Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

School Leadership, Curriculum Diversity, Social Justice and Critical Perspectives in Education

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Cultures of Social Justice Leadership

Part of the book series: Intercultural Studies in Education ((ISE))

Abstract

In the face of changing demographics, reduced funding and more stringent accountability and performance measures, school leaders are required to make schools fairer for all students, and to equip them with critical skills for autonomous living in society. Simultaneously, financial and material resources from government to schools have been reduced, thus producing a mismatch between expectations and reality. This qualitative study of 12 principals in England, Jamaica and Spain interrogates international discourses on school leadership and curriculum diversity to identify and evaluate social justice practices of school leaders in small rural/remote schools. There was a shared understanding of social justice among principals, who saw the school curriculum as a social justice tool, and school context as providing both challenges and opportunities to doing social justice work, and who suggested a shared responsibility among stakeholders for a social justice curriculum.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 109.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Ball, S. J. (1994). Education reform: A critical and post structural approach. Buckingham: Open University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bogotch, I. (2002). Educational leadership and social justice: Practice into theory. Journal of School Leadership, 12, 138–156.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bogotch, I. (2015). What is social justice leadership? In D. Griffiths & J. P. Portelli (Eds.), Key questions for educational leaders. Burlington: Works & Dees Publishing and Edphil.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boske, C. (2014). Critical reflective practices: Connecting to social justice. In I. Bogotch & C. M. Shields (Eds.), International handbook of educational leadership and social (in)justice. Dordrecht: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brooks, J. (2008). What can social justice educators learn from the social sciences? In I. Bogotch, F. D. Beachum, J. Blount, J. Brooks, & F. English (Eds.), Radicalizing educational leadership: Dimensions of social justice. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, K. (2006). Leadership for social justice and equity: Evaluating a transformative framework and andragogy. Educational Administration Quarterly, 42(5), 700–745.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chapman, C., Ainscow, M. S., & West, M. (2012). Leadership that promotes the achievement of students with special educational needs and disabilities: Full report. University of Manchester: National College for Leadership of Schools and Children’s Services (NCSL).

    Google Scholar 

  • Connell, R. W. (1992). Citizenship, social justice and the curriculum. International Studies in Sociology of Education, 2(2), 133–146.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Connell, R. W. (1993). Schools and social justice. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dantley, M. E., & Tillman, L. C. (2006). Social justice and moral transformative leadership. In C. Marshall & M. Oliva (Eds.), Leadership for social justice: Making revolutions in education. Boston, MA: Pearson Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • DeMatthews, D. (2014). Dimensions of social justice leadership: A critical review of actions, challenges, dilemmas and opportunities for the inclusion of students with disabilities in U.S. schools. Revista Internacional de Educación para la Justicia Social (RIEJS), 3(2), 107–122.

    Google Scholar 

  • Doll, R. (1996). Curriculum improvement: Decision-making and process (9th ed.). Neeham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Foucault, M. (1981). The history of sexuality: Vol. 1 an introduction (R. Hurley, Trans.). New York: Pantheon Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fraser, N. (1997). Justice interruptus: Critical reflections on the “postsocialist” condition. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Furman, G. C., & Shields, C. M. (2003, April 21–25). How can educational leaders promote and support social justice and democratic community in schools. Paper presented at Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  • García-Carmona, M., Fernández-de-Álava, M., & Quesada-Pallarés, C. (2017). Gender and leadership in Brazilian, Singaporean and Spanish secondary schools: An in-depth analysis based on the 2013 TALIS. In P. Miller (Ed.), Cultures of educational leadership: Global and intercultural perspectives. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gaudelli, W. (2001). Identity discourse: Problems, presuppositions and educational practice. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 20(30), 60–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gaudelli, W., & Urban, D. (2011). Social justice and curriculum: A terrain of promise and problems. In K. Marcella (Ed.), Critical times in curriculum thought: People politics and perspectives. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gay, G. (2002). Preparing for culturally responsive teaching. Journal of Teacher Education, 53(2), 106–116.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gewirtz, S. (1998). Conceptualizing social justice in education: Mapping the territory. Journal of Education Policy, 13(4), 469–484.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hare, W. (2009). Imagination, critical thinking, and teaching. In J. Sobocan & L. Groarke (Eds.), Critical thinking, education, and assessment. London: Althouse Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harvey, L. (1990). Critical social research. London: Allen & Unwin.

    Google Scholar 

  • McInerney, P., Hattam, R., Smyth, J., & Lawson, M. (1999). Making socially just curriculum. Adelaide: Flinders Institute for the Study of Teaching, Flinders University of South Australia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, P. (2015). Leading remotely: Exploring the experiences of principals in rural and remote school communities in Jamaica. International Journal of Whole Schooling, 11(1), 35–53.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, P. (2016). Exploring school leadership in England and the Caribbean: New insights from a comparative approach. London: Bloomsbury.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Miller, P., & Roofe, C. (2013). ‘Teaching to the halo-effect’: Social justice issues among trainee-teachers at one teacher training institution in Jamaica. Problems of Education in the 21st Century, 55, 88–99.

    Google Scholar 

  • OECD. (1994). Creating rural indicators for shaping territorial policies. Paris: OECD Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rawls, J. (1972). A theory of justice. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rebore, R. W. (2001). The ethics of educational leadership. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roofe, C. (2015). The urban teacher: Towards a context responsive teacher preparation curriculum. International Studies in Educational Administration, 43(1), 3–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roofe, C., & Bezzina, C. (2017). The emerging curriculum agenda. In C. Roofe & C. Bezzina (Eds.), Intercultural studies in curriculum: Theory, policy and practice. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shields, C. M. (2004). Dialogic leadership for social justice: Overcoming pathologies of silence. Educational Administration Quarterly, 40(1), 109–132.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shields, C. M. (2014). Leadership for social justice education: A critical transformative approach. In I. Bogotch & C. M. Shields (Eds.), International handbook of educational leadership and social (in)justice. Dordrecht: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Skrtic, T. M. (2012). Disability, difference, and justice: Strong democratic leadership for undemocratic times. In J. B. Crockett, B. S. Billingsley, & M. L. Boscardin (Eds.), Handbook of leadership and administration for special education. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Speight, S. L., & Vera, E. M. (2004). A social justice agenda: Ready, or not? The Counseling Psychologist, 32(1), 109–118.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Theoharis, G. (2007). Social justice educational leaders and resistance: Toward a theory of social justice leadership. Educational Administration Quarterly, 43(2), 221–258.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Torrance, D., & Forde, C. (2017). Social justice leadership in Scottish education. Scottish Educational Review, 49(1), 51–66.

    Google Scholar 

  • Turhan, M. (2010). Social justice leadership: Implications for roles and responsibilities of school administrators. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 9, 1357–1361.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • UNESCO. (2001). Education for rural transformation: A policy framework. Boading, China: International Research and Training Centre for Rural Education. http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0013/001359/135913eo.pdf. Accessed 10 December 2017.

  • UNESCO. (2015). Repositioning curriculum in education quality and development-relevance. http://www.ibe.unesco.org/es/blogs/repositioning-curriculum-education-quality-development-relevance-join-conversation. Accessed 7 December 2017.

  • White, R. E., Cooper, K., & Mackey, W. (2014). Culturally relevant education and critical pedagogy: Devolution of hierarchies of power. Revista Internacional de Educación para la Justicia Social (RIEJS), 3(2), 123–140.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Education and Professional Development, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, UK

    Paul W. Miller

  2. School of Education, University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston, Jamaica

    Carmel Roofe

  3. Faculty of Educational Sciences and Sport, University of Granada, Melilla, Spain

    Marina García-Carmona

Authors
  1. Paul W. Miller
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Carmel Roofe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Marina García-Carmona
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Paul W. Miller .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA

    Pamela S. Angelle

  2. Moray House School of Education, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK

    Deirdre Torrance

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Miller, P.W., Roofe, C., García-Carmona, M. (2019). School Leadership, Curriculum Diversity, Social Justice and Critical Perspectives in Education . In: Angelle, P., Torrance, D. (eds) Cultures of Social Justice Leadership. Intercultural Studies in Education. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-10874-8_5

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-10874-8_5

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-10873-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-10874-8

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation