Principals’ individual and collegial autonomy in quality and improvement practices: What is considered preferable and by whom?

Research and policy stress the importance of granting principals autonomy to adapt their leadership practices to the needs of local context. However, autonomy is a multidimensional phenomenon, complicating simple prescriptions for practice. This multiple-case study draws on interviews with 55 principals in six Swedish municipalities to explore expressions of individual and collegial autonomy in principals’ accounts of quality and improvement practices. The results show a predominance of individual autonomy, expressed by some principals as recognition of competence and trust, but by others as demanding and accompanied by a sense of professional isolation. Less experienced principals and principals working in schools facing challenges are more likely to convey the latter expression. Collegial autonomy is less prominent. Although expressed as supportive of greater equality and enhanced decision-making, it tends to be constrained by managerial pressures, struggles over resources, and workload. To ensure systematic and sustainable quality and improvement processes, the findings point to the need for differentiated support for principals. They also highlight the importance of cultures of trust that support collegiality among principals and across schools. An implication for research and practice is to explore how such conditions can be developed and sustained.