Curriculum leadership of cross-curricular teaching in lower secondary school – the Finnish principal as a mediator

The study contributes to the nascent field of principals’ curriculum leadership of cross-curricular teaching. While principals’ curriculum leadership is often mentioned as a precondition when implementing cross-curricular teaching, it is a role rarely explored. This qualitative study examined Finnish Lower Secondary School (grades 7–9) principals’ experiences implementing cross-curricular teaching. Finnish principals are granted significant professional autonomy and trust from the curriculum and society. However, the latest national curriculum reform (2014) mandates them to implement cross-curricular teaching, providing only general guidelines and no extra funding or resources. Interviews with six principals were analysed hermeneutically to understand how they mediated within and between internal (e.g. faculty) and external (e.g. curriculum) demands. Non-affirmative education theory informed the analysis exploring curriculum leadership’s multi-level, interpersonal and mediating aspects. The implications are that principals’ curriculum leadership means complex mediation between affirmation and non-affirmation while considering epistemic practices (e.g. work agreements, teaching practices) and values (e.g. teacher autonomy). Collaboration on several educational levels (faculty, municipality) may support principals’ curriculum leadership when organizing new pedagogical practices, interpreting the curriculum, and evaluating student learning.