Who Controls the Teachers?

This article explores how principals maintain control in school when faced with demands for teacher autonomy and professionalism on the one hand, and with increased environmental involvement on the other. Through interviews with 22 teachers and principals, an elementary and a secondary school were compared. Four main control mechanisms were found: principal’s direct control, principal’s indirect control through teachers’ teamwork, teachers’ self-control and client involvement. The comparison revealed that within the elementary school the principal’s domination was achieved by direct, top–down control. In the secondary school domination was maintained more through teachers and by clients.