Islamic school leadership and social justice: an international review of the literature

ABSTRACT

This literature review responds to global concerns regarding the state of Islamic schools and their leadership. A socio-religious conceptual framework guided the inquiry and informed the analysis. The review offers a counternarrative to hegemonic discourses, provides meaning to the complex work of Islamic school leaders in varying contexts, and informs the literature on educational leadership for social justice. Findings suggest Islamic school leaders working to advance social justice converged and diverged in their worldviews, manipulated formal and informal power dynamics, supported the development of Muslim students’ differing expressions of identity, and were responsible to others as a moral calling. The review makes international research connections in leadership for social justice and aims to deepen the knowledge base in educational leadership.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to extend their appreciation to the community of scholars who provided valuable feedback and insights.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Melanie C. Brooks

Melanie C. Brooks is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Education Culture & Society at Monash University. She is a J. William Fulbright Senior Scholar grant recipient who has conducted studies in several international contexts. Her research focuses on the ways school leadership is shaped by religion, culture, conflict, and equity dynamics in schools and communities.

Amber Bloom

Amber Bloom is a doctoral student in counseling and counselor education at Texas Christian University. Her research interests are intersectionality and equity in the P20 classroom. She currently serves as a graduate research and teaching assistant in the College of Education, and her work has been published in the Journal of Solution-Focused Brief Practices.