Ethnic Diversity as a Resource : a Qualitative Study on School Leaders’ Strategies in Adult Education at the Municipal Level

The purpose of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of how school leaders in an adult education school are working to promote ethnic diversity and creating a safe and inclusive work environment for the employees. The study is based on a qualitative methodological approach with a total of 5 semi-structured interviews. The analysis is based on a thematic method using two theories: transformative leadership and inclusive leadership. These theories together with previous research in the field have been a basis for analyzing the empirical material. Furthermore, the results show that school leaders who use leadership styles such as transformative and inclusive leaderships tend to have a stronger positive impact in promoting ethnic diversity and creating a safe work environment for employees. In addition, the study concludes with a recommendation for further research on how situational leadership can be applied in an adult education at the municipal level, especially in schools characterized by high ethnic diversity among employees.