The impact of the management model on the principal’s leadership: the Portuguese case

Abstract

The Principal is a central actor in schools and their formal leader. The public school management model (PSMM) influences his/her leadership style and behaviours. This study intended to analyse Principal’s performance as a leader under the current PSMM, as well as the positive and negative aspects of the model. The data were collected through exploratory interviews with a random systematic sample of 30 Principals with a management experience of at least 4 years. The results showed that Principals seek to find a balance between their role as leaders and managers, privileging delegation and collegiality in team coordination, disagreeing with the current General Council configuration, and underlining the importance of values and ethics in school management. They demand more time for pedagogical management and monitoring, greater autonomy and less bureaucracy and denounce the lack of resources for the management of people, facilities, equipment and services.