Situated constraints and opportunities for women in attaining the position of headteacher

• Main Author: Irwin, Susan E.
• Published: University of Sheffield 2007
• Subjects: 371.2
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.547757

This research explores why women have been failing to gain headship in a particular geographicala reai n which the researchehr erselfw orked in a senior school leadership position. It considers existing research on women and headships, together with feminist accounts of women's position in society and education. It draws on feminist research traditions to make explicit the motivation for locating the project within a feminist paradigm. By highlighting the issues faced by a group of women striving to achieve headship positions through extended interviews influenced by narrative approaches, the research seeks to contribute to the current debate into the still under-researched topic of women into school leadership. The study demonstrates that gender is and continues to be a constraint facing women who seek to challenge the still largely male domain of secondary headship. The idea of identity and power are central to the research analysis and findings. The study contributes both to academic research in this field but also to the researcher's own professional knowledge in order to arrive at a better understanding of the opportunity and constraints faced by women seeking leadership positions in schools.