This article describes a study that explores the ways in which principals use their political acumen to promote social justice in their schools. Employing face-to-face interviews with 28 principals who have worked in a variety of schools, the study examines the principals' efforts to understand their political contexts, the manner in which they…

Researchers have long lamented the lack of research regarding the preparation of school leaders. In response, we offer lessons about school and university partnerships from exemplary professional development school (PDS) research to inform collaborative efforts for leadership preparation. We conducted an extensive literature review of 250 studies…

Previous research in the area of resistance has inadequately described opposition to change within-school reform initiatives with a social justice orientation. A lack of attention to, and agreement on, the nature and causes of resistance may explain why so many equity-minded educational reforms fail to be sustained. This article highlights various…

Although scholarship demonstrates the value and need for teaching grounded in equity, diversity and social justice, little research has explored the relationship between transformative professional development and transformative teaching. This survey research study conducted in 25 US diverse elementary schools investigated statistical…

While networking is becoming an increasingly popular school improvement strategy with high levels of success, there is little research that shows the challenges school leaders face as they enter into these new relationships. This article supplements current literature by providing documentation and analysis of some internal leadership…

In Spain, the presence of women in decision-making positions and in positions of power is not proportional to the total number of women within the field of education. Women have encountered personal and professional barriers in their advancement to the principalship; however, significant and substantive changes to school policy are revealed when…

This paper discusses the results of an exploratory study that sought to identify elementary school principals' perspectives of diversity and multiculturalism in relation to their leadership styles. In particular, we examine the approaches to multiculturalism of a group of principals who lead multicultural schools in Cyprus and analyse the findings…

This article explores how organizational cultures shape workplace learning for those learning to be educational leaders. The discussion is illustrated with the data from an ethnographic case study which explored the workplace learning of five school leaders. The findings suggest that workplace boundaries were constructed in response to perceptions…

This article represents an example of how supervision of instruction can be an integral part of a coherent plan for district-wide reform. The author argues that instructional changes can be most effective if introduced in a system that has first put in place the personnel and structures needed to support them. The article highlights the role of…

How do policy-makers and journalists accumulate symbolic capital in terms of their strategic positioning in relation to policy making? How do they negotiate their impact on policy making across fields? How do they gain access to information, and how is this information constructed in terms of education and schooling? This paper focuses on…

The purpose of this study was to develop greater depth of understanding regarding educational leadership development in the five north-western provinces (Shaanxi, Xinjiang, Gansu, Qinghai and Ningxia) of the People's Republic of China. The researchers used a mixed method approach of surveys and focus group interviews to gather data regarding the…

This study presents key principles and a model of engaged leadership in indigenous communities. Engaged leadership champions children and youth, delivers learning and teaching within the context of place and spirit, and occurs in partnerships with diverse communities. Stories of educational leaders grounded in the concepts of "ha," place,…

This article draws on post-colonial and feminist theories to interrogate the notion of "leadership" in the academy. Specifically, it examines challenges that women faculty, especially women of colour, immigrant women, and, in particular, Asian and Asian American women, encounter as they balance leadership work with scholarship and teaching.…

In this article, I reflect on my experiences as an Indigenous woman researcher coming to grips with colonialism through a post-colonialism lens. I also discuss a study which examines the leadership journey of a group of Indigenous Australian women. The research, which includes an auto-ethnographic approach, was guided by an Indigenous worldview…

This article argues that people from diverse ideological and ethnic backgrounds conceive, perceive and practise educational leadership differently, drawing upon their beliefs, values and knowledge sources. It draws on data collected by 11 in-depth interviews with female heads of "girls-only" colleges in a region in Pakistan. The paper briefly…