Perspectives from state institutes on steering digitization-related professionalization of school leaders in between expectations and support: “but if he doesn’t say ‘go’, we won’t come.”

Abstract

This paper in the journal Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation. provides insights into the perspectives of state institutes for teacher training and professional development (LiS) regarding the interface to school leadership in the scope of digitization-related school development using interview data. In this context, the LiS take responsibility for relevant professionalization measures for school leadership. Following a governance paradigm, the function of the LiS regarding the interface comes into a twofold focus: On the one hand, the challenge of a successful fit of qualification measures at the interface of state institutes and school leadership (in terms of both content and organization) arises, so that school leaders can be effectively supported in their digitization-related competence development. On the other hand, this interface can be analyzed with a focus on the management and implementation of successful digitization-related school development within the education system. The aim of the study is to identify approaches to relevance (in the sense of operational logics) of the LiS in the design of professionalization measures and to discuss the creation of a fit at the interface level (in the sense of successful operational coordination). It becomes apparent that the logic of action of the LiS is influenced, among other things, by control impulses of the superordinate ministry, but also significantly by role expectations and adaptation strategies to the (perceived) logic of action of school leadership. For the control and coordination of action, not only (unilaterally) the LiS, but also (reciprocally) the school leadership is of significance for the design and potential effect of digitization-related professionalization opportunities. Subsequent problems, challenges and implications for research and (steering of) practice are discussed.