Grounded in community epistemology and scholarship, this edited volume explores how doctoral educational leadership programs can evolve to remain socially responsive and globally relevant amidst a rapidly shifting global landscape, using a specific Educational and Community Leadership (EDCL) program as a case study.
Positioning the EDCL program as a living case study, the book explores the intersection between educational leadership and socio-political dynamics. Chapters examine how graduate students navigate contested spaces such as globalization versus localization, democracy versus centralized control, and the impact of neoliberalism in politically unstable environments. Within this paradigm, the book explores a broad range of themes including self-reflexivity and identity formation, community-centred leadership and social justice, and feminist reflections on growth and resistance. In particular, the book examines and further develops several key theories and models that have the potential to significantly enhance the inclusivity and resilience of education systems and community structures. By examining the intersections of leadership, equity, innovation, community engagement, and systemic transformation, this volume offers insights that extend beyond one single institution, serving as both a blueprint and a call to action for shaping future educational leadership development programs worldwide.
Ultimately extending theoretical discussions on leadership education beyond institutional boundaries, the book provides a globally relevant framework for understanding leadership in times of transformation. It will therefore be of interest to scholars, researchers, and postgraduate students in the fields of educational leadership strategy.
Table of Contents:
Section 1: Genealogy of the EDCL Program 1. The Genealogy of the School Improvement Doctoral Program Since Inception: Knowledge Production, and Impact 2. Reflections on Program Design Section 2: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 3. The PhD as Fertile Ground: Feminist Reflections of Empowerment and Evolution 4. Always Becoming: An Autoethnographic Exploration of Programmatic and Personal Evolution Section 3: People, Places, Space, and Culture 5. Leveraging Cultural Connections in Doctoral Writing Groups 6. Learning, Practice, And People: Navigating Spaces To Impact Change 7. Exploring the Intersectionality of Parenthood, Community Activism, and Educational Leadership: A Dissection and Future Path of Transformation 8. From Possibility Conversations to Necessary Work Section 4: Impact and What's Next 9. Learning to Lead with Courage: A Doctoral Program Journey 10. A Room of One’s Own: Making an impact through leadership in research, teaching, and service at an HSI 11. Self-Reflexivity in Pedagogy: Navigating the PhD Journey through Self and Sisterhood 12. Reflecting On Effective Educational Leadership 13. Schools as Centers of Change: Post-COVID-19 Practices and Community-Centered Leadership in Educational Transformation 14. Transforming The Teaching And Learning Process: A Collaborative Approach In Developing Leaders For Social Justice