New report: One in four middle managers in schools work in stressful environments

“One in four middle managers in schools say they work in a stressful leadership environment. It's part of their job description to solve problems that arise, but schools are failing to provide them with the necessary support to handle this responsibility,” says Linda Hye.

She is a researcher at the University of Agder. Together with her colleagues Morten Øgård and Harald Baldersheim, she is behind a new research report on middle managers in schools. 

“Creating conducive leadership environments isn't about 'social clubs,' but about providing concrete support when difficult issues arise – which they inevitably will,” says Hye.

What successful schools do

The researchers believe there is room for improvement in the way Norwegian schools are managed. They refer to middle managers as an untapped resource.

Successful schools have three key features, according to the report:

• They have created an environment where leaders receive adequate support. 
• Headteachers are empowered by school owners to make more decisions themselves. This empowerment also affects the rest of the school leadership. 
• Middle managers have sufficient time to focus on educational development work.

Lack of authority

The researchers believe that the close collaboration within the school management – between the headteacher, assistant headteacher, department heads, and inspectors – is quite unique in Norwegian workplaces.

“Studies indicate that headteachers are important for how schools perform. Research also shows that middle managers act as a key link between headteachers and teachers,” says Øgård.

The problem is that municipalities that are responsible for primary and lower secondary schools do not provide headteachers with enough authority, the researchers say. This also impacts middle managers in schools.

“This leaves us with two leadership levels that say they lack adequate power and authority, specifically in financial, personnel, and organisational matters,” says Hye.

And although middle managers in schools claim to have authority to make educational decisions, researchers have observed that politicians are beginning to discuss questions such as homework-free schools.

Overwhelmed by admin tasks

Last year, researchers studied the working conditions of Norwegian headteachers. The study revealed that many headteachers face a work situation with a lot of pressure but little support.

This year's report shows that middle managers in schools also face significant pressure, ensuring compliance with laws and regulations, as well as managing student issues.

“Middle managers in these positions are required to do a significant amount of documentation. Trying to follow all the procedures can paralyse them as leaders, and they end up doing more administrative tasks rather than focusing on educational development, which is crucial for improving the school's results,” says Hye.

She believes it is important to allocate time for development work, but also that middle managers need to have a better understanding of their role.

“Being a middle manager is not about taking on caretaker tasks like changing light bulbs or scattering sand on ice in the school yard during winter. You must be willing to be an educational leader for the teaching staff,” she says.

Need support from the municipality

“To ensure children have an engaging and meaningful school experience, politicians at both the local and national levels should prioritise investing in school leadership to enhance the quality of education. Research shows that school leaders need support and recognition from both the municipality and the state. Unfortunately, school leaders are not being adequately supported,” says Stig Johannessen.

He is the leader of the Norwegian School Heads Association, which commissioned the research report. 

Johannessen says that municipalities and the government need to recognise the seriousness of the situation and make efforts to strengthen the team around students and schools.

He points out that research shows that leadership teams in schools have high job satisfaction but also experience significant work pressure. Although they receive good internal support, many lack the necessary support for school development from their municipalities. 

"This is exacerbated by the extensive budget cuts that many schools face. This is serious,” he says.

A new generation

Although the recent report describes challenges, the researchers remain optimistic about the future of Norwegian schools.

“We see that the discussions within the national headteacher education programme have become much more open. We see that those writing master's theses are exploring new, interesting topics. This indicates the arrival of a new generation of school leaders,” says Øgård.

Reference:

Baldersheim et al. Mellomledere i skolen: Myndiggjorte lagspillere eller team på tomgang? (Middle managers in schools: Empowered team players or idle teams?), Research report, 2024.

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Read the Norwegian version of this article on forskning.no

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