Eureka! Institutional Repository

The subject of this postgraduate research is the underrepresentation of women in management positions in education and in particular in the area of responsibility of Western Thessaloniki Primary Education. Primary education at the level of teaching is generally characterized by the large majority of women serving as teachers. However, despite these figures, over time there has been under-representation in the respective management and management positions, reproducing stereotypes. The purpose of our quantitative research, which involved a sample of 321 female teachers serving in Primary Education in Western Thessaloniki, was to record, through the administration and processing of a questionnaire of open and closed-ended questions, the perceptions of female teachers about the phenomenon of under-representation of women in managerial jobs in Primary Education. In addition, the work will attempt to detect their intention to claim leadership positions or not, as well as the possible causes, which act as a deterrent to the pursuit of administrative positions in Public Education. The survey recorded and studied data, with emphasis on age, years of work in Public Education, employment status, educational attainment, marital status, and more. It sought to determine whether or not a request for a managerial position in Education was submitted, the motivations and disincentives and views of women themselves regarding the reasons for the under-representation phenomenon. This research will thus contribute to enriching the knowledge of the causes of under-representation of women in educational administration and highlighting the main ways to enhance their participation.