Gender differences in school leadership: Collaborative and task-oriented styles of principals in Andalusia, Spain.

This article examines how gender influences the perception and management of professional competencies among school principals in Andalusia, Spain, focusing on 470 leaders from state-owned schools. It finds that female principals tend to attribute greater importance and dedication to competencies related to collaborative, transformational leadership—such as teacher professional development, conflict mediation, and internal evaluations—compared to their male counterparts, who show a relatively stronger focus on task-oriented competencies like strategic planning. Both genders perceive resource adequacy similarly, though challenges exist in contract management. The study highlights the importance of culturally contextualized, gender-sensitive educational policies and leadership training programs that recognize and leverage gender diversity to enhance school leadership effectiveness and educational quality.