education policy analysis archives - Volume 33 - Issue 68 - Oct 28, 2025 - scoping review

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by dawugda

The aim of this scoping review is to provide an overview of research on school leaders’ responses to neoliberal education reform. The review maps how macro-level policies translate into micro-level experiences by identifying 21 studies meeting inclusion criteria and analyzing them through descriptive and content analysis. Using a resistance theory perspective, it examines how leaders navigate and resist reforms. Resistance manifests through speaking one’s mind, irony, simulation and compliance. The findings highlight issues linked to “new professionalism” and discuss transformative effects, power dynamics, and potential counter-discourses and counter-conduct.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages24

Reading Time1 h 0 min

AccessFree to download

How School Leaders Navigate Neoliberal Education Reform: A Scoping Review

Aim and scope of the review

Theoretical perspective and methods

Key findings and implications

| education policy analysis archives
A peer-reviewed, independent, open access, multilingual journal | | | --- | --- | | Arizona State University | | | Volume 33 Number X68 October 28 , 2025 ISSN 1068-2341 | | How School Leaders Navigate Neoliberal Education Reform: A Scoping Review Malin KronqvistHåård Örebro University Sweden Citation: Kronqvist Håård, M. (2025) . How school leaders navigate neoliberal education reform: A scoping review. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 33(68). [https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.33.8807](https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.33.8807) [Abstract:](Abstract: The aim with this scoping review is to provide an overview of research on school)[ The aim with this scoping review is to provide an overview of research on school](Abstract: The aim with this scoping review is to provide an overview of research on school)[ ](Abstract: The aim with this scoping review is to provide an overview of research on school)[leaders](leaders)’ responses to neoliberal education reform. The review offers insights into how macrolevel policies translate into micro-level experiences. By mapping existing studies on school leaders’ lived experiences under neoliberal reforms, it provides valuable knowledge for policymakers, educational leaders, and researchers seeking to navigate and influence these ongoing transformations. This article employs a resistance theory perspective. I identified 21 articles that met all the inclusion criteria through the search. I undertook both a descriptive and a content analysis. The latter considers how school leaders navigate the reforms, and how they resisted them. The results show that resistance was manifested in terms such as speaking one’s mind, irony, simulation and compliance. These studies exemplify some of the problems associated with the ‘new professionalism’ fashioned by educational policy seeking to steer the work of schools in a competitive school marketplace. Overall, the review underscores the transformative nature of neoliberal reforms on education and the imperative for using resistance and power theories to both help shed light on the sometimes soul-altering changes these initiatives can achieve and point to possible counter-discourse and counter-conduct. Keywords: school leader; neoliberal education reform; resistance; scoping review Cómo los líderes escolares abordan la reforma educativa neoliberal: Una revisiónexploratoria Resumen: El propósito de esta revisión exploratoria es ofrecer una visión general de la investigación realizada sobre las respuestas de los líderes escolares a las reformas educativas neoliberales. Esta revisión aporta información sobre cómo se interpretan las políticas a nivel macro en las experiencias a nivel micro. Por lo tanto, al mapear los estudios existentes sobre las experiencias vividas por los líderes escolares durante las reformas neoliberales, aportaconocimiento valioso a los formuladores de políticas públicas, líderes educativos e investigadores que buscan abordar e influir en las transformaciones en curso. Este artículoadopta una perspectiva basada en la teoría de la resistencia. Durante la búsqueda, se identificaron 21 artículos que cumplían con todos los criterios de inclusión y se analizaron mediante análisis descriptivo y de contenido. Por lo tanto, buscamos comprender cómo los líderes escolares abordan y se resisten a estas reformas. Los resultados muestran que la resistencia se manifiesta en diferentes términos, como la expresión de pensamientos, la ironía, la simulación y el conformismo. Estos estudios previos proporcionan ejemplos dealgunos de los problemas asociados con el "nuevo profesionalismo" promovido por las políticas educativas, que busca orientar el trabajo de las escuelas hacia un mercado educativo competitivo. En general, esta revisión destaca la naturaleza transformadora de las reformaseducativas neoliberales y la necesidad de utilizar teorías de resistencia y poder para ayudar aaclarar, a veces de forma

FAQs

What is the purpose of this scoping review?

It provides an overview of research on school leaders’ responses to neoliberal education reform and explains how macro policies translate into micro experiences.

How many studies were included and how were they analyzed?

Twenty-one articles were identified meeting the inclusion criteria and were examined using descriptive and content analysis.

What forms of resistance does the review report?

Resistance is manifested through speaking one’s mind, irony, simulation, and compliance.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by dawugda