The Perceived Impact of the Covid-19 Recovery Funds on Primary School Leaders’ Use of Leadership for Learning Elements

Abstract

The Covid-19 lockdown closings raised concerns about possible learning disadvantages among students. As a result, Covid-19 recovery funds (CRF) were made available to remedy possible learning disadvantages. The purpose of these funds will be to enable schools to undertake interventions to support the students. Organizing this requires good leadership. The current study was conducted within a school-university collaboration with SPO Utrecht, a board of public schools. It was investigated how Covid-19 recovery funds impacted primary school leaders’ use of leadership for learning (LfL) elements, including how diverse team expertise relates to collective efficacy. A mixed-method study was conducted. Teachers filled out a survey to study how they perceived leadership, collective efficacy, and diverse team expertise. Also, school leaders were interviewed to investigate whether they use elements of leadership for learning in their leadership style before and after the Covid-19 recovery funds. Results displayed a positive effect of diverse team expertise on collective efficacy. And school leaders showed elements of LfL after using CRF. It is recommended that further research be conducted into these effects. A practical recommendation has been made to help school leaders increase diverse team expertise.