Skip to main content

Educational Policies for School Leadership in Europe: A Comparative Review

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Educational Leadership in Policy
  • 472 Accesses

Abstract

This chapter analyses the possibilities of the comparative analysis of education policies in regulating school leadership, and refers to the basic reasons for conducting such analyses. The comparative analysis of education policies can deal with different dimensions and levels of education, and this chapter presents dimensions that are considered important for the way school leadership functions within certain national education systems. In this consideration, actors, instruments and goals that are relevant for school leadership are analysed. The comparative research of educationpoliciesin the EU cannot exclude the context of internationalisation, globalisation or Europeanisation. It is important to analyse the normative framework set by international organisations (UNESCO, the OECD, the EU). Finally, the chapter offers a review of ideal-type models for the comparative analysis of education policies in reference to school leadership.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 89.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Adolino, J. R., & Blake, C. H. (2011). Comparing public policies: Issues and choices in industrialized countries. Washington: CQ Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Akkari, A., & Lauwerie, T. (2015). The education policies of international organizations: Specific differences and convergences. Prospects,45(1), 141–157.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alexiadou, N. (2007). The Europeanisation of education policy: Researching changing governance and ‘new’ modes of coordination. Research in Comparative and International Education,2(2), 102–116.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Apple, M. W. (2000). Official knowledge: Democratic education in a conservative age (2nd ed.). New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ball, S. J. (2008). The Education Debate. Bristol: Policy Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ball, S. J. (2012). Global education inc: New policy networks and the neo-liberal imaginary. Abingdon and Oxon: Routledge.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Ball, S. J., Maguire, M., Braun, A., & Hoskins, K. (2011). Policy actors: Doing policy work in schools. Discourse (Abingdon): Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 32(4), 625–639.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bell, L., & Stevenson, H. (2006). Education policy process, themes and impact. London: Routledge.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Berkhout, S. J., & Wielemans, W. (1999). Toward understanding education policy: An integrative approach. Educational Policy,13(3), 402–420.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Birzea, C. (2008). Back to Europe and the second transition in Central Eastern Europe. Orbis Scholae,2(2), 105–113.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Borzel, T., & Risse, T. (2010). Governance without a state: Can it work? Regulation and Governance, 4(2), 113–134.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Croll, P., Abbott, D., Broadfoot, P., Osborn, M., & Pollard, A. (1994). Teachers and education policy: Roles and models. British Journal of Educational Studies,42(4), 333–347.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dale, R., & Robertson, S. (2007). New arenas of global governance and international organisations: Reflections and directions. In K. Martens, A. Rusconi, & K. Leuze (Eds.), New arenas of education governance—The impact of international organizations and markets on education policy making (pp. 217–228). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ertl, H. (2006). European Union policies in education and training: The Lisbon agenda as a turning point? Comparative Education,42(1), 5–27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • European Commission. (2016a). School governance and collaborative practices. Working Group Schools Policy, Early School Leaving.

    Google Scholar 

  • European Commission. (2016b). Improving and modernising education. Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. COM(2016) 941 final.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eurydice. (2007). School autonomy in Europe. Policies and measures. Eurydice Thematic Report. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gunter, H. M. (2011). The State and education policy: The academies programme. London: Continuum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hannaway, J., & Woodroffe, N. (2003). Policy instruments in education. Review of Research in Education,27(1), 1–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hanushek, E. A. (2013). Economic growth in developing countries: The role of human capital. Economics of Education Review,37(2013), 204–212.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hargreaves, A., & Shirley, D. (2009). The fourth way: The inspiring future for educational change. Thousand Oaks: Corwin.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Heidenheimer, A. J., Heclo, H., & Adams, C. T. (1990). Comparative public policy: The politics of social choice in America, Europe, and Japan. New York: St. Martin’s Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Honig, M. I. (2006). New directions in education policy implementation: Confronting complexity. Albany: State University of New York Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Howlett, M. (2014). From the ‘old’ to the ‘new’ policy design: Design thinking beyond markets and collaborative governance. Policy Sciences,47(3), 187–207.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jakobi, A. P. (2009). International organizations and lifelong learning: From global agendas to policy diffusion. Houndmills: Palgrave.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Klatt, M. (2014). Understanding the European Union and its political power: The contribution of European studies to adult education policy research. In J. Holford & M. Milana (Eds.), Adult education policy and the European Union, theoretical and methodological perspectives (pp. 53–71). Rotterdam: Sense.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lawn, M., & Grek, S. (2012). Europeanizing education. Governing a new policy space. Oxford: Symposium Books Ltd.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Manner, I. (2011). The European Union’s normative power: Critical perspectives and perspectives on the critical. In R. G. Whitman (Ed.), Normative power Europe: Empirical and theoretical perspectives (pp. 226–247). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martens, K., Knodel, P., & Windzio, M. (Eds.). (2014). Internationalization of education policy: A new constellation of statehood in education? Basingstoke: Palgrave.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marton, S. (2006). Education policy. In B. G. Peters & J. Pierre (Eds.), Handbook of public administration (pp. 231–248). London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • McDonnell, L. M., & Elmore, R. F. (1987). Getting the job done: Alternative policy instruments. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis,9(2), 133–152.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mitter, W. (2003). A decade of transformation: Educational policies in Central and Eastern Europe. International Review of Education,49(1–2), 75–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mok, K. H. (2005). Globalization and governance: Educational policy instruments and regulatory arrangements. International Review of Education,51(4), 289–311.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mulford, B. (2005). Accountability policies and their effects. In N. Bascia, A. Cumming, A. Datnow, K. Leithwood, & D. Livingstone (Eds.), International handbook of educational policy (pp. 281–294). Dordrecht: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • OECD. (2003). Networks of innovation: Towards new models for managing schools and systems. Paris: OECD.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • OECD. (2016). School leadership for learning: Insights from TALIS 2013, TALIS. Paris: OECD.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Pont, B., Nusche, D., & Moorman, H. (2008). Improving school leadership volume 1: Policy and practice. Paris: OECD.

    Google Scholar 

  • Power, C. (2015). The power of education: Education for all, development, globalisation and UNESCO. Dordrecht: Springer.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Radaelli, C. M. (2003). The Europeanization of public policy. In K. Featherstone & C. M. Radaelli (Eds.), The politics of Europeanization (pp. 27–56). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Rigby, J. G. (2013). Three logics of instructional leadership. Educational Administration Quarterly,20(10), 1–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rinne, R., Kallo, J., & Hokka, S. (2004). Too eager to comply? OECD education policies and the Finnish response. European Educational Research Journal,3(2), 454–485.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sahlberg, P. (2016). The global educational reform movement and its impact on schooling. In K. Mundy, A. Green, B. Lingard, & A. Verger (Eds.), The handbook of global education policy (pp. 128–144). Chichester: Wiley.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Schimmelfennig, F., & Sedelmeier, U. (2004). Governance by conditionality: EU rule transfer to the candidate countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Journal of European Public Policy,11(4), 661–679.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Silova, I. (2009). Varieties of educational transformation: The post-socialist states of Central/Southeastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. In R. Cowen & A. M. Kazamias (Eds.), International handbook of comparative education, part one (pp. 295–320). Dordrecht: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Sjøberg, S. (2016). OECD, PISA, and globalization: The influence of the international assessment regime. In C. H. Tienken & C. A. Mullen (Eds.), Education policy perils. Tackling the tough issues (pp. 102–133). New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Toots, A. (2009). Brussels comes via Helsinki: The role of Finland in Europeanisation of Estonian education policy. Halduskultuur,10, 58–73.

    Google Scholar 

  • UNESCO. (2015). Incheon declaration towards inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning for all. Retrieved from http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002456/245656e.pdf.

  • UNESCO. (2016). School leadership, monitoring and evaluation and governance in the implementation of the Education 2030 framework for action. Paris: UNESCO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vaillant, D. (2015). School leadership, trends in policies and practices, and improvement in the quality of education. ED/EFA/MRT/2015/PI/09. Paris: UNESCO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wiseman, A. W., Astiz, M. F., & Baker, D. P. (2013). Globalization and comparative education research: Misconceptions and applications of neo-institutional theory. Journal of Supranational Policies of Education,1(1), 31–52.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wodak, R., & Fairclough, N. (2010). Recontextualizing European higher education policies: The cases of Austria and Romania. Critical Discourse Studies,7(1), 19–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zajda, J. (2002). Education policy: Changing paradigms and issues. International Review of Education,48(1–2), 67–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Žiljak, T. (2005). Politike cjeloživotnog učenja u Europskoj Uniji i Hrvatskoj. Anali Hrvatskog politološkog društva,1(1), 225–243.

    Google Scholar 

  • Žiljak, T. (2013). Dvije faze obrazovne politike u Hrvatskoj nakon 1990. godine. Andragoški glasnik, 17(1), 7–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Žiljak, T. (2014). Professional accountability and personal responsibility in non–formal adult education. In I. Žagar & P. Kelava (Eds.), From formal to non-formal education, learning and knowledge (pp. 49–72). Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Žiljak, T., & Baketa, N. (2018). Education policy in Croatia. In Z. Petak & K. Kotarski (Eds.), Policy-making at the European periphery: The case of Croatia. Basingstoke: Palgrave.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tihomir Žiljak .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Žiljak, T. (2019). Educational Policies for School Leadership in Europe: A Comparative Review. In: Ingþórsson, Á.H., Alfirević, N., Pavičić, J., Vican, D. (eds) Educational Leadership in Policy. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-99677-6_4

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-99677-6_4

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-99676-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-99677-6

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics