What’s the hype of the year? Value creation in principals’ professional development

In our ever-changing world, principals must continuously update their knowledge and acquire competencies to support transformation of local practices. To meet this challenge, principals’ professional development (PD) has become a central concern for local education authorities (LEAs) in many countries. However, insights into PD outcomes are limited. This study aims to expand scholarly understanding by exploring principals’ professional learning (PL) and value-creation experiences in PD provided by LEAs. Interviews and group conversations were conducted with 76 principals in 14 Swedish municipalities. Using a sociocultural and practice perspective, we identify a range of PD activities for which PL and value creation depends on how the activities are designed, delivered, and implemented. PD generally offers immediate and potential value, but only occasionally does it promote applying and realising the potential in practice, making transformative value creation rare. Although principals perceive PD as insufficiently supportive for PL, many remain passive, refraining from advocating change. The study emphasises the need for LEAs to carefully consider how PD is carried out to support principals in leading development to meet future needs. The findings and the use of value-creation cycles hold significant relevance for LEAs and national agencies across diverse national contexts when planning principals’ PD.