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Dergiler / Research in Educational Administration and Leadership (REAL) / 2026 / Volume: 11 Issue: 1

Changes in Local School Practices Following Principal Turnover

Katina Thelin(Uppsala university)0000-0002-4897-6657
Sandra Lund(Mid Sweden University)0000-0003-4209-0406
Sayfa
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Yayın Tarihi
2026-03-30
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⚡ TL;DR(1 Cümlede Hızlı Çıkarım)

Among those most affected by these changes are students with special educational needs and newly arrived students, who appear particularly vulnerable to the effects of principal turnover.

📌 3 Maddede Bu Makale

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Amaç & Hipotez:This article reports and discusses a study starting from general knowledge of the importance of school leadership and previous research on the impact of principal turnover.
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Temel Bulgular & Veri:Drawing on the theory of practice architectures and 497 unique free-text responses from a questionnaire distributed to school staff and parents/guardians in five Swedish municipalities, the analysis shows how leadership transitions affect not only the practice of leading but also a range of interconnected practices within the local education complex.
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Sonuç & Katkı:Among those most affected by these changes are students with special educational needs and newly arrived students, who appear particularly vulnerable to the effects of principal turnover.
🔬Tür:Uygulamalı Anket & Alan Araştırması
📍Kapsam:Genişletilmiş Akademik Örneklem
⚙️Değişkenler:educational complex · disruptions · local school organisation

Abstract

This article reports and discusses a study starting from general knowledge of the importance of school leadership and previous research on the impact of principal turnover. It arrives at the conclusion that principal turnover constitutes a critical, practice-disturbing, and practice-changing event in the local school organisation. The aim of this study is to examine how local school practices change during principal turnover and to characterise how such change unfolds across different dimensions of practice. Drawing on the theory of practice architectures and 497 unique free-text responses from a questionnaire distributed to school staff and parents/guardians in five Swedish municipalities, the analysis shows how leadership transitions affect not only the practice of leading but also a range of interconnected practices within the local education complex. The findings link principal turnover to changes in the semantic, physical, and social dimensions of these practices, highlighting their significance for various stakeholders. Among those most affected by these changes are students with special educational needs and newly arrived students, who appear particularly vulnerable to the effects of principal turnover.

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Bu Makaleye Atıf Yap

Thelin, K., Lund, S. (2026). Changes in Local School Practices Following Principal Turnover. Research in Educational Administration and Leadership (REAL), Volume: 11 Issue: 1. https://doi.org/10.30828/real.1818674

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