Distributed leadership and social justice: images and meanings from across the school landscape

Abstract

This paper reports data from a study investigating distributed leadership (DL) and its relationship to social justice and democratic values. The research comprised a case study of a UK secondary school, which describes itself as having a finely distributed leadership culture, and involved teaching staff, non-teaching staff, senior leaders and students who took part in an arts-based method of data generation (collage creation) and interviews. The study examined participants’ meanings and perceptions in relation to leadership and social justice. Our analysis of the data highlights contrasting image patterns (hierarchical and holarchic); a dominant view of DL as the exercise of pro-active agency, but also awareness of ways in which this is unequally spread across the school; and the value of seeing DL as comprising multiple features each of which may be distributed differently. This paper concentrates on participative and cultural justice. It suggests that work on further delineating multiple aspects of DL would be valuable, and that attention needs to be given not only to developing flexibility of institutional structures, but also core cultural values (social justice and democracy) and holarchic social environments in which relationships are fluid, supportive and encourage belonging and independent thinking.

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the school, its staff and students who participated in the study.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the European Policy Network on School Leadership which is funded by the European Commission through the Lifelong Learning Programme [EAC-2010-1388, 2011–2015].

Notes on contributors

Philip A. Woods

Philip A. Woods is a Professor of Educational Policy, Democracy and Leadership at the University of Hertfordshire, UK, and currently the Chair of the British Educational Leadership Management and Administration Society. Email: [email protected]. He is an internationally recognized scholar in the field of educational leadership and policy, with an extensive publication record and a particular focus on questions of democracy, educational policy and governance, leadership, alternative education and entrepreneurialism.

Amanda Roberts

Amanda Roberts is an associate dean (Academic Quality Assurance) and programme director for the MSc in Practice-Based Research at the University of Hertfordshire, UK. Email: [email protected]. Prior to joining the university, she worked in schools for 20 years, culminating in a headship in Hertfordshire. She moved on to run a consultancy company, providing support for learning in a variety of contexts including in schools in challenging circumstances and within the prison service. Her publications have a particular focus on issues of leadership and professional development.