What is the problem? A critical review of social justice leadership preparation and development

Abstract

Despite growing interest in social justice leadership and awareness of the need to include this focus in leadership preparation and development, little is understood of practices used to support such commitment. In this article, Bacchi's (2012a) Foucaldian approach is drawn from, to provide a specific means of critically analysing what problem(s) social justice leadership preparation/development is intended to address. Through critical reflexivity, the political dimensions of policy and practice are surfaced. Through this process, key influences of regimes of power are identified, within which leadership development programmes are situated. Considerations for leadership development and school practices foreground the identification of next steps for research.

An Indigenous view of social justice leadership in the Malaysian education system

“…In addition, open dialogue with teachers and school leaders about the proposed guidelines is recommended so that feedback from these critical actors can be obtained. In line with the recommendations of many previous studies (Kochak, 2021;Torrance et al, 2021;Wang, 2018), it can be stated that getting school leader buy-in and building their commitment is essential, considering the highly contextual nature of SJL: school leaders know best how to shape their SJL practices. The dialogue could help raise awareness about the relevance of SJL and its potential to create a more inclusive education system for Orang Asli students.…”

“…Toppling a monolith by chipping away at it with an ice pick takes time and tenacity; not everyone will have the staying power. Torrance et al (2021) highlight the potential of public school systems to create fair opportunities for marginalised groups and help build social cohesion; an example of this in action would be the increasing use of textbook inserts aimed at Orang Asli pupils in Malaysian schools. As Hytten and Bettez (2011) argue, though, translating one's understanding of and commitment to social justice into practical steps in educational environments is a difficult task.…”

“…Irrespective of these benefits, researchers and practitioners have agreed that implementing policies and practices that promote SJL in schools is a difficult process (Hytten & Bettez, 2011; Torrance et al, 2021; Wang, 2018). Some of the challenges identified by Wang (2018) include as follows:…”

“…It is about changing mindsets and addressing epistemological concerns. To achieve such a lofty goal, a clear suite of guidelines that clarify what social justice and SJL could mean in the context of Orang Asli education is vital, since the term social justice itself may be defined and understood differently depending on socio-historical conditions (Rizvi, 1998, as cited in Hytten & Bettez, 2011; Torrance et al, 2021). It is worth re-emphasising here that most Orang Asli students come from a unique socio-historical background, which is often overlooked or underplayed despite its significance and relevance to policies and practice.…”

The Relationship between Social Justice Leadership and Organizational Citizenship Behaviours

“…Based on a literature review, it can be alleged that social justice and social justice leadership, which seemed to be ignored both in theory and application, has been emphasized in the field of educational administration since the 21 st century (Berkovich, 2014;Furman, 2012;Gümüş, Arar & Oplatka, 2021;Wang, 2016;Torrance, Forde, King, & Razzaq, 2021). In cases where social justice leadership practices are exhibited at schools, which are the scenes of educational practices, there are several results in the relevant literature that teachers' organizational adaptation attitudes will develop (Theoharis, 2007), positive attitudes towards school will emerge, school engagement will increase, and teachers' academic optimism will improve (Özdemir & Pektaş, 2017).…”