Förskolechefers yrkesval och ledarskap En studie om varför förskolechefsyrket valts och förskolechefers syn på sitt eget ledarskap utifrån ett genusperspektiv

Abstract

Abstract With starting point in a historically changed preschool, dominating ideals in the preschool, women’s representation and status this study aims to examine preschool managers choice of profession and views on their own leadership from a gender perspective. The following two questions are used to achieve the aim of the study: • Why was the preschool manager profession chosen? • How do preschool managers look at their own leadership? The study was carried out with a qualitative method and a phenomenographic approach by using semi-structured interviews and the results was divided into two major parts: Preschool managers career choice – why they became preschool managers and How the preschool managers look at their own leadership. The first part suggests that there are both structural and individual reasons for becoming a preschool manager and that those are somewhat connected to each other. In the first part it is stated that there seems to be a tradition in the preschool to try to get staff from the own operation to become preschool managers. Which is shown by managers or colleagues encouraging or asking them to apply for the position. On the other hand leadership seems to be based on the individual´s need to change and develop the workplace. From a gender perspective it seems that men without experience from working in preschool environment still is chosen to be preschool managers. It seems that men more often than women is considered to have the competence and knowledge to tackle the demands of being a preschool manager even though they lack in experience. In the second part of the study it is stated that the preschool managers share the leadership with the preschool teachers because it is seen as a good way to achieve educational development and to be able to cope with their own tasks. The later because of increased demands and workload throughout the years with an increased number of preschools to manage and different demands from the state and municipality. From a gender perspective it seems that the preschool being gender marked as a female profession affects the male preschool managers more than it affects their female colleagues. It reflects in how they lead but also in how they relate to their staff.