Re‐thinking educational leadership: exploring the impact of cultural and belief systems

Abstract

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 introduces leadership as a concept formulated in context. It presents philosophical and theoretical underpinnings of these conceptualizations from an Islamic perspective as a case, and highlights the interplay between belief systems, educational leadership and gender. The article deliberates as to how these discourses interact to formulate ‘educational leadership’ in Muslim societies, and explores the implications of these constructions for women in educational leadership in a Muslim society.

Acknowledgements

This paper was finalised during my study leave period, January–June 2008. I thank Professor Janet Ainley, Director School of Education, and Professor Mark Thompson, the Chair of the Staffing Committee, for approving my study leave, which enabled me to work on this paper, among others. Special thanks go to all my colleagues, who covered my work during my study leave.