ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the second proposal illustrating how a symbolic interactionist theoretical position within the interpretivist paradigm can also be utilised to underpin research of the 'problem-focused' variety. This time, the proposal relates to recent changes in the education system in Serbia. Serbia is a post-communist country in Southeast Europe. It is in transition from communism to democracy and working towards integration into the European Union (EU). A starting point is to recall that the two most important influences that currently act to shape the education context in Serbia are the EU-inspired democratic education changes and the previous communist education system. Considering the nature of research problem, which is to seek to understand the position of the Serbian school leaders in times of education and societal changes, a qualitative research approach based on the interpretivist paradigm was deemed appropriate. Generating theory on the historical background to primary school leadership in the Serbian context facilitate understanding of the previous education system.
