Expanding Leadership Capacity toward Social Justice

Abstract

Article Info Educational administrators are consistently challenged to find the right mix of leaders and to identify potentials that can be harnessed to expand the cadre. In both the academic and research communities, there has been much dialogue surrounding the way in which leadership is developed in organisations. These discourses continue to provide avenues for researchers to identify and recommend best practices for leadership development. Varied types of leadership could be explored as a means of expanding leadership capacity and sustaining a cadre of leaders suited to meet the growing needs in educational communities and other spheres. This study investigated perceptions of staff concerning distributed leadership as a possible strategy for enhancing succession planning, expanding leadership capacities, and ensuring that social justice is practiced within their organisation. Two main questions were explored in this study to uncover participants' perceptions of current leadership practices and distributed leadership; and to have them suggest how distributed leadership could be used within their academic unit to expand leadership capacity and to practise social justice. This research provides valuable information regarding how distributed leadership can be used to augment leadership capacities, enhance succession planning, and expand leadership capacity to ensure social justice is practised within the specified context.

The Impact of Principals’ Distributed Leadership Behaviors on Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Multiculturalism: Social Justice Leadership as Mediator

“…Teachers may adopt more social justice behaviors with the redistribution of social and economic goods, such as finding a way of funding the students with scholarships, financial aid, or enactment of academic support programs (Fenech & Skattebol, 2021; Power & Taylor, 2013). This finding is parallel with what the previous research found about the role of school principals’ distributed leadership on teachers’ social justice leadership behaviors (Brooks et al, 2007; Hill-Berry, 2019; Louis et al, 2009; Risku & Tian, 2013; Woods, 2015). However, contrary to expectations, a statistically significant relationship was not found between distributed leadership behaviors regarding school organization and teachers’ support decisions.…”

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“…Banks (1995) describes this movement as the restructuring of school structure to facilitate equity and empowerment. Culturally responsive education, allows for teachers to give much attention to hegemonic classroom practices and reflect upon their own social, educational and political identities (Irvine & Armento, 2001;Villegas & Lucas, 2002). Social justice education, integrates democratic education, critical pedagogy, multicultural education and culturally responsive education (Adams, Bell & Griffin 1997).…”

The Leadership Capacity of the Principal in Improving the Quality of Learning During the Covid-19 Pandemic

“…Especially in the midst of a pandemic, implementing the education process effectively and efficiently is a challenge that must be faced by a head of school. The effectiveness of the educational process and its outcomes all reflect the leadership of the principal [25].…”