Pirjo Lahdenperä¹

Show more
¹ School of Education, Culture and Communication, M?lardalen University, Eskilstuna, Sweden.
Show less

Abstract: This article focuses on the role of principals in minority schools. It attempts, through a case study conducted in three different countries, to determine the conditions that constitute the framework of principal’s mission and work. Furthermore it aims to explore what characterizes being a leader of a bicultural and multilingual school. The study is based on interviews with leaders in seven different schools: two in Finland, two in Spain and three in Sweden. One of the main findings indicates that the principal role was directed towards being a “champion”, fighting and arguing for the schools uncertain existence. The headmaster had to prioritize promoting the school to various stakeholders as well as establishing it as an institution in the surrounding society. The second finding concerns principals’ leadership. Working in a multicultural and multilingual school provides conditions for development of intercultural leadership skills. The principals of these schools have much to contribute to the development of knowledge on management in diversity. Another feature that emerges in the interviews is the principal’s high commitment and ability to interact with parents and other stakeholders.

Keywords: Minority Schools, Principal, Intercultural Leadership, Multilingual School, Minority Rights

Cite this paper: Lahdenperä, P. (2014) Premises for Minority School Leadership in Sweden, Finland and Spain. Open Journal of Leadership, 3, 67-75. doi: 10.4236/ojl.2014.33007.

References

[1]   Adler, N. (2002). International Dimensions of Organizational Behavior (5th ed.). Ohio: Thomson South-Western.

[2]   Ammon, U., & Hellinger, M. (Eds.) (1992). The Status Change of Languages. Berlin & New York: Walter de Gruyter.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/9783110851625

[3]   Ekberg, L. (2011). The National Minority Languages in Sweden—Their Status in Legislation and in Practice. In G. Stickel (Ed.), National, Regional and Minority Lanquages in Europa (pp. 87-93). Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften.

[4]   Foucault, M. (1972). The Archaeology of Knowledge and the Discourse on Language. New York: Pantheon.

[5]   Gergen, K., & Gergen, M. (1991). Toward Reflexive Methodologies. In F. Steier (Ed.), Research and Reflexivity (pp. 76-96). London: Sage Publications.

[6]   Gergen, K. J. (1985). The Social Constructionist Movement in Modern Psychology. American Psychologist, 40, 266-275.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.40.3.266

[7]   Harre, R. (1985). Situational Rhetoric and Self-Presentation. In J. P. Forgas (Ed.), Language and Social Situations (pp. 175-186). New York: Springer Verlag. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-5074-6_10

[8]   Honneth, A. (1995). The Struggle for Recognition: The Moral Grammar of Social Conflicts. London: Polity Press.

[9]   Hult, F. (2012). English as a Transcultural Language in Swedish Policy and Practice. TESOL Quarterly, 46, 30-57.

[10]   Hyltenstam, K., & Tuomela, V. (1996). Hemspraksundervisningen. In K. Hyltenstam (Ed.), Tvasprakighet med forhinder? Invandrar-och minoritetsundervisning i Sverige (pp. 9-109). Lund: Studentlitteratur.

[11]   Jaakkola, M. (1989). Den etniska mobiliseringen av sverigefinnarna. Stockholm: Ceifo, University of Stockholm.

[12]   Johnson, L. (2006). Making Her Community a Better Place to Live: Culturally Responsive Urban School Leadership in Historical Context. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 5, 19-36. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15700760500484019

[13]   Koski, P., & Vehkanen, L. (2005). Muutoksen peili. Suomalais-venalaisen koulun historia 1955-2005. Suomalais-venalainen koulu, Helsinki: Yliopistopaino.

[14]   Kouzes, J. M., & Postner, B. Z. (2007). The Leadership Challenge (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

[15]   Krippendorff, K. (1991). Reconstructing (Some) Communication Research Methods. In F. Steier (Ed.), Research and Reflexivity, Inquiries in Social Constructions (pp. 115-143). London: Sage Publications.

[16]   Lahdenpera, P. (2006). Intercultural Leadership in School Environments. Reports, Huddinge: Sodertorn University College, 627. http://sh.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2:16341&searchId=1

[17]   Lahdenpera, P. (2008). Interkulturellt ledarskap-forandring i mangfald. Lund: Studentlitteratur.

[18]   Lahdenpera, P. (2009). How to Develop an Intercultural School: Experiences from Sweden. In M. T. Talib, J. Loima, H. Paavola, & S. Patrikainen (Eds.), Dialogs on Diversity and Global Education (pp. 107-122). Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften.

[19]   Lainio, J. (2001). The Protection and Rejection of Minority and Majority Languages in the Swedish School Systems. In S. Boyd, & L. Huss (Eds.), Managing Multilingualism in a European Nation-State: Challengers for Sweden (pp. 32-50). Clevedon, Buffalo, Toronto & Sydney: Multilingual Matters Ltd.

[20]   Lainio, J., Tryggvason, M. T., & Gynne, A. (2012). Flersprakiga sverigefinska ungdomar pa den nordiska arbetsmarknadenmojligheter och forvantningar. Slutrapport fran BilMinNord-projektet. In Litteratur och sprak nr 8 (2012), Vasteras: Malardalen University.

[21]   Language Act (2009: 600). Ministry of Culture, Government Offices of Sweden.
http://www.government.se/sb/d/8317/a/138133

[22]   Lindh, M. (2010). En studie i rektors syn pa ledarskap i fristaende skolor. Sjalvstandigt arbete i ledarskap. Magisterprogrammet med inriktning mot ledarskap, Akademin for Samhalls-och Beteendevetenskap, Vasteras: Malardalens hogskola.

[23]   Lofman, A. (1995). Hundra ar av gemenskap 1895-1995. Jyvaskyla: Gummerus Kirjapaino, Oy i Finland.

[24]   Mtana, N. (2013). Tanzanian Primary School Learners Investing in English. Ph.D. Thesis, Stockholm: Stockholm University.

[25]   Municio, I. (1987). Fran lag till bruk. Hemspraksreformens genomforande. Centrum for invandrarforskning, Statsvetenskapliga institutionen, Stockholm: Stockholms universitet, Nr 31.

[26]   Nationalencyklopedin (NE) (2012). (last checked 15 May 2014) http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diaspora

[27]   Rodell Olgac, C. (2006). Den romska minoriteten i majoritetssamhallets skola: Fran hot till mojlighet. Ph.D. Thesis, Studies in Educational Sciences 85, Stockholm: HLS Forlag.

[28]   Rosenau, P. M. (1992). Post-Modernism and the Social Sciences. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

[29]   Sanchez, J. E., Thornton, B., & Usinger, J. (2009). Increasing the Ranks of Minority Principals. Western Michigan University, Educational Leadership: Developing School Leaders, 67, 96-103.

[30]   School Inspection (2012). I marginalen. En granskning av modersmalsundervisning och tvasprakigundervisning i de nationella minoritetsspraken. Kvalitetsgranskning, Rapport 2012:2 Skolinspektionen.

[31]   Shotter, J. (1989). Social Accountability and the Social Construction of “You”. In J. Shotter, & K. Gerger (Eds.), Text of Identity (pp. 133-151). London: Sage Publications.

[32]   Trompenaars, F., & Hampden-Turner, C. (2004). Managing People across Cultures. Chichester: Capstone Publishing Ltd.

[33]   Tuomela, V. (2001). Modersmalsundervisningen-en forskningsoversikt. Bilaga till rapporten Flera sprak-fler mojligheter. Utveckling av modersmalsstod och modersmalsundervisning-ett regeringsuppdrag, 2002, Dnr: 2001-2751.

[34]   United Nations Human Rights. Convention on the Rights of the Child: Adopted and Opened for Signature, Ratification and Accession by General Assembly Resolution 44/25 of 20 November 1989, Article 29 C.
http://childrensrights.ie/childrens-rights-ireland/un-convention-rights-child

[35]   United Nations Human Rights. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, article 27.
http://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/ccpr.aspx