This book examines the theoretical foundations relevant to existential issues in educational leadership and management, taking inspiration from Munch’s painting The Scream. The book considers internationally relevant topics such as the growth of neoliberalism, globalisation, cultural shifts, forced migration and the digitalisation of the socio-cultural sphere and uniquely positions these crises as existential threats, rather than simply political, cultural, or social. The volume explores this complex set of dimensions in existential experience and outlines the implications for research and teaching in educational leadership. By exemplifying the narrative and introspective nature of existential research, the book addresses major aspects of the field including the impact such threats have on organisational studies, policy, administrative structures and practices, and leadership. This timely collection on existential issues in administration and leadership will appeal to academics, scholars, researchers, practitioners and policy-makers. It will also be of great interest for students in teacher education programmes and graduate courses in educational administration and leadership, organisation studies, and educational ethics for broad international use.

This book explores the multicultural and non-Western contexts behind the approaches, problems, and issues that arise in research methodologies when used in relation to educational administration and leadership. This volume argues that increasing internationalisation and diversity of the field requires research methods that better reflect the values, cultures, political systems, and conditions of non-Western communities and countries. Discussing the research methods, data collection practices, interpretive approaches, and research ethics that produce more accurate and authentic results, the book looks at a number of theoretical frameworks and epistemological approaches that inform the development of such methodologies. Traditional methods like sharing circles and storytelling are explored, as well as an examination of ‘social space’ in designing methodology aimed at ‘spatial justice’ and an exploration of methods for Indigenous communities in East Asia. A valuable resource for researchers, scholars, and students with an interest in multicultural education, the book will also appeal to academics interested in race, ethics, and educational research methods more broadly.

This book explores the theoretical and practical implications of a global resurgence of populism on educational leadership. Drawing together a wide range of international authors, it examines how socio-cultural and political populist developments affect educational policies, organisations, and administration around the world. The collection addresses the forms and meanings of populism and examines their influence on education systems and institutions. It includes theoretical perspectives and rich examples from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Finland, France, Hungary, Nicaragua, the UK, and the US, exploring the complex influences and effects of populism on education policy, politics, and institutions in these countries. These include attacks on initiatives promoting equity and inclusion, the repression of academic freedom, the erosion of institutional autonomy from partisan political direction, and the suppression of evidence and expertise in policy and curriculum development. With its international and multidisciplinary outlook, this book will be highly relevant reading for researchers, scholars, and students in the fields of educational leadership and administration, higher education, and education policy, as well as those interested in the contemporary manifestations of populism on education.

This edited collection is a Festschrift to Helen M. Gunter, a leading scholar in the field of education policy and leadership. We draw on the concept of the Festschrift as a collection of papers, or chapters, that recognise, honour, and celebrate the work and contributions of an esteemed academic. Gunter’s work has opened up the field of critical education policy and leadership studies and provoked, if not revitalised, scholarly thinking about the origins, structures, patterns and impact of the field. Gunter’s personal commitment to intellectual leadership of the field and public education resonates across all her scholarly works. The core intention of this unique collection is to recognise Gunter’s scholarly contributions as an academic, practitioner and public intellectual. Invited authors have been asked to reflect critically on ways in which Gunter’s work and intellectual support have influenced their own research, teaching and academic engagement. In their reflections, contributors not only speak to the intellectual work of Gunter but suggest how they have taken this work forward and how this has advanced the field of education as well as the production of knowledge.

Providing a window on educational leadership from an Asian cultural perspective, Liu and Thien’s edited collection describes how educational leadership is linked with national culture in the context of different Asian countries. While much of the scholarship on this topic has been built on Western paradigms, this book examines the measurement of school leadership from a diverse lens by taking cultural context into account while examining educational leadership. Drawing on cross-cultural perspectives, the authors investigate the relationship between leadership for learning and societal culture, in addition to the relationship between leadership style and culture. The text provides a theoretical basis for understanding leadership in the context of Asian countries, and offers practical suggestions for identifying effective, and culturally sensitive leadership practices in similar cultural contexts. An excellent resource for graduate students, researchers in comparative education, educational practitioners looking to improve their education practices, and anyone interested in cultural leadership practices.

This book presents insights into the experiences and perspectives of educators in formal positions of leadership involved in decision-making processes in an education system. Drawing on qualitative research conducted in the New Brunswick education system, the author identifies factors in the decision-making process which influence whether or not a decision is implemented. Probing what is required for effective decision-making, defined as decision-making that results in implementation, the book examines not only the role of formal educational leaders of schools (administrators) but also the roles played by district and department of education formal leaders. It uses five central themes that surfaced from research to develop a novel leadership model for ensuring implantation of decisions. These include knowledge and skill; collaboration and communication; balance of autonomy, accountability, and direction; political and bureaucratic considerations; and strong moral imperative. The newfound model is presented in the form of antecedent steps to the decision-making process. Extending the literature by offering new, empirically grounded insights for influencing the likelihood of implementation following a decision-making process, it will appeal to leaders, scholars, and students of educational leadership and reform.

This volume offers a holistic, empirically grounded examination of the factors which influence educational leaders’ ethical judgments in their day-to-day work in schools. Drawing on a range of quantitative studies, the text utilizes organizational psychology to explore multiple ethical paradigms. It considers social aspects including ethnicity, gender, hegemony-minority relations, and leadership styles which influence and drive ethical judgment patterns employed by educators and principals. The book ultimately demonstrates the Ethical Perspectives Instrument (EPI) as an effective tool for the assessment of various ethical viewpoints and their interactions, suitable for application to diverse cultures and socio-educational circumstances. An important study of the leaders’ ethics and preparation in handling marginalized populations, this book will be valuable for academics, researchers, and graduate students working in the fields of educational leadership, organizational psychology, and the sociology of education.