School principals’ perceptions of the tech industry’s involvement in public schools

This paper explores how school principals, as gatekeepers of public education, perceive the involvement of the technology sector in the Israeli education system. The dataset includes 23 in-depth interviews with Israeli school principals, including schools with deep sector involvement (methodologically positive cases) and those with little or none (negative cases). Applying Bourdieu’s Social Field Theory and Abbott’s concept of professional jurisdictions, this research explores and conceptualizes how principals experience their interaction and power relations vis-à-vis the technology sector and their perceptions regarding its involvement in society and particularly in public education. The findings suggest that principals often acknowledged and legitimized the economic, cultural, and social capital held by tech workers and entrepreneurs. Additionally, the findings suggest that the technology sector’s tendency to volunteer in well-off communities contributes to further inequality in Israeli public education and society at large. The study contributes to the understanding of how school principals perceive the involvement of the business sector and particularly tech corporations in public schools and how a minority of school principals with a critical view set clear boundaries and assert their independence in defense of public interests.