Effective practices in leadership for social justice. Evolution of successful secondary school principalship in disadvantaged contexts

ABSTRACT

This paper investigates the evolution of leadership for learning that has occurred in four secondary schools located in disadvantaged contexts in the province of Granada (Spain) over a period of 2 years, performing a comparative analysis on the values, qualities and strategies that characterize their principals during the academic years 2013–2014 and 2015–2016. The investigation uses case studies and conducts interviews with principals, teachers and education administrators. It is supported by the group-case method, as well as the longitudinal prospective method. The results show that only one of these principals has maintained a leadership aimed at learning and achievement of all students in the school, at the same time as students’ academic results have been improving. This paper concludes by providing information on values, qualities and strategies of successful leadership in disadvantaged contexts in Spain that distinguish them from other less successful leaders.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Cristina Moral

Cristina Moral-Santaella is lecturer of university at the Department of Didactics and School Organizations of the University of Granada (Spain). Her main lines of research are educational leadership and school improvement, also being a specialist in teacher training and professional development.  Last publications related with educational leadership are “A Comparative Study of the Professional Identity of Two Secondary School Principals in Disadvantaged Contexts” Leadership and Policy in Schools (2018), “Successful secondary school principalship in disadvantaged contexts from a leadership for learning perspective”, School Leadership & Management (2018). The last publication related with improving schools and teacher training is “Competencias para el diseño y desarrollo de experiencias de aprendizaje en la formación del profesorado” Editorial Síntesis, 2019.

Lina Higueras-Rodríguez

Lina Higueras-Rodríguez is PhD student at University of Granada (Spain). Degree in Pedagogy. Master´s Degree on Psychopedagogical Intervention. Member of the FORCE research team and member of the RILME research network. Research areas: Teacher training, Innovative methodologies, Educational tools for teaching and learning, Educational leadership and Improvement of the school through collaboration in the International Project "ISSPP”. Her last publications are: “La formación en el rol de la dirección eficaz en la Comunidad Autónoma de Andalucía”, International Journal of Educational Leadership and Management, (2018) and, “Hacia la Implantación de  comunidades Profesionales de Aprendizaje Mediante un Liderazgo Distribuido. Una Revisión Sistemática”. REICE. Revista Iberoamericana sobre Calidad, Eficacia y Cambio en Educación (2018).

Ana Martín-Romera

Ana Martín-Romera is a assistant professor at University of Valladolid. Member of the Research Group "Formación Centrada en la Escuela" (FORCE) and Red Internacional de Liderazgo y Mejora Educativa (RILME). Research areas include: educational research methods, teacher training and educational leadership. She is authors of theses publications: “Profesionalización del docente en la actualidad: contribuciones al desarrollo profesional”. Profesorado, Revista Currículum y Formación de Profesorado (2018), and “Successful Secondary School Principalship in Disadvantaged Contexts from a Leadership for Learning Perspective”. School Leadership & Management, 38 (1), 32-52.

Estefanía Martínez- Valdivia

Estefanía Martínez- Valdivia, is interin substitue profesor at the University of Jaen (Spain). PhD at the Unniversity of Granada. Master´s Degree on Research and Innovation in Curriculum and Training (IICF). Member of Research Group “Formación Centrada en la Escuela (FORCE). Her main research interest include: School failure and educational leadership. She is authors of theses publications: “Leading for social justice in challenging school contexts”, International Journal of Leadership in Education (2018), and “Successful secondary school principalship in disadvantaged contexts from a leadership for learning perspective”, School Leadership & Management (2018).

Amelia Morales-Ocaña

Amelia Morales-Ocaña is a PhD student and a Teacher Assistant at the Department of Didactics and School Organisation of the University of Granada (Spain). Her main research interests are related to Education and Social Inclusion in regard to children and young people in care, as well as children in need. She has also participated in research projects on leadership in education. She is authors of theses publications: “Children living in residential care from teachers’ voices”, European Journal of Social Work, (2018), and “Successful scholar leadership at challenging secondary schools: An inclusive perspective”, The International Journal of Diversity in Education,(2017).