Exploring School Leaders’ Experiences of External Accountability: Narrative Review

Abstract

External accountability is the cornerstone of policy reforms. A growing body of research documents the balance between external accountability and school autonomy. Various other quantitative studies link it to teacher stress, educational equity, student achievement, and effective leadership, among others. The existing literature often overlooks the complex narratives of school leaders themselves while focusing on quantitative data. This narrative literature review aims to illuminate the nuanced perceptions of school leaders regarding external accountability. A systematic analysis of 23 papers from various databases was conducted to collect the experiences of leaders. Findings reveal that school leaders struggle to strike a balance between autonomy and external accountability. While some leaders experience compliance pressures and the imposition of control, others feel supported, trusted, and guided for the betterment of school performance. The cross-national analysis revealed unwilling compliance among leaders driven by job insecurities, coercive behavior, and punitive measures. Conversely, some leaders experienced a sense of shared responsibilities, collaboration, and autonomy. The administrators of accountability will gain insight into the impact of their policies and practices on leadership. This may lead to future policies addressing the challenges faced by leaders. Future studies should focus on longitudinal and ethnographic research to record changing experiences with innovations in accountability policies.