Att leda SYV inom vuxenutbildningen : En fenomenografisk studie om rektorers uppfattningar om ledarskapet vid organisering av studie- och yrkesvägledningen inom vuxenutbildningen

Sammanfattning: The guidance counselling within the adult education in Sweden is lacking in a wide range of qualitative measures. The aim was therefore to examine how principals perceive their leadership whilst organizing guidance counselling within the adult education. Previous research has shown that a close connection and cooperation between the principal and the guidance counsellor is beneficial, and that principals carry out hands-on, direct and collaborative leadership. They do not see the guidance counsellor as a leader even though the guidance programme requires the professional’s leadership. What is less known in earlier research is how principals perceive their leadership whilst organizing guidance counselling within the adult education. A phenomenographical study has therefore been conducted. The study results showed that the principals perceive their leadership based on giving the guidance counsellor an independence but they also perceive it as an inclusive, direct, indirect, reactive and supportive leadership. The results were analysed with a phenomenographical and understanding-based perspective. The study results have contributed with new knowledge and insight in the so far unexplored field that is adult education in relation to principals’ perceptions of organizing guidance counselling. The results show a wide range of different perceptions. The main finding is that principals perceive their complex role within the adult education as the main reason to not being able to fulfil guidance counselling as a whole-school approach. This is due to their limited time as their leadership role is highly administrative. Principals perceive therefore the organization of guidance counselling as organized by the guidance counsellor. Their leadership is therefore more reactive than preventive. Another finding is that principals perceive that guidance counsellors have similar competence to a leader, whereby they are equipped to lead their own work and the guidance interventions in the school as a whole-school approach.