Principal Ownership Towards Increased Teaching Quality: The Swedish Case

In Sweden as in many other countries, there is increasing segregation due to students’ socioeconomic 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 2 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.