Expectations and tensions in school leadership regarding the 2014 Danish school reform: emerging perspectives linking school leadership, learning and well-being

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the expectations of and possible tensions in school leadership regarding the implementation of the 2014 Danish school reform and, by extension, to address emerging perspectives linking school leadership, learning and well-being.Design/methodology/approachAn analysis of central policy documents in the reform as well as research reports examining the role of leadership in the implementation of the reform offers insights into the new expectations of and tensions in school leadership. Drawing on theories of school leadership, the analysis highlights the various forms and aspects of school leadership that are at play in the reform.FindingsThe analysis identifies expectations regarding school leadership, ranging from aspects of strategic leadership that focus on management by objectives and results to aspects that are closer to teaching, such as curriculum and instructional leadership. It furthermore highlights barriers with regard to realizing policy intentions of strengthening instructional leadership, such as encroaching upon pedagogical and curriculum leadership, which have traditionally been the domain of teachers. Meanwhile, the kind of leadership that can be practiced through data-based management by objectives and results seems to have been perceived as a more viable approach in the implementation of the reform.Research limitations/implicationsThe papers' theoretical and empirical foundation is rooted in Danish and Scandinavian perspectives on schooling, and thus the generalizability of the findings may be limited to countries with similar perspectives or “packages of expectations” on linking school leadership, learning and well-being.Originality/valueThe paper provides an original contribution through its engagement with the tensions inherent in the specific “package of expectations” and new demands on school leadership in the 2014 school reform.