Denise Mifsud | University of Bath (original) (raw)
Papers by Denise Mifsud
International Studies in Educational Administration, 51:2, 24-48, 2023
The COVID-19 pandemic has had dramatic implications for education systems across the globe, main... more The COVID-19 pandemic has had dramatic implications for education systems across the
globe, mainly due to the fact that it induced school closures worldwide as a drastic measure to curb this
health crisis. School leaders had to operate in crisis mode, whilst ensuring that measures and policy
directives issued by the government were effectively implemented. This article provides a review of the
literature on school leadership in the pandemic through a methodical collection, documentation,
scrutiny, and critical analysis of the research publications. The review seeks to map trends in what has
been published in a relatively short time span, in addition to identifying gaps and silences within this
new field in terms of empirical scholarship and methodological diversity, as well as geographical
location via a narrative synthesis approach. The findings point to a spread of publications over a wide
geographical and cultural spectrum, with the distinct focus of empirical studies being qualitative and
focusing on school leaders. The three emergent themes centre around school leadership within the school
context, relationships with the wider community, and engagement with policy. This literature review
is significant for educational practice, policy, and scholarship in terms of identifying gaps, with
implications for future research.
The present systematic literature review is undertaken within the context of concerted efforts ai... more The present systematic literature review is undertaken within the context of concerted efforts aimed at diversifying the knowledge base of female leadership in the educational context. Much of the research in the field has been done in Anglo-American and European contexts. To this effect, the study conducts a systematic literature review to identify published research on female leadership in the Arab world written in English between 2000 and 2022. The findings of the review show a dominance of empirical studies with the majority being qualitative in nature and having a limited level of conceptualization, which poses a challenge to understanding female leadership as a contextual intersubjective phenomenon. This review highlights the importance of the sociocultural factors as a pivotal theme connecting with and affecting the three other themes of the review, the challenges and enablers of female leadership in the Arab world, and leadership perception and persona that women leaders develop. The review concludes with insights for researchers, policymakers and practitioners in the region.
Teaching Scotland, Issue 99, 2024
Where is teacher education in ‘becoming’, ‘being’ or ‘growing’ as a teacher?, asks Dr Denise Mifs... more Where is teacher education in ‘becoming’, ‘being’ or ‘growing’ as a teacher?, asks Dr Denise Mifsud, Associate Professor in Educational Leadership, Management and Governance at the University of Bath
Journal of Education Policy, 2024
The term 'governance' is one of the most widely applied concepts in education policy and research... more The term 'governance' is one of the most widely applied concepts in education policy and research. Yet its meaning has changed over space and time both analytically and normatively. This history is a complicated one marked by both shifts and continuations in the politics of language and the development of unique intellectual histories and conceptual and empirical turns in the field of education. In this paper we systematically delineate the different meanings ascribed to governance within education with a focus on its polyvalence as a political project, empirical object and research analytic. Specifically, we highlight the various complementarities and tensions flowing from this rich and evolving language. We conclude by calling for more education researchers to reflect on this complicated history and attendant language as part of their framings and interpretations of governance.
Equity in Education and Society, 1-17, 2023
This article is concerned with considerations for conducting comparative analyses, with a focus o... more This article is concerned with considerations for conducting comparative analyses, with a focus on the process of creating a diverse international research team committed to investigating equity issues in education and society. Following brief background information on the International School Leadership Development Network (ISLDN), provided to contextualise the author team and the article's discussion, the main sections focus on conducting comparative equity research and related methodological considerations. The authors explore the development of specific research methods which they consider to hold significant potential for supporting comparative methodology: the Bacchi approach to policy analysis; and the Delphi method of eliciting the views of groups of respondents. The article offers new perspectives on conducting comparative analyses. The conclusion invites critical reflection on this research team's development of understandings and methodological approaches to conducting comparative research to critique social justice leadership.
Journal of Educational Administration and History, 56(1), 1-6, 2024
Actor-Network Theory (ANT) sensibilities call for particular kinds of descriptions – the assembli... more Actor-Network Theory (ANT) sensibilities call for particular kinds of descriptions – the
assembling, disassembling, and reassembling of associations – with ANT giving the
possibility of expansion to what is worthy of description. ANT sensibilities comprise a
different relationship to theory, rejecting the top-down mobilisation of theory to
explain, rather than to facilitate further examination, and as such revealing relationships
and the presence of power and policy in such relationships. ANT theorists regard the
reliance on theory to ‘frame’ reality as constituting the failure of research to sufficiently
trace associations and connections. ANT sensibilities empower all actors with a voice to
speak their sociologies, being especially concerned with the discursively and materially
heterogeneous ‘world-making’ activity of actors. ANT flags up ‘what actors achieve by
scaling, spacing, and contextualizing each other’ (Latour 2005, 184, original emphasis).
ANT sensibilities raise the question of politics in research, with knowledge itself being
an actor-network, and with a view that ‘Ways of knowing including science cannot be,
“neutral,” whatever that might’ (Law 2021, xvi).
Power and Education, 2023
It is widely agreed that the relationship between poverty and education is bi-directional: poor p... more It is widely agreed that the relationship between poverty and education is bi-directional: poor people lack access to a decent education, and without the latter people are often constrained to a life of poverty (Van der Berg, 2008). Poverty as a "lifetime, and life-wide status" thus develops into a self-fulfilling prophecy that is difficult to emerge from. We acknowledge the interplay between the notions of "poverty," and "disadvantage," especially in the wide context of education, and school leadership more specifically, as the focus of this conceptual paper, and thus use them interchangeably in order to advocate for full, and equal opportunities in life as a matter of equity, and fairness. Moreover, we firmly regard education as a direct social justice contributor both in the provision of equal life opportunities, and in imparting students with the responsibility for the perpetration of such opportunities (Waite and Arar, 2020). In this conceptual commentary, we stretch this scholarship of social justice further by troubling the notion of poverty from a social justice lens, and redefining it as a type of "under-privilege" in order to engage scholars, policymakers, and stakeholders in meaning-making, and action. We seek to provide our contextual, inclusive, and problematized re-definition of poverty in relation to schooling, and education by portraying students to be considered at risk at any point in time. We ultimately ask ourselves, and our readers to reflect upon this quintessential question: "What is the purpose of education epitomized by?"
Journal of Educational Administration and History, 2023
Literature presents evidence of the exponential rise of distributed leadership both as a focus of... more Literature presents evidence of the exponential rise of distributed leadership both as a focus of research and as leadership development in education in the twenty first century (Hairon, S., and J. W. Goh. 2015. "Pursuing the Elusive Construct of Distributed Leadership: Is the Search Over?" Educational Management Administration & Leadership 43 (5): 693-718; Hall, D. 2013. "The Strange Case of the Emergence of Distributed Leadership in Schools in England." Educational Review 65: 467-487), in addition to the growing criticism of the theory's dominance and its 'acquired taken-for-granted status' (Lumby, J. 2016. "Distributed Leadership as Fashion or fad." Management in Education 30 (4): 161-167). This paper thus seeks to provide a systematic review of the literature on distributed leadership published between 2010 and 2022 through a methodical collection, documentation, scrutiny, and critical analysis of the research publications. The review seeks to identify trends in distributed leadership knowledge production according to the study type/purpose, topical foci, methodological approach, focus group, and geographic distribution via a narrative synthesis approach (Oplatka, I., and K. Arar. 2017. "The Research on Educational Leadership and Management in the Arab World Since the 1990s: A Systematic Review." Review of Education 5 (3): 267-307).
Professional Development in Education, 1-14. Published online 02 July 2023, Jul 2, 2023
International Journal of Leadership in Education, Published online 18 May 2022., 2022
Journal of Educational Administration and History, 54:4, 397-419., 2022
As from the first quarter of 2020, the spotlight in global news has shone brightly on the Covid-1... more As from the first quarter of 2020, the spotlight in global news has shone brightly on the Covid-19 pandemic story. One of the major shifts occurred in education as efforts to stem the spread of the virus prompted school closures. Schools gradually shifted to online teaching, and parents were thus forced to combine their regular jobs with supporting the education of their children. Through the collection of qualitative data from focus groups held with various stakeholders, this paper seeks to explore the emerging home-schooling scenario in Malta and the unplanned for and unprecedented adaptation to an online education environment, in order to examine the novel challenges and tensions that emerged between family, school and work. Despite being conducted in a relatively small nation state, this study offers the possibility of opening a dialogue within the global context with ramifications of a new paradigm shift in education, re-shaped by the novel coronavirus.
Scottish Educational Review, 2017
A central issue in system improvement is the propagation of a common sense of purpose where indiv... more A central issue in system improvement is the propagation of a common sense of purpose where individual institutions can simultaneously bond with the wider system while exercising autonomy in context – hence the centrality of networks and collaboration (Hopkins 2007). The Maltese state education system responded to this concomitant move towards ‘network governance’ through the introduction of school networks (legally termed ‘colleges’), mandated by the policy document For All Children to Succeed (Ministry of Education, Youth and Employment 2005). I explore the implications of this move for the policy actors involved and the system within which this policy reception, translation and enactment unfold through a documentary analysis of the policy document FACTS, thus depicting how a relatively small state education system utilized multi-site school collaboratives to implement system-wide reform. Despite FACTS’ promise of autonomy, the state’s struggle for the retention of hegemony emerges very strongly – this has implications for policy and practice.
Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 2017
In this paper, I explore the relationship of democracy to educational leadership; more specifical... more In this paper, I explore the relationship of democracy to educational leadership; more specifically, to the notion of distributed leadership as it unfolds within policy-mandated multi-site school collaboratives, with particular reference to practices in Malta. Under the policy framework 'For All Children To Succeed' introduced in Malta in 2005, Maltese primary and secondary state schools embarked on the process of being organized into networks, legally termed 'colleges'. I explore leadership distribution among the leaders constituting the college and the subsequent inherent tensions within this educational scenario. The notion of distributed leadership as perceived by the leaders is examined, and especially the leaders' reception of its presentation in the policy document as the leadership discourse; and its eventual (non-)enactment at both school and college level. A Foucauldian theoretical framework, specifically Foucault's concepts of power relations, gov-ernmentality, discourse, and subjectification, is used to carry out a case study of a Maltese college, collecting data via semi-structured, in-depth interviews, participant observation and documentary analysis. Narrative is both the phenomenon under study and the method of analysis. The policy discourse does not unfold in a participatory democratic manner in practice, resulting in an organizational paradox where leadership enactment in a Maltese college is 'directed' from above, rather than 'distributed'. These findings may be significant for educational practice, policy and theory in terms of the generation of problematization which may lead to further research on this contested topic.
International Journal of Leadership in Education, 2015
In the unfolding Maltese education scenario of decentralization and school networking, I explore ... more In the unfolding Maltese education scenario of decentralization and school networking, I
explore distributed leadership as it occurs at the college level through the leaders’ narrative
and performance in an investigation of the power relations among the different-tiered leaders. This article uses data from the case study of a Maltese college consisting of four primary and three secondary schools. Using these data from an ongoing doctoral study, all
subjected to narrative and discourse analysis, I adopt the stance of a ‘story teller’, as I craft
a narrative from the data to represent a ‘play of voices’. Foucault’s theories of power, governmentality, discourse and subjectivation are used to explore the unfolding of power relations. Analysis reveals a dichotomy between the leaders’ narrative of distributed leadership
and their performance of it. There is the presence of a raging battle among the discourses
of collegiality and isolationism, through the discourse of distributed leadership, and within
the discourse of educational leadership itself. Distributed leadership is a challenge to perform at the college level; with resistance being demonstrated in overt or more subtle ways
along the different hierarchies, although power does circulate. This article contributes to
educational leadership literature with regard to the power relations among top educational
leaders in a networked school setting.
Journal of Education Policy, 2016
This paper explores, from a Foucauldian perspective, the emergence and nature of the current EU e... more This paper explores, from a Foucauldian perspective, the emergence and
nature of the current EU education policy priority issue of ‘early school
leaving’. The paper suggests that a number of problematisations developing
from the failure to secure Lisbon Strategy objectives have served to
create a much stronger focus on the issue of young people deemed to be
leaving education and training early in EU states. In examining how EU
policy discourse positions such young people (subjectivation), the paper
highlights how this has narrowed to a concern with young people as
economic problems and principally positioned as economic units which
are required to be more productive. Education and training are understood
as investments in human capital and as the principal means to secure the
dominant global economic position desired by the EU. The paper suggests,
however, that human capital theory has been modified within this approach
so that merely being retained in an educational setting is seen as proxy for
the investment which education and training represent. This is a weaker
policy position than previously espoused but, born of economic crisis, one
which addresses related EU political aims of softening youth unemployment
figures, dampening associated unrest and reducing risks to social cohesion.
International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 2016
Based on the need to address the empirical reticence in the leadership literature revolving aroun... more Based on the need to address the empirical reticence in the leadership
literature revolving around networking dynamics in school governance,
I conducted a case study of a Maltese multi-site school collaborative,
the findings of which are represented in a semi-fictionalized narrative
dramatization. This article focuses on the crafting of this narrative
dramatization and the rationale behind this choice of narrative in social
science. In depicting my rather unconventional mode of data representation,
I demonstrate how a researcher attempts to negotiate the methodological
tensions and contradictions in qualitative inquiry in order to construct
knowledge differently. Through an understanding of my unique voice in
research, I consider how representation will always remain incomplete.
Furthermore, I argue for a continuous reconceptualization of validity as
unpredictable and undecidable, while troubling the notions of transcription,
translation and ‘verbatim’ in my research. Acknowledging the importance
of textuality, I comprehend the significance of the writing process in my
research, rather than just the product of my inquiry.
Journal of Education Policy, 2016
The politics of the later part of the twentieth century have been marked by the emergence of neol... more The politics of the later part of the twentieth century have been marked
by the emergence of neoliberalism, which has consequently impregnated
the global policy climate with neoliberal technologies of government. It
is within this political scenario of hegemonic neoliberal discourse that I
explore one aspect of school reform in Malta – contrived school networking
as mandated by the policy document ‘For All Children to Succeed’ (FACT),
issued in 2005, by which Maltese primary and secondary state schools
were geographically clustered into 10 colleges. I explore the influence
of neoliberalism and the presence/absence of its characteristics, namely,
State central control, the ‘empowerment’ agenda and the tension between
autonomy and accountability. This is done both through policy analysis
and policy reception – I carry out a documentary analysis of FACT and
present this together with the leaders’ views, collated from interviews and
observation, after being subjected to narrative analysis and interpreted
through Foucault’s concepts of discourse and governmentality. Despite
the gradual unfolding of the decentralization process, there is a very strong
presence of State central control. Besides methodological significance for
policy scholarship, this article has particular philosophical implications
for educational policy, practice and theory within the infrastructure of
globalized neoliberal governmentality.
International Journal of Actor-Network Theory and Technological Innovation, 2014
In this theoretical paper, the author provides a critical review of the Actor-Network Theory conc... more In this theoretical paper, the author provides a critical review of the Actor-Network Theory concept, while considering the relative under-utilization of Actor-Network Theory in education studies, tracing possible ways in which this theory can contribute as an analytical framework through its strands of 'actor-network', 'symmetry', 'translation', and their constituents-thus facilitating its international growth. Two concepts this paper gives prominence to are networks and power relations. The author challenges the widespread conception of the 'network' metaphor propagated by globalization discourses, contrasting it in turn with the network conception in Actor-Network Theory, where the main premise is multiplicity. The author explores Actor-Network Theory as a theory of the mechanics of power, concerning itself with the establishment of hegemony. This paper is especially aimed at those researchers of education reform who are as yet unfamiliar with Actor-Network Theory and somewhat sceptical of socio-material approaches, in order for them to realize its unrivalled potential contribution to their work.
Improving Schools, 2015
This article, which is set within the Maltese education scenario of unfolding decentralization th... more This article, which is set within the Maltese education scenario of unfolding decentralization through the setting-up of multi-site school collaboratives (legally termed 'colleges') via a policy mandate, explores a particular aspect of this reform-that of 'networking'. This is examined in terms of the potential for 'networking' that educational leaders have at both school and college levels and the 'effects' of these (non-) opportunities on both the leaders and the network itself. My study is framed within a postmodern paradigm and interpreted through a Foucauldian theoretical framework. Data for this case study are collected via semi-structured, in-depth interviews; participant observation; and documentary analysis; which are then subjected to narrative analysis. The findings reveal a very detached bond within and across levels, with this detachment unfolding simultaneously within both micro and macro strata. This article, besides theoretically addressing a gap in literature regarding the shortcomings of networks and network dynamics, has a particular significance for educational practitioners, policy makers, and all those who have school improvement on their agenda.
International Studies in Educational Administration, 51:2, 24-48, 2023
The COVID-19 pandemic has had dramatic implications for education systems across the globe, main... more The COVID-19 pandemic has had dramatic implications for education systems across the
globe, mainly due to the fact that it induced school closures worldwide as a drastic measure to curb this
health crisis. School leaders had to operate in crisis mode, whilst ensuring that measures and policy
directives issued by the government were effectively implemented. This article provides a review of the
literature on school leadership in the pandemic through a methodical collection, documentation,
scrutiny, and critical analysis of the research publications. The review seeks to map trends in what has
been published in a relatively short time span, in addition to identifying gaps and silences within this
new field in terms of empirical scholarship and methodological diversity, as well as geographical
location via a narrative synthesis approach. The findings point to a spread of publications over a wide
geographical and cultural spectrum, with the distinct focus of empirical studies being qualitative and
focusing on school leaders. The three emergent themes centre around school leadership within the school
context, relationships with the wider community, and engagement with policy. This literature review
is significant for educational practice, policy, and scholarship in terms of identifying gaps, with
implications for future research.
The present systematic literature review is undertaken within the context of concerted efforts ai... more The present systematic literature review is undertaken within the context of concerted efforts aimed at diversifying the knowledge base of female leadership in the educational context. Much of the research in the field has been done in Anglo-American and European contexts. To this effect, the study conducts a systematic literature review to identify published research on female leadership in the Arab world written in English between 2000 and 2022. The findings of the review show a dominance of empirical studies with the majority being qualitative in nature and having a limited level of conceptualization, which poses a challenge to understanding female leadership as a contextual intersubjective phenomenon. This review highlights the importance of the sociocultural factors as a pivotal theme connecting with and affecting the three other themes of the review, the challenges and enablers of female leadership in the Arab world, and leadership perception and persona that women leaders develop. The review concludes with insights for researchers, policymakers and practitioners in the region.
Teaching Scotland, Issue 99, 2024
Where is teacher education in ‘becoming’, ‘being’ or ‘growing’ as a teacher?, asks Dr Denise Mifs... more Where is teacher education in ‘becoming’, ‘being’ or ‘growing’ as a teacher?, asks Dr Denise Mifsud, Associate Professor in Educational Leadership, Management and Governance at the University of Bath
Journal of Education Policy, 2024
The term 'governance' is one of the most widely applied concepts in education policy and research... more The term 'governance' is one of the most widely applied concepts in education policy and research. Yet its meaning has changed over space and time both analytically and normatively. This history is a complicated one marked by both shifts and continuations in the politics of language and the development of unique intellectual histories and conceptual and empirical turns in the field of education. In this paper we systematically delineate the different meanings ascribed to governance within education with a focus on its polyvalence as a political project, empirical object and research analytic. Specifically, we highlight the various complementarities and tensions flowing from this rich and evolving language. We conclude by calling for more education researchers to reflect on this complicated history and attendant language as part of their framings and interpretations of governance.
Equity in Education and Society, 1-17, 2023
This article is concerned with considerations for conducting comparative analyses, with a focus o... more This article is concerned with considerations for conducting comparative analyses, with a focus on the process of creating a diverse international research team committed to investigating equity issues in education and society. Following brief background information on the International School Leadership Development Network (ISLDN), provided to contextualise the author team and the article's discussion, the main sections focus on conducting comparative equity research and related methodological considerations. The authors explore the development of specific research methods which they consider to hold significant potential for supporting comparative methodology: the Bacchi approach to policy analysis; and the Delphi method of eliciting the views of groups of respondents. The article offers new perspectives on conducting comparative analyses. The conclusion invites critical reflection on this research team's development of understandings and methodological approaches to conducting comparative research to critique social justice leadership.
Journal of Educational Administration and History, 56(1), 1-6, 2024
Actor-Network Theory (ANT) sensibilities call for particular kinds of descriptions – the assembli... more Actor-Network Theory (ANT) sensibilities call for particular kinds of descriptions – the
assembling, disassembling, and reassembling of associations – with ANT giving the
possibility of expansion to what is worthy of description. ANT sensibilities comprise a
different relationship to theory, rejecting the top-down mobilisation of theory to
explain, rather than to facilitate further examination, and as such revealing relationships
and the presence of power and policy in such relationships. ANT theorists regard the
reliance on theory to ‘frame’ reality as constituting the failure of research to sufficiently
trace associations and connections. ANT sensibilities empower all actors with a voice to
speak their sociologies, being especially concerned with the discursively and materially
heterogeneous ‘world-making’ activity of actors. ANT flags up ‘what actors achieve by
scaling, spacing, and contextualizing each other’ (Latour 2005, 184, original emphasis).
ANT sensibilities raise the question of politics in research, with knowledge itself being
an actor-network, and with a view that ‘Ways of knowing including science cannot be,
“neutral,” whatever that might’ (Law 2021, xvi).
Power and Education, 2023
It is widely agreed that the relationship between poverty and education is bi-directional: poor p... more It is widely agreed that the relationship between poverty and education is bi-directional: poor people lack access to a decent education, and without the latter people are often constrained to a life of poverty (Van der Berg, 2008). Poverty as a "lifetime, and life-wide status" thus develops into a self-fulfilling prophecy that is difficult to emerge from. We acknowledge the interplay between the notions of "poverty," and "disadvantage," especially in the wide context of education, and school leadership more specifically, as the focus of this conceptual paper, and thus use them interchangeably in order to advocate for full, and equal opportunities in life as a matter of equity, and fairness. Moreover, we firmly regard education as a direct social justice contributor both in the provision of equal life opportunities, and in imparting students with the responsibility for the perpetration of such opportunities (Waite and Arar, 2020). In this conceptual commentary, we stretch this scholarship of social justice further by troubling the notion of poverty from a social justice lens, and redefining it as a type of "under-privilege" in order to engage scholars, policymakers, and stakeholders in meaning-making, and action. We seek to provide our contextual, inclusive, and problematized re-definition of poverty in relation to schooling, and education by portraying students to be considered at risk at any point in time. We ultimately ask ourselves, and our readers to reflect upon this quintessential question: "What is the purpose of education epitomized by?"
Journal of Educational Administration and History, 2023
Literature presents evidence of the exponential rise of distributed leadership both as a focus of... more Literature presents evidence of the exponential rise of distributed leadership both as a focus of research and as leadership development in education in the twenty first century (Hairon, S., and J. W. Goh. 2015. "Pursuing the Elusive Construct of Distributed Leadership: Is the Search Over?" Educational Management Administration & Leadership 43 (5): 693-718; Hall, D. 2013. "The Strange Case of the Emergence of Distributed Leadership in Schools in England." Educational Review 65: 467-487), in addition to the growing criticism of the theory's dominance and its 'acquired taken-for-granted status' (Lumby, J. 2016. "Distributed Leadership as Fashion or fad." Management in Education 30 (4): 161-167). This paper thus seeks to provide a systematic review of the literature on distributed leadership published between 2010 and 2022 through a methodical collection, documentation, scrutiny, and critical analysis of the research publications. The review seeks to identify trends in distributed leadership knowledge production according to the study type/purpose, topical foci, methodological approach, focus group, and geographic distribution via a narrative synthesis approach (Oplatka, I., and K. Arar. 2017. "The Research on Educational Leadership and Management in the Arab World Since the 1990s: A Systematic Review." Review of Education 5 (3): 267-307).
Professional Development in Education, 1-14. Published online 02 July 2023, Jul 2, 2023
International Journal of Leadership in Education, Published online 18 May 2022., 2022
Journal of Educational Administration and History, 54:4, 397-419., 2022
As from the first quarter of 2020, the spotlight in global news has shone brightly on the Covid-1... more As from the first quarter of 2020, the spotlight in global news has shone brightly on the Covid-19 pandemic story. One of the major shifts occurred in education as efforts to stem the spread of the virus prompted school closures. Schools gradually shifted to online teaching, and parents were thus forced to combine their regular jobs with supporting the education of their children. Through the collection of qualitative data from focus groups held with various stakeholders, this paper seeks to explore the emerging home-schooling scenario in Malta and the unplanned for and unprecedented adaptation to an online education environment, in order to examine the novel challenges and tensions that emerged between family, school and work. Despite being conducted in a relatively small nation state, this study offers the possibility of opening a dialogue within the global context with ramifications of a new paradigm shift in education, re-shaped by the novel coronavirus.
Scottish Educational Review, 2017
A central issue in system improvement is the propagation of a common sense of purpose where indiv... more A central issue in system improvement is the propagation of a common sense of purpose where individual institutions can simultaneously bond with the wider system while exercising autonomy in context – hence the centrality of networks and collaboration (Hopkins 2007). The Maltese state education system responded to this concomitant move towards ‘network governance’ through the introduction of school networks (legally termed ‘colleges’), mandated by the policy document For All Children to Succeed (Ministry of Education, Youth and Employment 2005). I explore the implications of this move for the policy actors involved and the system within which this policy reception, translation and enactment unfold through a documentary analysis of the policy document FACTS, thus depicting how a relatively small state education system utilized multi-site school collaboratives to implement system-wide reform. Despite FACTS’ promise of autonomy, the state’s struggle for the retention of hegemony emerges very strongly – this has implications for policy and practice.
Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 2017
In this paper, I explore the relationship of democracy to educational leadership; more specifical... more In this paper, I explore the relationship of democracy to educational leadership; more specifically, to the notion of distributed leadership as it unfolds within policy-mandated multi-site school collaboratives, with particular reference to practices in Malta. Under the policy framework 'For All Children To Succeed' introduced in Malta in 2005, Maltese primary and secondary state schools embarked on the process of being organized into networks, legally termed 'colleges'. I explore leadership distribution among the leaders constituting the college and the subsequent inherent tensions within this educational scenario. The notion of distributed leadership as perceived by the leaders is examined, and especially the leaders' reception of its presentation in the policy document as the leadership discourse; and its eventual (non-)enactment at both school and college level. A Foucauldian theoretical framework, specifically Foucault's concepts of power relations, gov-ernmentality, discourse, and subjectification, is used to carry out a case study of a Maltese college, collecting data via semi-structured, in-depth interviews, participant observation and documentary analysis. Narrative is both the phenomenon under study and the method of analysis. The policy discourse does not unfold in a participatory democratic manner in practice, resulting in an organizational paradox where leadership enactment in a Maltese college is 'directed' from above, rather than 'distributed'. These findings may be significant for educational practice, policy and theory in terms of the generation of problematization which may lead to further research on this contested topic.
International Journal of Leadership in Education, 2015
In the unfolding Maltese education scenario of decentralization and school networking, I explore ... more In the unfolding Maltese education scenario of decentralization and school networking, I
explore distributed leadership as it occurs at the college level through the leaders’ narrative
and performance in an investigation of the power relations among the different-tiered leaders. This article uses data from the case study of a Maltese college consisting of four primary and three secondary schools. Using these data from an ongoing doctoral study, all
subjected to narrative and discourse analysis, I adopt the stance of a ‘story teller’, as I craft
a narrative from the data to represent a ‘play of voices’. Foucault’s theories of power, governmentality, discourse and subjectivation are used to explore the unfolding of power relations. Analysis reveals a dichotomy between the leaders’ narrative of distributed leadership
and their performance of it. There is the presence of a raging battle among the discourses
of collegiality and isolationism, through the discourse of distributed leadership, and within
the discourse of educational leadership itself. Distributed leadership is a challenge to perform at the college level; with resistance being demonstrated in overt or more subtle ways
along the different hierarchies, although power does circulate. This article contributes to
educational leadership literature with regard to the power relations among top educational
leaders in a networked school setting.
Journal of Education Policy, 2016
This paper explores, from a Foucauldian perspective, the emergence and nature of the current EU e... more This paper explores, from a Foucauldian perspective, the emergence and
nature of the current EU education policy priority issue of ‘early school
leaving’. The paper suggests that a number of problematisations developing
from the failure to secure Lisbon Strategy objectives have served to
create a much stronger focus on the issue of young people deemed to be
leaving education and training early in EU states. In examining how EU
policy discourse positions such young people (subjectivation), the paper
highlights how this has narrowed to a concern with young people as
economic problems and principally positioned as economic units which
are required to be more productive. Education and training are understood
as investments in human capital and as the principal means to secure the
dominant global economic position desired by the EU. The paper suggests,
however, that human capital theory has been modified within this approach
so that merely being retained in an educational setting is seen as proxy for
the investment which education and training represent. This is a weaker
policy position than previously espoused but, born of economic crisis, one
which addresses related EU political aims of softening youth unemployment
figures, dampening associated unrest and reducing risks to social cohesion.
International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 2016
Based on the need to address the empirical reticence in the leadership literature revolving aroun... more Based on the need to address the empirical reticence in the leadership
literature revolving around networking dynamics in school governance,
I conducted a case study of a Maltese multi-site school collaborative,
the findings of which are represented in a semi-fictionalized narrative
dramatization. This article focuses on the crafting of this narrative
dramatization and the rationale behind this choice of narrative in social
science. In depicting my rather unconventional mode of data representation,
I demonstrate how a researcher attempts to negotiate the methodological
tensions and contradictions in qualitative inquiry in order to construct
knowledge differently. Through an understanding of my unique voice in
research, I consider how representation will always remain incomplete.
Furthermore, I argue for a continuous reconceptualization of validity as
unpredictable and undecidable, while troubling the notions of transcription,
translation and ‘verbatim’ in my research. Acknowledging the importance
of textuality, I comprehend the significance of the writing process in my
research, rather than just the product of my inquiry.
Journal of Education Policy, 2016
The politics of the later part of the twentieth century have been marked by the emergence of neol... more The politics of the later part of the twentieth century have been marked
by the emergence of neoliberalism, which has consequently impregnated
the global policy climate with neoliberal technologies of government. It
is within this political scenario of hegemonic neoliberal discourse that I
explore one aspect of school reform in Malta – contrived school networking
as mandated by the policy document ‘For All Children to Succeed’ (FACT),
issued in 2005, by which Maltese primary and secondary state schools
were geographically clustered into 10 colleges. I explore the influence
of neoliberalism and the presence/absence of its characteristics, namely,
State central control, the ‘empowerment’ agenda and the tension between
autonomy and accountability. This is done both through policy analysis
and policy reception – I carry out a documentary analysis of FACT and
present this together with the leaders’ views, collated from interviews and
observation, after being subjected to narrative analysis and interpreted
through Foucault’s concepts of discourse and governmentality. Despite
the gradual unfolding of the decentralization process, there is a very strong
presence of State central control. Besides methodological significance for
policy scholarship, this article has particular philosophical implications
for educational policy, practice and theory within the infrastructure of
globalized neoliberal governmentality.
International Journal of Actor-Network Theory and Technological Innovation, 2014
In this theoretical paper, the author provides a critical review of the Actor-Network Theory conc... more In this theoretical paper, the author provides a critical review of the Actor-Network Theory concept, while considering the relative under-utilization of Actor-Network Theory in education studies, tracing possible ways in which this theory can contribute as an analytical framework through its strands of 'actor-network', 'symmetry', 'translation', and their constituents-thus facilitating its international growth. Two concepts this paper gives prominence to are networks and power relations. The author challenges the widespread conception of the 'network' metaphor propagated by globalization discourses, contrasting it in turn with the network conception in Actor-Network Theory, where the main premise is multiplicity. The author explores Actor-Network Theory as a theory of the mechanics of power, concerning itself with the establishment of hegemony. This paper is especially aimed at those researchers of education reform who are as yet unfamiliar with Actor-Network Theory and somewhat sceptical of socio-material approaches, in order for them to realize its unrivalled potential contribution to their work.
Improving Schools, 2015
This article, which is set within the Maltese education scenario of unfolding decentralization th... more This article, which is set within the Maltese education scenario of unfolding decentralization through the setting-up of multi-site school collaboratives (legally termed 'colleges') via a policy mandate, explores a particular aspect of this reform-that of 'networking'. This is examined in terms of the potential for 'networking' that educational leaders have at both school and college levels and the 'effects' of these (non-) opportunities on both the leaders and the network itself. My study is framed within a postmodern paradigm and interpreted through a Foucauldian theoretical framework. Data for this case study are collected via semi-structured, in-depth interviews; participant observation; and documentary analysis; which are then subjected to narrative analysis. The findings reveal a very detached bond within and across levels, with this detachment unfolding simultaneously within both micro and macro strata. This article, besides theoretically addressing a gap in literature regarding the shortcomings of networks and network dynamics, has a particular significance for educational practitioners, policy makers, and all those who have school improvement on their agenda.
Emerald Publishing Limited, 2024
Singapore: Springer, 2021
This book documents and deconstructs the concept of educational leadership within various educati... more This book documents and deconstructs the concept of educational leadership within
various education settings originating from diverse global environments. It focuses
on presenting different readings of educational leadership via distinct theoretical
and methodological applications. It takes forward the idea of critical leadership
studies and uses creative analytic practices to present layered readings of
educational leadership. The book offers leadership studies dealing with various
education settings across a wide spectrum with international perspectives. It
provides examples of educational narratives through somewhat unconventional
modes of representation. This book is beneficial to readers interested in the study of
educational leadership and using qualitative methodologies in educational
research.
Singapore: Springer, 2023
This edited book provides a critical re-reading of the concept of teacher education, in addition... more This edited book provides a critical re-reading of the concept of teacher education, in
addition to a re-thinking of the sole focus on Initial Teacher Education (ITE), with
implications for education policy, theory, and practice. This book presents new investigations that explore the concept of teacher education from ITE to retirement and how
this is being enacted within the various distinct European and international education
contexts. It demonstrates teaching and teacher education as a deeply contested field
within European education and within the different national contexts of Europe.
Contributions in this book expose teacher education as a continuum of teacher
learning that is set off from the beginning of the teachers’ own schooling and
continues throughout their entire teaching career. The chapters deal with various
issues, namely teacher induction and mentoring; teacher agency; teachers as
researchers; the role of the head teacher; schools as learning communities; and
distinct ITE practices. It is intended for postgraduate students and researchers with
an interest in teaching and teacher education, educational policies and politics, and
educational philosophy, as well as practitioners.
London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2017
There are now many books about Foucault. This book uses Foucault and takes on the spirit and styl... more There are now many books about Foucault. This book uses Foucault and takes on the spirit and style of his method to explore the practice of institutional leadership. Drawing on Foucault's interest in absurdist drama, Mifsud's study examines some of the dramas of institutional life. In doing so she throws down a challenge to the orthodoxes of qualitative method.
PhD thesis submitted to the School of Education, University of Stirling - October 2014, 2014
Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill Academic Publishers, 2021
London: Palgrave Macmillan, Apr 11, 2018
Palgrave studies in gender and education, London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2019
WISERD 2013 Annual Conference, 2013
TEPE Conference, May 21, 2016
ECER Conference, Aug 23, 2016
BERA Conference, Sep 15, 2016
Paper presented at the 2013 RWL8 Conference, 19th-21st June 2013, Stirling: University of Stirling., Jun 21, 2013
Paper presented at the Doctoral Conference, University of Stirling, May 2012, May 26, 2012
Paper presented at the fourteenth annual meeting of the 'Foucault Circle', University of Malmo, Malmo, Sweden, 5-8 June 2014., Jun 5, 2014
Information Age Publishing, 2024
IN D. Mifsud (Ed.) (2021) Narratives of Educational Leadership: Representing Research via Creative Analytic Practices, 1-20. , 2021
This introduction aims to set the context for the subsequent chapters that draw on narrative meth... more This introduction aims to set the context for the subsequent chapters that draw on narrative methodologies and creative analytic practices, while employing distinct theoretical frameworks, to document and deconstruct the concept of educational leadership within various education settings originating from diverse global environments. It argues the case for the new ‘theory turn’ in educational leadership scholarship, thus calling for the problematization of educational leadership discourses. Moreover, it debates the relevance of narrative and creative analytic practices for the analysis and representation of critical educational leadership scholarship. This acts as a prelude to explorations of educational leaders’ mundane practices, and perceptions, that enable a textured reading of educational leadership with various layers. This creates a space for the various writers to map the diverse ways in which leadership discourses are received, translated, and enacted at the practitioner level within the constraints of local and global policy.
IN M. Murray & D. Mifsud (Eds.) (2019) The Positioning and Making of Female Professors: Pushing Career Advancement Open, 1-26, 2019
The main aim of this chapter is to explore the positioning of females in higher education as pres... more The main aim of this chapter is to explore the positioning of females in higher education as presented in the literature, with a specific focus on gender equity and obstacles along the path to professorial level, as well as the trajectories across diverse HE systems. It thus serves as an introduction to the plethora of personal narratives of female professors hailing from diverse disciplines and cultural backgrounds, with each unique professional life story contributing to the discourses that constitute these successful academics who made it. Efforts to shift the gender bias in academia at both European and international levels (European Commission 2009) have been addressed both through policy priorities and shifts in governance mechanisms (Teelken and Deem 2013). These changes reflect wider societal changes (Winchester and Browning 2015). However, gender imbalance at professorial level remains (Macfarlane 2012). Consequently, this creates a discursive space in which to problematize the ‘gender question’ in the academy through an exploration of the multiple status differentials and hierarchies, as well as the fluid power relations that render women both subjects and objects (Midkiff 2015). The various scholars who have endeavoured to ‘unmask the rules of the game that lurk beneath the surface rationality of academic meritocracy’ (Morley 2013, p. 116) have revealed various discrimination practices that act as barriers to female academics pursuing leadership in higher education. These barriers, at times identifiable at the recruitment process (Grove 2013), revolve around gendered institutional cultures and practices, individual factors and family responsibilities. Collectively, these ‘stumbling blocks’ have been termed as ‘cultural sexism’ (Savigny 2014, p. 796) due to the pervading ‘chilly climate’ for women in academia. This critical literature narrative provides a backdrop for the subsequent experiences of ‘successful’ women professors in the book, with the ten tales of career progression serving as the mosaic to aid our understanding of these female identities in higher education.
IN D. Mifsud & P. Landri (Eds.) (2021) Enacting and conceptualizing educational leadership within the Mediterranean region, 1-10, Mar 10, 2021
This introductory chapter sets the stage for this edited book that documents and deconstructs the... more This introductory chapter sets the stage for this edited book that documents and deconstructs the concept of educational leadership within various education settings across the Mediterranean region, exploring the intersection of education, culture and geopolitics as shaped by the distinct social, religious, national, cultural and geographic contexts. Notoriously little agreement exists about how leadership may be defined – describe the field as characterized by ‘conceptual confusion and endemic vagueness’ (p. 369). This chapter problematizes the romanticization of leadership, as well as the concept of leader centrism, while deconstructing the search for a blueprint of competences that define leadership as an exceptional practice that can simply be simulated across situations, contexts and cultures. The authors further problematize the notions of universality and cultural contingency in educational leadership, given the recent unfolding of a cultural turn in educational leadership studies. Consequently, this chapter paves the way for the presentation of an understanding of the effect of state policies, geopolitics and popular culture on leadership enactment within the diverse education landscapes constituting the Mediterranean basin.
IN D. Mifsud & S. Day (Eds.) (2023) Teacher education as an ongoing professional trajectory - Implications for policy and practice, 1-25, 2023
This introduction aims to set the context for the subsequent chapters that provide a critical re-... more This introduction aims to set the context for the subsequent chapters that provide a critical re-reading of the concept of teacher education from various countries. Supporting Europe’s teachers is one of the EU priorities that were bolstered by confirmation of the importance of revising and strengthening the professional profile of the teaching profession. Teachers are regarded as key players in the enactment of accountability systems at the local level, at times being forced to vindicate their professional status and judgement which ultimately affects their professional identity and their perception of self-efficacy as education professionals. Besides being lifelong learners, teachers are also regarded as valued professionals, with the notion of professional teachers thus evolving to address the challenges emerging in twenty-first-century education. This chapter thus seeks to problematize how the concept of teacher education is being understood by policymakers, teacher education providers, and the teachers themselves. Teaching and teacher education are a deeply contested field within education and within different national contexts, with research on teacher education still a ‘messy’ and somewhat young research field.
IN R. Papa (Ed.), Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education (oxfordre.com/education), 1-33., Jan 30, 2020
It is evident that in many educational systems there has been a partial dissolution of the tradit... more It is evident that in many educational systems there has been a partial dissolution of the traditional single school model towards more flexible modes of organizational link-up, taking the form of increased collaboration among schools. The early 21st-century climate of rapid technological change creates a need for collective knowledge creation and information sharing at classroom, school, and system level. Different forms of networks, collaboratives, and federations have become an established part of many educational landscapes and have arisen for a number of reasons. Some have been 'imposed' on schools, others have been 'incentivized' by the offer of external funding, but many have arisen because of the efforts of educational leaders who want to make a difference in their locality, which assumes their essential good. Within education, networks are regarded as one of the most promising levers for large-scale reform due to their potential to re-culture both the environment and the system in which policy-makers operate through increased cooperation, interconnectedness, and multi-agency. School networks contribute to capacity-building across the education service through the production of multiple solutions for potential, multifaceted, and intractable problems. Networks foster innovation, providing a test bed for new ideas while offering a platform for gradual innovation, distributing the risks and the workloads among different schools. Moreover, they provide capacity-building, reflective practice, and an inquiry frame of mind besides raising achievement and enhancing student outcomes through the sharing of resources and professional expertise. Networks enable schools to overcome their isolationism and move to form community relationships. Notwithstanding the benefits generated by collaboration, some of the ambiguities surrounding the setting up of school networks focus on: network purpose; collaborative inertia; collaboration and accountability; trust and relationships; conscription and volunteerism; identity and autonomy; competition and cooperation; lateral agency; and power inequality. There is no simple, single solution to leading networks, due to the very nature of a network making it difficult to define who its leaders are, resulting in leadership that is defined by activity rather than by formal position.
IN V.A. Storey & T.E. Beeman (Eds.) Improving Higher Education Models Through International Comparative Analysis, 253-270, Jun 16, 2023
This chapter uses the backdrop of the pressures created by international comparative analysis in ... more This chapter uses the backdrop of the pressures created by international comparative analysis in a global
education system through mechanisms such as PISA, PIRLS, TIMSS, and the OECD to compare the approaches taken by both Great Britain and the Swedish government over the last decade in their attitudes
to leadership development with school staff, and particularly their leadership teams. It examines the
national program rolled out in Sweden and the merits of tying this into university education departments.
In England, this leadership development has moved away from universities to being centralized in a
marketized process, with all the service provision outsourced to the non-profit and private sectors, thus
having little to do with the higher education landscape, despite the international comparative analysis
that is regularly published that demonstrates that this is where it is best placed.
IN D. Mifsud & P. Landri (Eds.) (2021) Enacting and conceptualizing educational leadership within the Mediterranean region, 11-36, 2021
Educators have had good reason to be concerned with social justice in a context where diversity h... more Educators have had good reason to be concerned with social justice in a context where diversity has become more pronounced in both our schools and communities, with widening divisions between the advantaged and the disadvantaged. Internationally, increasing emphasis has been placed on utilizing the role of school leadership to address issues of social justice and equality. This is unfolding within a scenario where comparative studies of the performance of educational systems, such as PISA, TIMSS and PIRLS, dominate the policy imagination globally, which assessment regimes have led to increased pressure on school systems. Locally, the issues of social justice and equity in education are being addressed via curricular and policy-oriented reform, within a society welcoming an ever-increasing influx of migrants and a local economic reality with identified skills shortages. It is within such a local Euro-Mediterranean context that this chapter seeks to explore how issues of social justice and equity are addressed at both policy and practitioner level. In-depth, semi-structured interviews with the Heads of both a Primary and a Secondary State School with an ethnically-diverse student population provide a narrative of leadership for social justice, while allowing for a critique of how policies are being perceived and enacted in practice. Leadership and social justice not being natural bedfellows (), with social justice being culturally constructed, these headmasters’ narratives provide an understanding as to how personal, cultural and national contexts contribute to the enactment of social justice leadership. What criteria can we use to judge whether an educational policy or practice is socially just? How do we make comparative assessments of social justice in education? The findings of this small-scale study have implications for other national systems within the Euro-Mediterranean region, particularly those who are concerned with addressing issues of social justice and equity via schooling.
IN D. Mifsud (Ed.) (2021) Narratives of Educational Leadership: Representing Research via Creative Analytic Practices, 73-113, 2021
Educators have had good reason to be concerned with social justice in a context where diversity h... more Educators have had good reason to be concerned with social justice in a context where diversity has become more pronounced in both our schools and communities, with widening divisions between the advantaged and the disadvantaged. Locally, the issues of social justice and equity in education are being addressed via curricular and policy-oriented reform, within a society welcoming an ever-increasing influx of migrants and a local economic reality with identified skills shortages. It is within such a de-stabilized socio-economic reality created by the arrival of migrants that this chapter seeks to explore how issues of social justice and equity are addressed through a juxtaposition of policy and practice via leadership performances within two primary schools, with a specific reference to migrant learners and students from poor social backgrounds. My particular leadership narrative is presented in a semi-fictionalized narrative dramatization made up of various characters in which I employ the ‘triple’ use of narrative (Mifsud 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019). The three scenes of ‘The Script’ enable me to draw out the absurdities, inconsistencies, and inherent contradictions where (dys)functional leadership is not necessarily unfolding as set out in the policy documents that purport social justice and equity. The findings of this small-scale case study have implications for other national systems, particularly those that are concerned with addressing issues of social justice and equity via schooling.
IN T. Al Barwani, M. Flores & D. Imig (Eds.) Leading Change in Teacher Education: Lessons from Countries and Education Leaders around the Globe, 58-71, Dec 20, 2018
IN M. Murray & D. Mifsud (Eds.) (2019) The Positioning and Making of Female Professors: Pushing Career Advancement Open, 221-234, 2019
This chapter presents a synthesis of these female career progression narratives in the form of a ... more This chapter presents a synthesis of these female career progression narratives in the form of a semi-fictionalized narrative dramatization crafted from the voices of the female professors themselves. Taking on the multiple role of narrator, observer, interpreter, analyst, playwright, and researcher, I pick on particular moments of these narratives, in order to tell how these made it against all odds. This case study is further interpreted through Foucauldian theory, mainly his concepts of discipline, power relations, discourse, governmentality, and subjectification. Foucault is presented as one of the characters who has a discussion with me (Denise) and the female academic voices in order to interpret the themes unfolding within the scene. This enables the incorporation of researcher interpretation and theory without breaking the flow of the narrative. This play is crafted through a deep engagement with each individual narrative and through getting to know the story of each woman professor. This unconventional mode of data representation [examples of which can be accessed in Mifsud (2016) and Mifsud (2017)] mirrors the unconventional path followed by the female academics in a higher education environment pervaded by hegemonic male discourses. Produced through the eyes of an aspiring woman professor (still very much a passionate researcher in the making), this drama is meant to open up a dialogic space for a likewise-minded academic community. This chapter provides cohesion to the book and, being set in an active and positive framework, suggests methods of regaining control while providing options for the future. This aids opening up for the future rather than just anchoring the narrative within previous experiences.
IN D. Mifsud (Ed.) (2021) Narratives of Educational Leadership: Representing Research via Creative Analytic Practices, 223-239, 2021
This concluding chapter, that acts as the prologue [rather than epilogue] to this edited collecti... more This concluding chapter, that acts as the prologue [rather than epilogue] to this edited collection of educational leadership narratives with a difference, will attempt to ‘bring together’ the contributions in order for both me as editor, and future readers, to reflect on what constitutes the ‘whole’ of this book. This will take the form of an inner reflexive critical dialogue in which Denise features in her simultaneous, overlapping roles of editor and academic/educational leader/policy actor and critic, starting from the inception of this volume, and gradually demonstrating how the individual contributions developed and evolved, thus ‘getting together’ the theoretical and methodological threads spinning all the chapters. This will attempt to raise questions for the reader, thus opening up a dialogue on how to represent educational leadership research differently and critically.
IN F. W. English (Ed.) (2022) The Palgrave Handbook of Educational Leadership and Management Discourse, 1073-1098, 2022
Literature presents evidence of the exponential rise of distributed leadership both as a focus of... more Literature presents evidence of the exponential rise of distributed leadership both as a focus of research and as leadership development in education in the twenty-first century (Hairon S, Goh JWP, Educ Manage Adm Leadersh 43:693–718, 2015; Hall D, Educ Rev 65:467–487, 2013), in addition to the growing criticism of the theory’s dominance and its “acquired taken-for-granted status” (Lumby J, Manage Educ 30:161–167, 2016, p. 161). It remains a resilient leadership concept in the guise of professional capital, collaborative networks, and teacher-led reform (Hargreaves A, J Prof Cap Community 1, 2016; Hargreaves A, Ainscow M, Phi Delta Kappan 97:42–48, 2015; Harris A, J Manage Dev 30:20–32, 2011a; Harris A, Distributed leadership matters: perspectives, practicalities, and potential. Corwin Press, Thousand Oaks, CA, 2013b). Empirical research exploring distribution dilemmas queries the coexistence of distributed leadership and hierarchical leadership, the relationship between the leader and the distributees, as well as the leadership distribution process (Mifsud D, Educ Manage Adm Leadersh 45:978–1001, 2017a). This chapter revisits the literature narrative around the concept of distributed leadership and problematizes this particular school leadership discourse drawing on the work of Michel Foucault, more specifically his notion of governmentality, with a focus on the analytics of government. Distributed leadership, perceived as one of the various educational leadership discourses, emerges as a regime of government, an assembling process, and a mode of subjectification. School leadership is presented as being about distributed leadership to foster empowerment and autonomy, where the governmentality at play thus uses distributed leadership as a means of attaining the desired leadership goals (Gillies D, Educational leadership and Michel Foucault. Routledge, London, 2013). Analyzing distributed leadership discourse through a Foucauldian governmentality perspective positions leadership as a locus of political struggle, thereby enabling school leaders to be open to nontraditional ways of seeing the world. The critique presented in this chapter may thus be significant for educational practice, policy, and theory in terms of the generation of problematization.
IN E. Idemudia (Ed.) Optimizing Social and Organizational Dynamics in the Digital Era, 135-156, 2020
This chapter, which expands on a previous publication, presents a critique of actor-network theor... more This chapter, which expands on a previous publication, presents a critique of actor-network theory as a sociomaterial concept. Furthermore, the author problematizes the relative under-application of this “sensibility” in education research, while simultaneously exploring its contribution as an analytical framework through its central concepts of “actor-network,” “symmetry,” “translation,” and their constituents. This chapter zooms on the concepts of networks and power relations. The author questions the prevalent notion of the “network” metaphor promulgated by globalization discourses, setting it up against the network conception in actor-network theory, where the main principle is multiplicity. Actor-network theory is analyzed as a theory of the mechanics of power, concerning itself with the setting up of hegemony. This chapter is especially targeted for researchers of education reform who are as yet unfamiliar with the concepts of Actor-Network Theory and somewhat wary of the vali...
Journal of Educational Administration and History, Special Issue, 56(1), 2024
ANT claims ‘no final word, no line to draw under an analysis to bring it to a close, no necessary... more ANT claims ‘no final word, no line to draw under an analysis to bring it to a close,
no necessary completion of accounts … no necessary end to the elements that may
contribute to a network’ (Lee and Stenner 1999, 93), a feature also noted by Strathern
(1996). It is this infinity of ANT that makes it ideal for educational research, coupled with
its de-centring which is better understood as a method of analysis. The centredness of
agentic responsibility is dispersed among interdependencies and co-responsibilities, while
the unpredictable nature of responsibility, dependency and ownership are set in motion, a
view I claim is under-research within the field of educational leadership and policy.
It is for the reasons outlined above that I decided to publish a special issue on how
researchers apply ANT to explore matters related to educational leadership and policy
enactment and performance. Authors coming from a range of conceptual, theoretical,
and methodological positions were invited to contribute to global debates on educational
leadership, management and policy in a range of settings through an ANT lens.
Leadership Unwrapped Podcast, Episode 14, 13 March 2023.
Scottish Educational Review, Dec 31, 2015
Improving Schools, 2015
This is not to deny the value of challenging individuals in leadership positions, or indeed progr... more This is not to deny the value of challenging individuals in leadership positions, or indeed programmes of preparation for new headteachers/principals. Kjersti Lien Holte’s chapter is an excellent example, dealing with reasons why critique often fails to happen and unjust structures and practices go unchallenged: silences can result from both an organisational cultural of fear and a cosy feel-good culture.
The Qualitative Report, May 18, 2015
Journal of Education Policy, 2024
The term ‘governance’ is one of the most widely applied concepts in education policy and research... more The term ‘governance’ is one of the most widely applied concepts in education policy and research. Yet its meaning has changed over space and time both analytically and normatively. This history is a complicated one marked by both shifts and continuations in the politics of language and the development of unique intellectual histories and conceptual and empirical turns in the field of education. In this paper we systematically delineate the different meanings ascribed to governance within education with a focus on its polyvalence as a political project, empirical object and research analytic. Specifically, we highlight the various complementarities and tensions flowing from this rich and evolving language. We conclude by calling for more education researchers to reflect on this complicated history and attendant language as part of their framings and interpretations of governance.