Equity program principals : policy mediation for equity

Abstract

This study investigates the ways in which six principals from a range of government school contexts in NSW, Australia, implemented the Smarter Schools Low SES (SSLSES) School Communities National Partnership program to achieve equity in their schools. After analysing the ways in which principals were made accountable and positioned by policy discourse underpinned by economic rationalist principles, the thesis explores how the six principals mediated policy accountabilities for student equity. Using a number of Foucauldian conceptual lenses, each principal's practices are examined as they implemented accountability, leadership and quality teaching governmentalities of the policy reforms. The study is underpinned by constructionist epistemology to better enable an understanding of the complex interrelationships of principals, as enactors, within the contexts of their schools; and as subjects, in interaction with educational policy discourses. Its design is informed by two main methodological approaches comprising a critical policy discourse analysis, and case studies of a sample of six SSLSES National Partnership principals. The policy analysis utilised Gee's (2005) 'D'/'d'iscourse concepts. Case study methods utilized semi-structured interviews with each principal and staff and/or community recommended by the principal, together with analysis of relevant artefacts. Data gathered was examined using Foucauldian notions of power, governmentality, resistance, ethics and technologies of the self to investigate how principals negotiated governmentality discourses directing their implementation. By undertaking the analysis of principals' practices in selected domains of accountability, leadership and quality teaching, the thesis demonstrates that power relations and governmentality operated on and through principals to create them as disciplined subjects who were largely compliant to specific accountability pressures. This included acceding to standardised testing regimes, entrepreneurialism, and targeted continuous school improvement practices. However, principals also demonstrated the further capacity for contestation, re-articulation and mediation of a range of other key governmentalities, designed to normalize them, but seen to be at odds with their school community's priorities, the principal's own subjectivities and/or their vision for equity. Foucault's notions about power relations, ethics and resistance were important in the study to show where and how principals operated counter to the conduct required of them in their local contexts. The study also demonstrated how policy governmentalities can be appropriated in ethical ways to implement reforms for equity. The study's importance stems from its governmentality approach which demonstrates that in key domains, principals are not only enactors wholly 'responsibilised' by policy accountabilities and discourse, but are educational leaders enmeshed within complex histories, with ethical stances and acceding also to the contingencies of their local contexts. They are therefore careful and selective mediators and purveyors of both normalizing and resistant practices and principal-co-producers of complex reform in the education marketplace. Despite disciplining practices of accountability regimes, principals have seized opportunities for agency over equity practices in their complex school contexts.

Date of Award	2017
Original language	English