School leaders navigating student wellbeing: the interplay between academic achievement and economic logics in Danish schools

This exploratory qualitative case study was conducted at three primary and lower secondary schools in Denmark, with the aim of empirically illustrating how principals work with student wellbeing. The study utilised a data package comprising 18 interviews with principals, vice-principals, and key teachers. The analysis of the data is inspired by grounded theory. The study reports three major findings. First, it finds that Danish principals recognise the close connection between student wellbeing and academic achievement. Second, the study identifies that principals work to establish structures that can identify underperforming students or those with poor wellbeing. Since the principals' work is removed from the teaching practice, they rely on data to organise meetings and are accountable for collaborative decision-making. Third, the study uncovers that these schools prioritise a learning culture, where student wellbeing is considered as a precondition for learning, which is seen as a precondition for the students' continuing education. The particular focus on student wellbeing is shaped by politicians' emphasis on human capital economic logics, which underpins education as a means for economic growth.