Principals' emotional labour in volatile times
Short description
Swedish principals are increasingly facing threats and challenges linked to exceptional events in and around schools. They have countless meetings with guardians, the police, social services and other actors in the local area. What is called emotion labour – the ability to manage one's own and others' emotions – has become a large part of the everyday life of primary school principals. The project aims to provide in-depth knowledge of the work of primary school principals based on the principal's everyday relational and affective work.
The project's expected knowledge contribution
Issues concerning school leaders' emotional work are to some extent internationally researched but rarely studied in a Swedish context, which has resulted in a significant lack of knowledge about the principal's profession. Previous research highlights important administrative and organisational aspects of the principal's assignment. This project complements these studies.
The project will contribute with authentic accounts of principals' work and needs and fill knowledge gaps about the role of emotion work in principals' daily practices. The research methods that are combined are:
- Web-based survey that collects principals' testimonies about critical events
- Case studies at four different primary schools
- Workshops with stakeholders such as government representatives, school organisers and union representatives.
The project also contributes with a developed theory package to explore and make visible site-specific conditions for principals' emotional work. The knowledge contribution has societal relevance – not least for principals, school principals, politicians, policymakers and headteacher training.
Participating reseachers
- Lill Langelotz, associate professor of educational work, University of Gothenburg (Project Leader)
- Anette Forssten Seiser, associate professor of educational work, Karlstad University
- Åsa Hirsh, associate professor of education, University of Gothenburg
- Jane Wilkinson, Professor in Education, Monash university, Melbourne, Australia (head of the International advisory board of the project)
Network and linked project
The project is liked to a research project at Monash university, Melbourne: Invisible labour: Principals emotional labour in volatile times. The cooperation takes place within the network Pedagogy, Education & Praxis.
