital systems often are purchased fromprivate actors. There are certain and important variations in the interview data, relating to contextual and geographicalcharacteristics in the studied municipalities. Still, certain commonalities are also to be found, for instance on the rise ofdigitally based solutions marketed by private companies argued to resolve challenges that Sweden’s municipalities arefacing. The informants identify both challenges and benefits in relation to the commercial school health solutions, which weseek to unpack and problematise.

    Relevance to Nordic educational researchThe paper sheds light on the evolving commercial landscape of student health, and thereby contributes to the broaderdiscussion of the many faces of public-private interactions in education – issues of central relevance to all Nordic countriesand beyond.

  • 178.
    Lindgren, Joakim
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of applied educational science.
    Rönnberg, Linda
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of applied educational science. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science.
    Carlbaum, Sara
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of applied educational science.
    Benerdal, Malin
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of applied educational science. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    The Local Market Makers: Swedish municipalities as preschool market organisers2022Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Although there is a growing body of literature addressing different aspects of implementation and translation of market-oriented policies, privatisation and choice reforms in both Nordic and European educational research, such processes in pre-primary education have received limited scholarly attention. Indeed, as in other sectors of education, European pre-primary education systems display great variation with regards to, for instance, the extent to which public and private for-profit and/or not-for-profit actors are responsible for preschool provision. In addition, funding policies and regulation varies extensively as well (c.f. Eurydice 2019; Loyd & Penn 2014; Ruutiainen et al 2020; Trætteberg et al 2021). This paper focuses on the Swedish pre-primary education case and is part of an ongoing research project entitled The Preschool as a market (Carlbaum, 2020).

    Today, one out of five Swedish children attend a privately operated preschool. Even if there are national policies targeting for instance parental choice and right for private actors to provide pre-primary education, municipalities in Sweden have extensive local autonomy in organising and governing their ‘local preschool markets’ or, rather, quasi markets. By creating a market infrastructure via market shaping activities (c.f. Flaig et al 2021) including for instance to facilitate, support and police the market actors, the 290 municipalities have extensive discretion on how to organise the local market for private preschool provision. Thus, market freedoms do not just appear, they require institutions and rules as well as protection and maintenance from, in this case, local authorities (c.f. Wilkinson, 2013). As Brunsson and Jutterström (2018 p. 8) put it; “markets are formed by processes of organization. They are the objects of decisions. There are people and organizations that decide not only on their own actions in markets, but also on the actions of others”. In the Swedish pre-primary education sector, municipalities are such key organisations and organisers of the local preschool market.  

    The aim of this paper is to explore the different ways in which Swedish municipalities create their local preschool markets to analyse how they act as market organisers and facilitators in the pre-primary education setting.  At this exploratory stage of the analysis, we ask: How do municipalities translate national regulations into a local market system? What are the characteristics of different modes of local market infrastructure? How are municipalities presenting themselves to stakeholders such as private preschool providers and parents? What information and support is given to private providers? What variations can be identified and how can these variations be understood?

    Theoretically, we turn to literature on governing, policy enactment and relations between public and private. We acknowledge that municipalities in many ways act as brokers (Ozga et al 2011), i.e., they organise, regulate and limits the local markets. Through processes of translation (Sahlin & Wedlin 2008), municipalities interpret and reconstruct national regulations and policies, they pick up and imitate ideas and modes of organisation to fit their local context. Local market governance architectures may constitute different forms of governance hybridity and organizational hybridity (Grohs 2014). The former denotes the type of organisation and the instruments by which municipalities are governed, e.g. approaches that gravitate towards state-centered (command and control), market-oriented (contracts and competition), and community-centered (trust and cooperation) modes. Organizational hybridity refers to the basic structural features of internal municipal steering, resource allocation, and policies and practices in terms of more classic bureaucratic organisation or market-oriented organization with internal contracts etc. (Grohs 2014). Here, we expect differences between municipalities when it comes to how and to what degree market mechanisms are integrated or fused with core municipal organisation and governing processes.  

    Beginning with data collection, an initial mapping of the 290 Swedish municipalities provided an indication of the varying level and extent of private pre-primary education provision measured as the amount of municipal pre-primary education budgets paid as a voucher to private providers. Next, we selected 30 municipalities characterized as having either a large private pre-primary sector (N=10), medium-sized (N=10) or few private preschool services (N=10). In this selection, we also strived for geographical variation and each of the three groups include municipalities located in different geographical areas of Sweden, with different contextual and demographical characteristics, etc. After these 30 municipalities were identified, we moved on to collect data from additional databases and statistics, as well as harvesting the municipalities’ websites to retrieve documents and information. This formed the basis for the construction of an interview guide directed to municipal officers with responsibility for the ECEC sector. These representatives were interviewed and asked, among other things, about how the municipality support, licence and inspect private pre-primary operators, informing us on different modes and densities of market infrastructure that serve to create choice, commercial appeal, trust, quality, control and competition. The documents and interviews have been analysed qualitatively via thematic content analysis involving several steps and including continuous discussions and interpretation between the project members on emerging categories and second order themes.   

    Our preliminary findings show that there are large variations on how municipalities act as market organisers. Some municipalities have developed rigorous and detailed systems where distinctions between private and public are blurred and appear dissolved. There are examples of purchaser/provider models, and one municipality applies this also for its public municipal preschools as a means to create equal competition between the private and public preschool providers. Private preschool friendly policies and extensive support to new and existing private preschool providers is often also accompanied by local rules and quality standards. At the other side of the continuum, we find municipalities with very limited private pre-primary involvement with both smaller ECEC-administration with low level of role differentiation in its administration. In addition, there are a number of municipalities with very varying contextual characteristics in which private preschool services is to be balanced or even held back by local policies and practices in various ways. Based on these findings, the paper elaborates three (ideal typical) modes of organising local preschool markets: Endorsers are municipalities that actively promote, support and sponsor market actors. Frontiers denotes municipal territories that are unattractive or not yet fully explored by private preschool actors. Keepers are municipalities that strive to maintain balance or status quo between both public and private providers, using various strategies and tools to this end. In sum, this paper seeks to contribute to the discussion on varying local enactments of market-oriented policies and addresses questions relating to the organisation, production and delivery of pre-primary education. Such issues are high on political agendas in several national contexts around Europe and how public actors (whether states, municipalities/local authorities or others) work to organise, enable or limit, private actor involvement are relevant topics not only in Sweden but also in a wider European perspective.   

    References:  Brunsson, N. & Jutterström, M. (2018). Organizing and Reorganizing Markets. Oxford: Oxford University Press.  Carlbaum, S. (2020). Preschool as a market. Application to the Swedish Research Council, grant no 2020-03157.   Eurydice (2019). Key data on early childhood education and care in Europe. Available at: https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2797/966808  Flaig, A., Kindström, D. & Ottosson, M. (2021). Market-shaping phases—a qualitative meta-analysis and conceptual framework. AMS Rev, 11, 354–374. Grohs, S. (2014). Hybrid Organizations in Social Service Delivery in Quasimarkets: The Case of Germany. American Behavioral Scientist, 58 (11), 1425–1445. Lloyd, .E & Penn, H.  (2014). Childcare markets in an age of austerity, European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 22(3), 386-396 Ozga, J. Dahler-Larsen, P., Segerholm, C. & Simola, H. (Red.) (2011). Fabricating quality in education: data and governance in Europe. London: Routledge. Ruutiainen, V., Alasuutari, M., & Karila, K. (2020). Rationalising public support for private early childhood education and care: The case of Finland. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 41(1), 32–47. Sahlin, K., & Wedlin, L. (2008). Circulating ideas : Imitation, translation and editing. In Handbook of Organizational Institutionalism (pp. 218–242). Trætteberg, H. S., Sivesind, K. H., Hrafnsdóttir, S., & Paananen, M. (2021). Private early childhood education and care (ecec) in the nordic countries. Development and governance of the welfare mix. Report 2021:06. Institute for Social Research.   Wilkinson, M. A. (2013). The spector of authoritarian liberalism: Reflections on the constitutional crisis of the european union. German Law Journal, 14(5), 527-560.       

  • 179.
    Lundberg Bergstedt, Karin
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science.
    Rektorers uppdrag gällande extra anpassning inom ramen för ordinarie klassrumsundervisning F-åk 92019Independent thesis Advanced level (professional degree), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    All children in Sweden have the right to good education which is adapted to their abilities. In 2014 parts of the law concerning the school changed. The purpose was to help the municipality and the principal on focus to their responsibility to adjust the school for pupils different ability to learn. In accordance with the prepartoratory work for pupils (Prop 2009/2010:165), pupil health will contribute to creating environments that promote pupils development. It also stresses the schools responsibility for removing obstacles that hinder a student’s learning and development. In my role as a principal, I see that all students who need extra customization don’t always gets it. Colleagues, both in my own municipality and in other parts of the country, also find it difficult to insure to what extent there is need for customization. My purpose was investigate the Principals role in leading the work towards health, for example trough additional adjustments for pupils. The issues was: How is the organization structured? How does the principal work regarding additional adjustments? What can the principal do to ensure that the pupils in need gets it? I have limited the study to focus on adjustments within the classroom. The method used for the survey is telephone interviews and the analyses is based on a system theoretical created by Hoy & Miskell (2008) that consists of multiple parts. In order for the results of an organization to be positive, efforts must be made in areas of structure, culture, political systems and the individual. Structure stands for the formal system, culture for values within the organization, political system for the power of instruments and the individual represents experience and motivation. When I analyzed the answers from the interviews, two areas could be clearly seen related to the culture dimension; the way the teacher sees the student, and that the teachers wants someone else to take care of the students in need for extra adjustments. Other important observations where: Structure - The common denominator was that all units had health team. What emerged was that an activity plan with assignments and responsibilities clearly defined was important in the process, both for staff and the principal. The individual - Individuals have their own experience and carry their own history and value base. The difference in the value base of educators sets the frame for the possibility for an effective learning process. Principal´s Role: The Principal has the overall responsibility to emphasize the importance of a good organization and to implement this.

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  • 180.
    Merchant, Betty
    et al.
    Educational Leadership & Policy Studies, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
    Johansson, Olof
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    Ärlestig, Helene
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    Welcome and välkommen: School Administrators in the U.S. and Sweden Responds to Unexpected Numbers of Refugees in their Rural Communities2020In: International Journal of Leadership in Education, ISSN 1360-3124, E-ISSN 1464-5092, Vol. 3, no 1, p. 41-56Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    This exploratory, comparative study focuses on the leadership challenges encountered by American and Swedish school superintendents in communities that experienced an unexpected increase in the number of refugees being placed their towns. We focused the study on two small communities in northern Sweden and two communities in northern Vermont. Our study draws on social ecological systems theory to examine the responses of school superintendents to the arrival of refugee students and the extent to which the local, state/regional, and national contexts in which they worked facilitated or hindered their ability to respond to these needs. The majority of the data collection for this study was done in 2017 and 2018 and included personal interviews, on-site observations, and document analysis. The refugee students’ lives in both Sweden and Vermont were characterized by numerous systems and subsystems, and all four superintendents sought to create linkages between and among these systems, believing that the smaller sizes of their districts made this easier to accomplish. They faced many challenges in their efforts to respond to the needs of refugee students, and the alignment or misalignment of policies at the local, state/regional, and national levels played a significant role in enhancing or constraining their success.

  • 181.
    Merchant, Betty
    et al.
    Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
    Ärlestig, Helene
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science.
    Garcia, Encarnacion
    Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
    Johansson, Olof
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    Murakami Ramalho, Elizabeth
    Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
    Törnsén, Monika
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science.
    Successful School Leadership in Sweden and the U.S.: Contexts of Social Responsibility and Individualism2012In: International Journal of Educational Management, ISSN 0951-354X, E-ISSN 1758-6518, Vol. 26, no 5, p. 428-441Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Purpose – The purpose of this cross-cultural study of schools in Sweden and Texas is to examine the cultural contexts of schools in both settings, and the leadership role of principals in creating and sustaining inclusive schools for diverse populations.

    Design/methodology/approach – The data were drawn from two studies; the first involving school visits, classroom observations, and interviews conducted in researcher exchanges between both countries. The second source of data comes from the authors’ participation in a multi-national longitudinal study, the International Successful School Principals’ Project (ISSPP). A common survey instrument, individual interviews, school visits and observations provide the data for this study.

    Findings – The seven themes that emerged were manifested in ways that reflected the differing philosophies of each country: engagement and pride, high expectations, student autonomy, early student learning and development, teamwork, diversity and integration, and international focus on academic rankings. It is concluded that the creation of inclusive schools in a diverse context requires that principals maintain a focus on academic accountability while also working consciously to address social and civic issues.

    Research limitations/implications – Current migration and immigration patterns create a need for research, like this study, that examines how the social philosophies of different countries might support or hinder the success of various efforts to develop leadership for inclusive schools with diverse populations.

    Originality/value – Examining the leadership of inclusive schools within two countries that differ substantially in their relative emphases on individualism and socialism provides valuable insights into how national philosophies are reflected in the ways school systems respond to diversity.

  • 182. Merok Paulsen, J.
    et al.
    Johansson, Olof
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science.
    Moos, Lejf
    Nihlfors, Elisabet
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development. Uppsala Universitet .
    Risku, Mika
    Superintendent leadership under shifting governance regimes2014In: International Journal of Educational Management, ISSN 0951-354X, E-ISSN 1758-6518, Vol. 28, no 7, p. 813-822Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Purpose

    The purpose of this paper is to analyse the superintendent position, its relation to the local political system and the function as superior of principals in the school district in order to illuminate important district-level conditions for student learning. Influences from historical legacies and policy cultures are investigated by means of cross-country case analyses.

    Design/methodology/approach

    This paper is based on data from national surveys of superintendent leadership in Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway.

    Findings

    A key point is the observation of a mix-mode system of hard and soft governance. Municipalities, schools, teachers and pupils are – in different degrees across the Nordic countries – subjected to external evaluation and assessment by central control agencies, where the streams of reports, assessments and performance data are assembled. However, shifts in the governance systems are only modestly reflected in the self-reports on the superintendents’ role. Overall, superintendents in the cases express a self-preferred leadership style as professional learning facilitators who focus on pupil orientation, which positions the superintendent in “crossfires” between conflicting stakeholder demands.

    Research limitations/implications

    The paper reinforces the importance of superintendent leadership in local school governance. It underscores the importance that superintendents facilitate learning conditions for school leaders, teachers and students, which we see as a promising path for further research.

    Originality/value

    The paper provides empirical evidence regarding superintendent leadership situated in local social and political contexts within the Nordic countries. The cross-country analysis illuminates how path-pendent historical legacies mediate current reform trends.

  • 183. Merok Paulsen, Jan
    et al.
    Strand, M.
    Nihlfors, Elisabet
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development. Uppsala Universitet .
    Brinkkjaer,, U
    Kanervio, P.
    Pulkkinen, S.
    Multi Level Governance2014In: Educational Governance research / [ed] L. Moos, & J. Merok Paulsen, Dordretch: Springer, 2014Chapter in book (Refereed)
  • 184.
    Moos, Lejf
    et al.
    Danish School of Education, Aarhus University.
    Day, Christopher
    School of Education, University of Nottingham.
    Johansson, Olof
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science.
    Introduction to the international successful school principalship project2011In: How school principals sustain success: International perspectives / [ed] Moos, Leif, Johansson, Olof, & Day,Christopher, Springer , 2011, p. 1-13Chapter in book (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

    When we started the International Successful School Principalship Project (ISSPP) in 2001, we were interested in finding answers to the question: What contributes to school principals’ success in leading schools so that students gain the most from their experience of school education? Teams of researchers from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, England, Canada, the United States, Australia and China participated and found a series of answers and arguments as the results from analysing a range of documentary, quantitative and qualitative data from approximately 30 schools. Five years later on, we went back to those schools which were led by the same principals in order to find out whether the success had been sustained and if so, how.

    This book reports our findings through country case stories and cross-cutting thematic chapters. First, we report briefly upon findings from the first phase. Following this, we describe the research methods that were used and the challenge of finding common international understandings of success in schools and in school principalship. Finally, we report findings about sustaining success from the second phase of the study.

  • 185.
    Moos, Lejf
    et al.
    Danish School of Education, Aarhus University.
    Day, Christopher
    University of Nottingham.
    Johansson, Olof
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    Notions of success and sustainability in schools2011In: How School Principals Sustain Success: International Perspektives / [ed] Moos, Leif, Johansson, Olof & Day, Christopher, Springer , 2011Chapter in book (Other academic)
  • 186.
    Moos, Lejf
    et al.
    Department of Education (DPU), Aarhus University, Copenhagen, Denmark.
    Hansen, Börkur
    School of Education, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland .
    Bjørk, Göran
    Department of General Education, Åbo Academi University, Åbo, Finland .
    Johansson, Olof
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science.
    Leadership for democracy2013In: Transnational influences on values and practices in Nordic educational leadership: is there a Nordic model? / [ed] Lejf Moos, Amsterdam: Springer Netherlands, 2013, p. 113-131Chapter in book (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Two perspectives inform the discussion in this chapter. The first is the cultural, societal background of the Nordic countries. In general, the Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish societies have a history of participatory and deliberative democracy with a strong focus on equity. Education systems were expected to further nation-building (producing democratically minded and competent citizens) in a school for all (one comprehensive school system with no streaming). There are differences between the countries in the balances between state and local governance, but these differences do not overrule the general societal and cultural tendency. This underlying foundation for society and culture is seen as the foundation on which citizens as well as professionals form their thinking and actions.

    The second perspective is the contemporary political tendency towards neo-liberal competitive state politics with a focus on new public management tools and technologies like principal-agent models, managerial logics and outcomes focus. Education is in this regime expected to focus on basic skills, competition, excellence and employability.

    In the everyday of school leadership, both tendencies are active in guiding thinking and action. School leaders endeavour to act according to the inherited values, while adapting to managerial demands. Contemporary governance logics make it possible to utilise room for manoeuvre, as the decentralisation of operations and tasks is accompanied by mechanisms for monitoring and control, some of which open up for translation of external expectations, for negotiating the meaning of demands, so they make sense internally in a given school. They make room for deliberations and thus for developing internal culture and discourses.

  • 187.
    Moos, Lejf
    et al.
    Danish School of Education, Aarhus University.
    Johansson, Olof
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    The International successful school principalship project: revisited sustained success?2009In: Journal of Educational Administration, ISSN 0022-0639, Vol. 47, no 6, p. 765-780Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

     Purpose

    – The purpose of this paper is to synthesize the findings of the follow-up studies of

    successful school principals in six countries – Australia, Denmark, England, Norway, Sweden, and the USA.

    Design/methodology/approach

    – Data were categorized according to stakeholder expectations, the concept and practice of leadership, and the sustainability of leadership.

    Findings 

    – The synthesis revealed that several similar factors contribute to sustained successful leadership, although there were also differences that appeared to be associated with two groupings of countries – Australia, England and the USA on the one hand, and the Nordic countries, on the other.

    Originality/value 

    – The paper brings together data gathered from the same schools five years apart and facilitates a better understanding of the sustainability of successful school leadership.

  • 188.
    Moos, Lejf
    et al.
    Danmarks Pædagogiske Universitetsskole, Aarhus Universitet.
    Johansson, OlofUmeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.Day, ChristopherUniversity of Nottingham.
    How school principals sustain success: international perspectives2011Collection (editor) (Refereed)
  • 189.
    Moos, Lejf
    et al.
    Danish School of Education, University of Aarhus.
    Johansson, Olof
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    Day, Christopher
    School of Education, University of Nottingham.
    New Insights: How Successful School Leadership Is Sustained2011In: How School Principals Sustain Success over Time: INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES / [ed] Lejf Moos, Olof Johansson and Christopher Day, DORDRECHT: Springer Netherlands, 2011, Vol. 14, p. 223-230Chapter in book (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

    The rich data provided in this project has enabled us to provide a unique international perspective on how successful leaders sustain their success. Our case stories encompass education in six countries and stretch over a period of 5 years. They give us new and challenging knowledge, not only about the values, qualities, skills and knowledge which successful principals hold and apply in order to achieve and sustain success, but, importantly, how they influence teachers’ teaching and in student learning and achievement. The analyses and arguments in the case stories and their further development through six thematic chapters have enabled us to view sustainability from diverse perspectives. One chapter takes a communicative perspective on leadership, sustaining success through sense-making communication in the everyday practice. Another chapter takes as its point of departure a psychological perspective on school leaders’ resilience as a precondition for sustaining success in leadership. A third chapter on sustaining improvement and leadership in challenging schools takes a systemic perspective on schools. And the fourth chapter analysed two different forms of preparation for leadership. The last chapter analysed cases from Denmark, Norway, Sweden and USA (New York) in changing policy regimes for leadership and finds that the directions towards increases in contractual accountability are broadly the same.

  • 190. Moos, Lejf
    et al.
    Johansson, Olof
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    Merok Paulsen, Jan
    Strand, Mona
    Risku, Mika
    Democracy in complex networks: political leaders and administrative professionals2016In: Nordic superintendents: agents in a broken chain / [ed] Lejf Moos, Elisabet Nihlfors & Jan Merok Paulsen, London: Springer, 2016, 1, p. 177-205Chapter in book (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    The core assumption in this chapter is that political actors and civil servants on the municipal level share in the common societal responsibility for the education and upbringing of the next generation. Using a filter of five core public-governance logics in the analysis of our data – the marketplace logic, the managerial, the public, the professional and the ethical –we find both similarities and differences between politicians and civil servants. We analyse how politicians and administrators are positioned in the system and how they develop their commitment to, and their competencies to take part in furthering, both a democratic education and an efficient and effective governance system, in the context of municipalities that face continued restructuring. We present similarities and differences between countries in the project, so some overlapping from the country reports will occur in this chapter.

  • 191.
    Moos, Lejf
    et al.
    Department of Education (DPU), Aarhus University, Copenhagen, Denmark.
    Johansson, Olof
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science.
    Skedsmo, Guri
    Department of Teacher Education and School Research, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway .
    Successful Nordic School Leadership2013In: Transnational Influences on Values and Practices in Nordic Educational Leadership: Is there a Nordic Model? / [ed] Lejf Moos, Amsterdam: Springer Netherlands, 2013, p. 159-172Chapter in book (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    With the starting point in the ‘International Successful School Principal Project’ that looked into how success had been sustained over a 5-year period, we found that the governing structures of schools, the definitions of quality, the methods to measure quality and the criteria of success had changed to a certain degree. On the basis of a set of accountability categories (marketplace, managerial, public, professional and ethical categories), we analyse the cases from Denmark, Norway and Sweden and compare them with cases from UK, US and other Anglo-American educational systems.

    In this analysis we look for similarities and differences between school leadership in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. We find strong indication of a Nordic idea of democracy and democratic schooling. We see an ongoing struggle between local and national governance with more weight on local (municipality and schools) than on state governance.

    When we compare this Nordic image with analyses of the Anglo-American cases, we see that in high-stakes educational systems, school principals tend to use more direct power/influences, while the Nordic make more use of negotiations and reciprocal influences.

  • 192.
    Moos, Lejf
    et al.
    Denmark.
    Merok Paulsen, Jan
    Norway.
    Nihlfors, Elisabet
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development. Uppsala Universitet .
    Kanervio, Pekka
    Finland.
    Pulkkinen,, Seppo
    Finland.
    Educational Governance: Politics, Administration and Professionalism2014In: School Boards in the Governance Process / [ed] Leif Moos, & Jan Merok Paulsen, Dordrecht: Springer Science+Business Media B.V., 2014Chapter in book (Refereed)
  • 193.
    Moos, Lejf
    et al.
    Danish School of Education, Aarhus University, Denmark.
    Møller, Jorunn
    Department of Teacher Education and School Development, University of Oslo, Norway.
    Johansson, Olof
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    A Scandinavian perspective on the culture of educational leadership2004In: The Educational Forum, Vol. 68, no 3, p. 200-210Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    The objective of this article is to examine the rhetoric of educational leadership within a Scandinavian context, as it occurs within the framework of New Public Management. The study asks questions about new demands on leadership expressed in policy documents. Local culture and distinctive aspects of national life tend to modify external influences such as those inherent in the philosophy and practice of New Public Management. Scandinavian schools reflect key elements of Scandinavian life such as a commitment to collaboration, democracy, and individual enlightenment. These are themes in the curriculum of many of these countries and key values of the teachers who lead the learning processes. The range of tensions and dilemmas that teachers and their leaders are now facing are a direct result of the clash between generic public policy and the distinctive approach to support life and democratic culture in the Scandinavian countries. School leaders, it seems, are clearly in the middle of this clash and must mediate between these two trends. To remind us of the ultimate objectives of schooling, we outline a Scandinavian vision of democratic reflective leadership.

  • 194.
    Moos, Lejf
    et al.
    Danish School of Education, Aarhus University, Copenhagen, Denmark.
    Paulsen, Jan Merok
    Faculty of Teacher Education and International Studies, Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Science, Oslo, Norway.
    Johansson, Olof
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    Risku, Mika
    Institute of Educational Leadership, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.
    Governmentality through translation and sense-making2016In: Nordic superintendents: agens in a broken chain / [ed] Lejf Moos, Elisabet Nihlfors, Jan Merok Paulsen, Springer, 2016, , p. 24p. 287-310Chapter in book (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Public education governance is currently subject to change in the Nordic countries because regulations, norms and values are changing. This in turn has transformed structures and positions and has thus compelled agents to change their behaviour, mindset and identity.

    In this chapter we explore the ways in which influences, decisions and ideas are being taken from one level to other levels in the public education sector in the four Nordic countries, and how they are interpreted and translated. How do groups and individuals, authorities and organisations find ways of operating and making sense in the stream of external expectations and internal interests and motivations?

    In the focus of our argument are the means and ways in which things are done, be it through chains of governance or through formal or ad hoc networks involving formal and non-formal agents. And we are interested in the what, the kinds of decisions and ideas that are being taken from one level to the other.

    The Scandinavian branch of new institutionalism has brought evidence of a range of translation and sense-making practices employed by municipal managers in order to make central aims adaptable at ‘street level.’ Following this line of argument, superintendents may employ different repertoires of translation in their dialogue with school leaders in order to maintain a work context that is manageable for both groups. Specifically, we can see a pattern that superintendents operate in different translation modus in their relationships with school leaders and with school boards. Whereas they typically operate in a modification modus in their daily dialogue with school leaders, they employ a more radical modus in their relationship with the boards.

    We shall make use of Scott’s regulative, normative and cultural-cognitive pillars and carriers of influence and values, and of translations and sense-making processes and understandings, in combination with Foucault’s and Dean’s understanding of governmentalisation and social technologies. As the background for the analyses are the country reports and the arguments from other chapters, there will be some overlapping in the text.

  • 195.
    Moos, Lejf
    et al.
    Danish School of Education, Aarhus University.
    Skedsmo, Guri
    Department of Teacher Education and School Research, University of Oslo.
    Höög, Jonas
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    Olofsson, Anders
    Department of Education, Mid Sweden University.
    Johnson, Lauri
    Department of Educational Leadership and Higher Education, Boston College.
    The Hurricane of Accountabilities?: Comparison of Accountability Comprehensions and Practices2011In: How School Principals Sustain Success over Time: International Perspectives / [ed] Lejf Moos, Olof Johansson and Christopher Day, DORDRECHT: Springer Netherlands, 2011, Vol. 14, p. 199-222Chapter in book (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

    During the past 5 years since we visited the schools and principals were included in the International Successful School Principals Project for the first time, major changes have occurred in the ways in which schools are governed and managed. Since the start of the project in 2001, the “hurricane of accountability” has reached all countries in the project. This recent development is, first of all, characterized by an increased focus on student achievement and performance measurement as a key part of evaluation processes. Second, it implies a changed concept of educational quality, which in form seems to be defined by expectations about specific outcomes. Third, it indicates a belief that any divergence between the expected outcomes and the level of achievements can be identified. Along with this development, schools are increasingly being perceived as the unit of measurement and the need to make actors such as principals and teachers accountable is emerging.

    This chapter describes main changes in school governance with an emphasis on the establishment of systems to control and monitor educational quality. Moreover, it investigates similarities and differences in the ways of which principals in the USA on the one hand, and principals in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden on the other, respond to expectations about improving student outcomes.

  • 196.
    Murakami, Elisabeth
    et al.
    Texas A&M University-San Antonio, USA.
    Törnsén, Monika
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    Pollock, Katina
    Faculty of Education, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
    School Principals’ Standards and Expectations in Three Educational Contexts2014In: Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale, ISSN 2369-2634, Vol. 43, no 1, article id 7Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Principals play a key role in schools influencing academic improvement through a campus vision, goals, and objectives. They are also charged with the task of supervising and supporting students, teachers, and families in the community, with the intent of guiding students toward their future. The principals are guided in their efforts by standards and expectations designed by states, provinces, or governments. Current policy-makers and officials in charge of re-designing these standards and practices for principals are known for observing other countries, in efforts to improve local schooling, using information technology’s widespread access and international exchanges. These standards and expectations are meant to address the need of the local community, but may updated or borrowed from school systems in other countries. The purpose of this cross-country comparative study is to explore standards and expectations for school principals and the role of educational leadership observing global contexts of attraction for policy borrowing in three sites—Ontario, Canada; Texas, USA; and Sweden. We explore, “To what extent policy borrowing philosophies and ideologies influence standards and expectations for principals?”

  • 197. Murakami, Elizabeth T.
    et al.
    Törnsen, Monika
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    Female secondary school principals: Equity in the development of professional identities2017In: Educational Management Administration & Leadership, ISSN 1741-1432, E-ISSN 1741-1440, Vol. 45, no 5, p. 806-824Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    This study examines two female principals in upper secondary schools and the development of their professional identities, focusing on schools in Sweden and Texas, USA. The study is part of a larger international research project with global conversations about what successful leadership means, and asks: in what ways do female secondary school principals' professional identities inform equity issues in leadership with implications for recruitment, hiring, and evaluation practices? Using a feminist post-structural discourse analysis, the findings revealed that even when successful, female leaders in upper secondary schools can be evaluated negatively. These considerations relate to the way in which female principals are recruited, hired, and weighed when appraised, where their contributions may not be fully incorporated to establish equitable processes and procedures to sustain their success in educational leadership.

  • 198.
    Nihlfors, Elisabet
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development.
    Foreword: Dare to cross boundaries to gain new knowledge2021In: What Works in Nordic School Policies?: Mapping Approaches to Evidence, Social Technologies and Transnational Influences / [ed] John Benedicto Krejsler and Lejf Moos, Springer, 2021, p. v-viiiChapter in book (Other academic)
  • 199.
    Nihlfors, Elisabet
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science. Uppsala universitet.
    Jervik Steen, Linda
    Uppsala universitet.
    Johansson, Olof
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science.
    Förskolechefen: en viktig länk i utbildningskedjan2015 (ed. 1)Book (Other academic)
  • 200.
    Nihlfors, Elisabet
    et al.
    Uppsala Universitet, Uppsala, Sverige.
    Jervik Steen, Linda
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science.
    Johansson, Olof
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Principal Development. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science.
    Rektor i förskolan: en viktig länk i utbildningskedjan2023 (ed. 3)Book (Other academic)
    Abstract [sv]

    Förskolan har en lång historia, men det var först för drygt 20 år sedan som förskolan blev en del av utbildningspolitiken. Den här boken bygger på omfattande empiri från fyra nationella undersökningar gjorda mellan 2012 och 2021 där vi kan följa professionsutvecklingen hos förskolans rektorer. I denna tredje upplaga har samtliga kapitel reviderats och uppdaterats.

    Resultaten av undersökningarna visar bland annat att förskolans rektorer har höga krav på sig själva och numera också på sin huvudman. Idag deltar de flesta barn i förskolans läroplansstyrda verksamhet och förskolan är både en viktig och självklar del utbildningskedjan. Trots detta anser nästan en tredjedel av förskolans rektorer att förskolan prioriteras lägre än skolan i olika beslutsstrukturer.

    De fyra nationella undersökningarna möjliggör jämförelser över tid. Där framkommer bl.a. att rektorerna känner sig säkrare i sin roller 2021 än 2012 och att den senaste läroplanen har bidragit positivt till förskolans utveckling. Utifrån den sista enkäten redovisas också rektorernas syn på sin situation under pandemin.

    Undersökningarna ger intressanta bilder av hur förskolans rektorer upplever sitt uppdrag och deras olika förutsättningar för att genomföra uppdraget på ett framgångsrikt sätt. Författarna gör jämförelser med rektorerna i skolans uppfattningar, vilket gör det möjligt att diskutera likheter och skillnader i skolledarnas arbete. 

    Elisabet Nihlfors, professor em. i pedagogik med inriktning mot ledarskap, Uppsala universitet. Linda Jervik Steen, doktorand i statsvenskap, Umeå Universitet. Olof Johansson, senior professor i statsvetenskap, Umeå universitet.

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