Characteristics of the Authority Basis of Icelandic Compulsory School Principals in Comparison to Other TALIS Countries

The purpose of this paper is to explore the authority basis of compulsory school principals in Iceland by making a general comparison to the other participating countries in the OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2018, as well as by using Hofstede’s cultural dimensions theory. T...

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Main Authors: Ragnar F. Ólafsson, Börkur Hansen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-03-01
Series:Education Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/12/3/219
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author Ragnar F. Ólafsson
Börkur Hansen
author_facet Ragnar F. Ólafsson
Börkur Hansen
author_sort Ragnar F. Ólafsson
collection DOAJ
description The purpose of this paper is to explore the authority basis of compulsory school principals in Iceland by making a general comparison to the other participating countries in the OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2018, as well as by using Hofstede’s cultural dimensions theory. The study utilizes data from principals in 48 of the countries that participated in the TALIS 2018. The authority bases of the principals and of the other governing agents are explored with regard to the key task areas, which range from managerial to curriculum tasks. The authority basis of the principals and the other agents in Iceland has commonalities with most of the other Nordic countries, as well as with Baltic countries, Anglophone countries (except for Canada (Alberta)), and with many Eastern European countries. On the basis of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions model, Iceland is “individualist”, with a low “power distance”, and it allocates more responsibility to the principals and to the other school agents at the school level than it does to the authorities. The major implication of this study for the Icelandic context is the need to enhance and strengthen the role of the school boards in terms of the professional support for principals.
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spelling doaj.art-6648ef169dc449cb99912f099221f1fc2023-11-24T00:59:27ZengMDPI AGEducation Sciences2227-71022022-03-0112321910.3390/educsci12030219Characteristics of the Authority Basis of Icelandic Compulsory School Principals in Comparison to Other TALIS CountriesRagnar F. Ólafsson0Börkur Hansen1Directorate of Education, 203 Kópavogur, IcelandSchool of Education, University of Iceland, 105 Reykjavík, IcelandThe purpose of this paper is to explore the authority basis of compulsory school principals in Iceland by making a general comparison to the other participating countries in the OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2018, as well as by using Hofstede’s cultural dimensions theory. The study utilizes data from principals in 48 of the countries that participated in the TALIS 2018. The authority bases of the principals and of the other governing agents are explored with regard to the key task areas, which range from managerial to curriculum tasks. The authority basis of the principals and the other agents in Iceland has commonalities with most of the other Nordic countries, as well as with Baltic countries, Anglophone countries (except for Canada (Alberta)), and with many Eastern European countries. On the basis of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions model, Iceland is “individualist”, with a low “power distance”, and it allocates more responsibility to the principals and to the other school agents at the school level than it does to the authorities. The major implication of this study for the Icelandic context is the need to enhance and strengthen the role of the school boards in terms of the professional support for principals.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/12/3/219principalsTALISauthoritytaskscultureHofstede
spellingShingle Ragnar F. Ólafsson
Börkur Hansen
Characteristics of the Authority Basis of Icelandic Compulsory School Principals in Comparison to Other TALIS Countries
Education Sciences
principals
TALIS
authority
tasks
culture
Hofstede
title Characteristics of the Authority Basis of Icelandic Compulsory School Principals in Comparison to Other TALIS Countries
title_full Characteristics of the Authority Basis of Icelandic Compulsory School Principals in Comparison to Other TALIS Countries
title_fullStr Characteristics of the Authority Basis of Icelandic Compulsory School Principals in Comparison to Other TALIS Countries
title_full_unstemmed Characteristics of the Authority Basis of Icelandic Compulsory School Principals in Comparison to Other TALIS Countries
title_short Characteristics of the Authority Basis of Icelandic Compulsory School Principals in Comparison to Other TALIS Countries
title_sort characteristics of the authority basis of icelandic compulsory school principals in comparison to other talis countries
topic principals
TALIS
authority
tasks
culture
Hofstede
url https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/12/3/219
work_keys_str_mv AT ragnarfolafsson characteristicsoftheauthoritybasisoficelandiccompulsoryschoolprincipalsincomparisontoothertaliscountries
AT borkurhansen characteristicsoftheauthoritybasisoficelandiccompulsoryschoolprincipalsincomparisontoothertaliscountries