Multiple hues: New Zealand school leaders’ perceptions of social justice (original) (raw)
Related papers
Multiple hues : New Zealand school leaders' perceptions of social justice
Journal of educational leadership, policy and practice, 2015
Social justice is a fluid and contested notion. In the absence of a nationally accepted definition of, and commitment to, social justice, New Zealand school leaders and their communities must interpret the nature and substance of this phenomenon. This article examines the perspectives of eight secondary principals who participated in the International School Leadership Development Network's (ISLDN) study on leadership for social justice. Whilst not explicitly theorized as such, participant perspectives of social justice reveal distributive, cultural and associational dimensions. These notions are grounded in, and shaped by, seminal experiences of social justice and injustice, both personal and vicarious. They reflect the amorphous and tentative nature of school leaders' social justice conceptions, and a clarion call for a wider professional conversation.
Social Justice Leaders: Critical Moments in Headteachers’/Principals’ Development
Research in Educational Administration & Leadership
Being a social justice leader makes significant demands on the individual headteacher/principal particularly where there may be conflict, competing demands and significant resistance both within the school and the wider community. There is a question then about what motivates some headteachers to commit to pursuing social justice and equity in their role and what part their own experiences play in their stance around social justice leadership. This article draws from the case studies conducted in Scotland as part of the Social Justice Leadership research strand of the International School Leadership Development Network (ISLDN). In the ISLDN framework the headteacher is characterized at the micro level. The leadership stories illustrate that this micro level is complex and includes not only the practices of these leaders but their stance, personal and professional experiences and continuing professional learning.
The Cultural and Social Foundations of Educational Leadership, 2021
Educational leaders are called to action by the very nature of their jobs, to address issues of social inequity and injustice. Their leadership is key to revealing, disrupting and subverting institutional arrangements which marginalize individuals, reorienting educational engagement towards inclusion, transformation and equity. This chapter examines ways New Zealand educational leaders lead for social justice. It outlines social, moral, cultural and personal dimensions which support and constrain their socially just leadership overall. Exploring the situated meanings and understandings of socially just leadership, and how it manifests in these key areas across different education settings may illuminate possibilities for other leaders to address injustices within their institutions and broader education contexts overall. Keywords Educational leadership • Social justice • Sense making Educational reform has increasingly been perceived as both the problem and the solution in addressing the new work order which is required by the rapidity, complexity and constancy of social change. Educational leaders are frequently described and positioned as 'change agents' (Blackmore, 2002), tasked with the often insurmountable job of mediating and embracing numerous reforms while at the same time leading their schools in ways that prepare young people for tomorrow's world. Hargreaves (2005) contends, "education is the greatest gatekeeper of opportunity and a powerful distributor of life chances. In a socially divided and culturally diverse
Social Justice Leadership in Education: A Suggested Questionnaire
Research in Educational Administration & Leadership, 2018
Article Info This paper reports on the development of the revised Social Justice Questionnaire (SJQ2), an instrument which permits the quantitative examination of socially just school leadership. The SJQ2 is based on data drawn from an exploratory province-wide study to determine to what extent, and how, school principals on Prince Edward Island understand and enact principles of social justice in their work. Although this was a 'stand-alone' project, the research also provides a Canadian contribution to the International School Leadership Development Network (ISLDN). The researchers utilized a mixed methods approach to glean both qualitative and quantitative data for analysis. The findings indicated that there is a statistically significant correlation between socially just school leadership and the community context. This research supports and enhances current qualitative studies by adding a statistical perspective to show that effective social justice leadership cannot be segregated from the political, economic, and cultural context of the community.
A Social Justice Challenge for School Leadership in Australia
Handbook on Promoting Social Justice in Education
School leadership in many countries is affected by multiple challenges. Some are specific to the local community, some emerge from the education system, and some come from government policies. While most reforms center on better educational results for all students, whichever their specific area of focus, some reforms by their very nature, even if inadvertently, disrupt understandings of social justice. When educational reforms influence teachers' professional and personal lives, as well as those of students, the scale of impact magnifies. School leaders' decisions play an integral role in ameliorating that impact, not simply in implementing reform. A theoretical framework based on
Social justice leadership has become a popular topic and catchphrase in the field of educational leadership. However, most scholarly and empirical contributions have ignored the inherent tensions, challenges and dilemmas associated with the practice of school leadership and the realities principals confront on a daily basis. This is partly because researchers have tended to ignore multiple facets of justice in their empirical investigations as well as how larger forces outside the school associated with historical, political, social and economic injustices marginalize students and communities. This article explores three cases of challenging school–community contexts that confound and partially subdue the efforts of well-intentioned principals. Each case highlights a dedicated principal committed to their school and community, and documents the significant progress made in addressing particular social justice issues, but also how they confronted justice dilemmas that they believed required them to prioritize certain social justice issues over others. These findings have important implications for how principals view their communities and engage in critical reflection about the leadership decisions and actions they take on a daily basis. This article concludes with implications for future research and a discussion of how aspiring principals can be better prepared to lead for social justice and effectively address justice dilemmas without ignoring or putting off other injustices.
School Leadership: Commitment to Social Justice
Journal of Educational Leadersship and Policy Studies, 2018
In this paper we argue that more than ever in an era of uncertain and contentious divisions in our diverse society, it is necessary for caring citizens to examine and commit to the fundamental principles that underpin social equity and social justice. We make the case that from decades of comprehensive and multi-faceted data,