The Principal Barometer

The Principal barometer is an ongoing follow-up study of principals, deputy principals, vice-principals, and school leaders of primary education or upper secondary education in Finland.

The Principal Barometer 2025 (PDF)

What is the purpose of the research?

The principal barometer is an extensive longitudinal study aimed at investigating the occupational well-being of Finnish principals. The research is carried out in co-operation between researchers from the University of Helsinki and Suomen Rehtorit ry (Finnish Association of Principals). Our primary goal is to investigate and follow the well-being of Finnish principals and compare with international data as well as other industries and professions. This project is adjacent to the Australian Health and Wellbeing survey led by Professor Herb Marsh and Professor Theresa Dicke from the Australian Catholic University’s Institute for Positive Psychology and Education.

We utilise a comprehensive questionnaire to examine the principals' work situation, well-being, resources, and management practices. Additionally, we collect physiological data, such as HRV (heart rate variability) using the Firstbeat device, which tracks rest time, working time, and exercise. We also conduct interviews with a subset of principals to gain insights and a deeper understanding about current topics and relevant areas of research. Our focus areas include recovery, job crafting, leadership, resources, demands, engagement, and burnout."

Who are the target groups?

Principals, deputy principals, vice-principals, and school leaders of primary education or upper secondary education.

Data collection

The data for the study has been gathered once a year by on-line questionnaires since 2019 onwards. The data was collected as follows:

Year 2019: 531 participants
Year 2020: 644 participants
Year 2021: 541 participants
Year 2022: 698 participants
Year 2023: 526 participants
Year 2024: 782 participants (results 2024)
Year 2025: 562 participants (results 2025)

DOI (digital object identifier) for the principal barometer data

Funding

The project has been funded by the Strategic Research Council (2021-2024) and Research Council of Finland (2024-).

Publications

Elomaa, M., Eskelä-Haapanen, S., Pakarinen, E., Halttunen, L., & Lerkkanen, M. K. (2023). Work-related stress of elementary school principals in Finland: Coping strategies and support. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 51(4), 868-888.

Elomaa, M., Toyama, H., Upadyaya, K., & Salmela-Aro, K. (2025). Crisis-resilient school leadership and the role of job crafting: Insights from Finnish principals. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 17411432251351838

Fang, Y., Yu, J., Toyama, H., & Salmela-Aro, K. (2025). School principals’ job burnout and job satisfaction in Finland: The impact of work–family conflict, role conflict, and sense of community. Educational Management Administration & Leadership.

Nissinen, T., Upadyaya, K., Lonka, K., Salmela-Aro, K., & Hiroyuki, T. (2024). School principals’ job crafting profiles and their differences during the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Organization Theory and Behavior.

Oppi, P., Hietajärvi, L., Toyama, H., Carpelan, R., Eisenschmidt, E., Huotilainen, M., ... & Salmela-Aro, K. (2025). Educational leaders’ well-being Estonian and Finnish comparative perspectives. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 1-20.

Salmela-Aro, K., Upadyaya, K., & Hietajärvi, L. (2020). Suomalaisten rehtorien ja opettajien työhyvinvointiprofiilit koronakeväänä. Psykologia, 55(6), 426–443.

Salmela-Aro, K., Upadyaya, K., & Hietajärvi, L. (2021). Rehtorien ja opettajien hyvinvointi koronapandemian aikana. Työn tuuli: aikakauskirja, 30(1), 14–19.

Toyama, H., Upadyaya, K., & Salmela-Aro, K. (2022). Job crafting and well-being among school principals: The role of basic psychological need Satisfaction and frustration. European Management Journal, 40(5), 809–818.

Toyama, H., Upadyaya, K., Hietajärvi, L., & Salmela-Aro, K. (2023). Job crafting among school principals before and during COVID-19: Investigating the associations with work-related well-being and personal resources using variable- and person-oriented approaches. European Management Journal.

Upadyaya, K., Salonen, R., Ikonen, A., Huotilainen, M., & Salmela-Aro, K. (2020). Suomalaisten rehtorien työhyvinvointiprofiilit, voimavarat ja vaatimukset. Psykologia, 55(2–3), 179–194.

Upadyaya, K., Toyama, H., & Salmela-Aro, K. (2021). School Principals' Stress Profiles During COVID-19, Demands, and Resources. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, Article 731929.