Abstract: This study examines the transformation of the school principal’s role in the Czech context from the establishment of Czechoslovakia to the present day. The research aimed to analyze the evolution of legal frameworks, competencies, and the social standing of principals across distinct historical periods, and to compare these with contemporary principals’ reflections based on qualitative research. Using semi-structured interviews with experienced, long-serving school principals, the study identified key shifts in the profession, with particular emphasis on the post-1989 era. The findings reveal an increase in autonomy, accompanied by a high administrative burden and insufficient systemic support.
Key words: administration, autonomy, competencies, legislation, school principal
Introduction and Background
The position of the school principal represents a pivotal element of educational management, whose development in the Czech context over the past century has been profoundly shaped by political regimes, legislative changes, and societal expectations. During the First Republic, principals were respected authorities with significant moral standing, whereas in the totalitarian era, the role became heavily ideologized and centrally controlled. After 1989, the education system underwent substantial decentralization and the autonomy of schools and their principals was enhanced. However, this transformation also brought new challenges, particularly an increased administrative workload and the need for legal as well as managerial expertise.
In recent decades, the issue of school leadership has gained prominence not only in the Czech Republic but also internationally. For example, Fullan (2003) emphasizes the importance of transforming schools through leaders endowed with vision, emotional intelligence and the capacity to manage change. Day et al. (2009) confirm that effective school leadership positively correlates with students’ learning outcomes. Robinson (2011) highlights the significance of “student-centered leadership,” which stresses the direct influence of principals on educational quality. Spillane (2006) introduces the concept of distributed leadership, which focuses on shared responsibility within the school team. In Finland and the UK, systematic support for novice principals is being developed through mentoring (Bush & Glover, 2014), which stands in stark contrast to the Czech practice, where support for principals often remains on an individual basis.
In the Czech context, the topic has been explored in depth by Veteška (2020), Prášilová (2000), Liška & Veteška (2021), Beneš (2014), Trojan (2010), and Palán (2015), who draw attention to the growing complexity of the principal’s role and the necessity of lifelong learning. Palán (2015), for example, emphasizes the importance of an andragogical approach to principals’ professional development, including their role as facilitators of school culture. A notable contribution from the Czech School Inspectorate is its thematic report (ČŠI, 2020), which outlines the main areas of support and burden faced by Czech school principals.
The aim of this study, therefore, is not only to describe the historical development of the principalship but also to situate this evolution within the context of contemporary educational management and to provide a reflection on this transformation through the eyes of experienced principals who have served in the role for at least 18 years. The chosen approach combines historical analysis with the interpretation of subjective experiences, resulting in a comprehensive picture of the transformation of the principal’s role in the Czech Republic.
Methodology
The aim of this research is to use a qualitative approach to describe the views of current or former school principals on the transformation of school management in the Czech lands during the years of their professional practice or in earlier decades. This objective allows respondents to reflect on their own professional experiences, their knowledge of developments in school management, and their subjective assessment of the current state of school leadership and the developments that led to it.
Based on this aim, the principal research question, descriptive in nature, was defined as follows: According to individual principals, how have school management and the position of principal changed in the Czech lands? To elaborate and specify this question, several subsidiary questions were posed. For example: Do you perceive a change in the role of the principal compared to previous years in the role (or outside it, for example from the position of deputy principal)? What challenges face current school principals, and are these the same as in the past? Do the current characteristics of the principal’s position (both positive and negative) stem from its earlier development? What aspects of school management were better established in the past, and which were not?
This research topic was chosen because it has so far received relatively little attention from experts. Moreover, the issues of school management and school leadership remain insufficiently addressed, particularly when considering the years before 1989. Information on the specific role of the principal is therefore often limited to peripheral mentions in literature that focuses primarily on education or school administration. While in recent years some authors have produced high-quality works dealing with school management and its transformation, their number remains small, especially when compared to the abundance of titles focusing on teachers. When discussing the evolution and transformation of the principalship and its activities, we are still largely restricted to analyses of the 21st century or the period since the establishment of the Czech Republic. As already noted, the principal is a key figure not only for the functioning of the school as a whole but also for the success of students in their further studies and, by extension, in their lives. It is therefore important to highlight the principal’s distinctive role in our context, as well as the transformation of this role and of school management, which has led to the current state with all its specific features, challenges, and obstacles. Looking at this issue “from the outside” using books, legislative documents, and other studies can only ever be partially beneficial. For this reason, principals themselves were approached so they could provide an “insider’s” perspective. Another reason for their selection was the aim of obtaining from each respondent a unique commentary on the transformation of school leadership in practice.
Research Sample
The study involved six respondents (four men, two women) who had served as principals of secondary schools for at least three terms of office (18–34 years). They were fully qualified principals, graduates of both teacher-training and non-pedagogical university programs. Respondents came from various regions of the Czech Republic and represented different types of schools (primary school, grammar school, specialized secondary school, integrated secondary school). All participants shared a deep knowledge of the school environment, experience of the transformative period after 1989, and long-term involvement in school leadership.
The research design was based on qualitative methodology (Švaříček & Šeďová, 2007; Strauss & Corbin, 1998), specifically in the form of semi-structured interviews. Interviews were conducted in the natural setting of the schools, recorded, transcribed, and subsequently analyzed through open and axial coding in the spirit of grounded theory. Respondents were selected using the snowball sampling method to ensure a variety of school types, geographical locations, and gender balance. Research ethics were upheld through anonymization and informed consent from all participants.
Results
Following the semi-structured interviews with six experienced school principals and subsequent analysis using open and axial coding, five main thematic areas were identified that frame the evolution of the principal’s role. These categories provide a comprehensive picture of the changes in school management within the Czech context. The following summary presents the key findings from the research.
Transformation of the Principal’s Role
Respondents unanimously confirm that the role of the school principal has undergone a profound transformation over the past thirty years, particularly when compared with the 1990s. The period immediately after 1989 was perceived as a time of freedom, simple legislation, and high autonomy. Since the 2000s, with the transfer of founding authority to regional and municipal levels, control and administrative demands have increased. Nonetheless, principals appreciate the legal personality of schools and their greater influence over personnel management. Memories of the 1990s are often linked to enthusiasm, but also to a certain degree of “punk” informality in leadership.
Social Standing and External Factors
According to respondents, the social prestige of principals peaked during the First Republic, but has fluctuated since. The communist period brought politicization and degradation of the role, with positions often filled by politically reliable rather than professionally competent individuals. Today, the status of principals is perceived as average, though some see potential for improvement. Political pressures remain present, albeit less overt than in the past. Salary levels are considered inadequate for the demands of the profession, contributing to low interest in the role.
Legislative Framework and Autonomy
Principals value the high degree of autonomy in Czech school management, though they perceive its extent differently compared to the 1990s. All participants point to increasing legislative complexity, frequent amendments, and legal uncertainty. Principals’ powers are broad, ranging from the selection of staff and students to managing the school itself. However, they are also closely tied to growing responsibilities. Some principals describe feeling as though they are constantly at risk of legal repercussions, because, given the complexity of current regulations, it is impossible to maintain complete oversight.
Administration, Competencies, and Internal Changes
The most frequently cited obstacle to fulfilling the role is the increasing administrative burden, which reduces the time available for pedagogical leadership. This trend is associated with legislative changes, EU projects, and the inclusion agenda. The competency profile of the principal has expanded: beyond traditional pedagogical and organizational skills, principals must now master legal, economic, communication, and leadership abilities, including working with parents and fostering a positive school culture. The importance of so-called soft skills and strategic leadership is growing.
Current State and Future Perspectives
The current principal faces a more complex and multifaceted role than their predecessors; nevertheless, most respondents are generally satisfied with the present situation. They positively evaluate the development of technology, the wider range of training opportunities, and improved collaboration among principals. However, they see the need to reduce administrative load, strengthen methodological support, and establish a robust system for preparing new principals. The research highlights the interconnection between autonomy, responsibility, competencies, legislation, and social standing, underscoring the complexity of school leadership in the Czech context.
Discussion
The results revealed a relatively frequent consensus among respondents on key issues related to the development of school leadership in the Czech Republic. When compared with findings from other domestic and international studies on school management, it becomes clear that the respondents’ perspectives align with general trends in the field.
However, it is important to reflect on the limitations of the study, which concern both the research process itself and the interpretation of the data. The results are based on the subjective views of a small number of experienced school principals and cannot be generalized. They reflect the individual perceptions of specific actors, influenced by selective memory, nostalgia, and respondents’ current personal attitudes. Parts of the interviews focused more on current issues in school leadership, with the historical perspective present only implicitly.
Thematically, due to the age of the respondents, the research concentrated primarily on the period after 1989, which means that part of the intended historical analysis relied on indirect knowledge and secondary experience. The study therefore placed greater emphasis on reflecting on the current state and comparing it with earlier periods rather than conducting a systematic historical analysis. Future research could target specific historical eras or types of schools and employ mixed-method approaches to allow for broader generalization of findings.
Despite these limitations, we consider the findings to be valuable and inspiring. Not only as the testimony of experienced leaders, but also as an impetus for policymaking, principal training, and further andragogical research in the field of school management. The results confirm earlier findings from TALIS (OECD, 2019) and the Czech School Inspectorate (Česká školní inspekce, 2020) that Czech school management faces overload and a lack of strategic leadership. A specific feature of the Czech context is the exceptional autonomy of school principals (unusual in the European setting), which, however, is not sufficiently compensated by support from school founders, methodological guidance, or clear legislation. Our findings correspond with those of Hallinger and Heck (2010), who emphasize the importance of distributed leadership in schools, as well as with Leithwood and Jantzi (2005), who stress that an effective school leader must be not only an administrator but also a facilitator of pedagogical change.
In comparison with foreign models (e.g., the British or Finnish systems), Czech schools often lack strategic support and mentoring for new principals, as recommended by Bush & Glover (2014) and the European Policy Network on School Leadership (2018). The absence of clearly defined competency frameworks and of continuous professional preparation is also criticized by Barzanò (2009) and Gronn (2003). In this context, respondents offered recommendations for the future of the profession: the creation of a mentoring system linking experienced and novice principals, the reduction of duplicative control mechanisms, and the strengthening of principals’ professional identity through professional associations and networks.
Finally, attention should be drawn to the link between this issue and andragogy, which refers to the principal as both a lifelong learner and a facilitator of the school’s educational culture (Brookfield, 1986; Illeris, 2009). Our findings may therefore serve as a basis for designing new educational modules for school leaders within the framework of continuing professional development for teachers (CPD) or postgraduate andragogical studies.
Conclusion
In this study, we sought to characterize the transformation of the school principal’s position and the development of school leadership in the Czech context over the past 100 years. Regardless of the historical period, the role of the principal has always been central to the functioning of the school. As expected, however, the importance of the position, as well as the demands placed on principals, their competencies, rights, duties, and other aspects of the profession, have shifted in response to social, political, and economic developments in the Czech lands. Since 1918, the position of the school principal has undergone significant change, mirroring the transformations of Czech education and society. Each historical era brought a distinct model of school leadership, shaped by specific external and internal factors.
When comparing the “school manager” of the First Republic with today’s principal, we can conclude that they represent fundamentally different professions. The analysis of the principalship’s evolution shows that the role has become considerably more complex. In light of the post-1989 developments and the findings from the empirical part of this research, a clear trend emerges: the demands on Czech school principals are steadily increasing. Compared to many other countries, principals in the Czech Republic enjoy exceptional autonomy, but this is coupled with a high degree of responsibility.
This work has highlighted not only the specific features of Czech school management but also the obstacles faced by school leaders and the challenges that lie ahead. Despite respondents’ relative satisfaction with the current state, they pointed to numerous ongoing problems, many of which have roots deep in the country’s history.
The research findings provided an insider’s perspective from those directly involved in the leadership process, enabling a comparison between current school management and its historical forms. As respondents’ testimonies suggest, the social standing of principals has shifted dramatically from moral authorities to executors of state power and today’s autonomous yet overburdened managers.
We identify the key challenges as the need for systemic support, clearly defined competencies, and the professionalization of the role. The current principal is, in many respects, isolated, lacking sufficient methodological support or mentoring and burdened with heavy administrative demands, yet holds the greatest opportunity to influence the quality of education and to shape school culture. In this respect, the study confirms the conclusion that school principals are indeed the “builders of education,” whose role will remain crucial to the quality of educational institutions.
This text was developed as part of the Cooperatio Program (Charles University, Faculty of Education, 2022–2026), under the research area of Education and Pedagogy (GEED).
Authors:
Roman Liška, Ph.D.
Department of Andragogy and Educational Management Faculty of Education, Charles University Czech Republic
ORCID ID: 0000-0003-2966-8293
Štěpán Růžička, M.A.
Department of Andragogy and Educational Management Faculty of Education, Charles University Czech Republic
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