The Future of Education

Effective school leadership is widely recognized as pivotal in fostering student learning and enhancing the well-being of children, families, and communities (Leithwood, 2021). However, school leaders face significant challenges as they navigate the increasingly complex internal and external dynamics of educational environments, including shifting demographics, growing diversity, and stringent accountability frameworks (Groenewald, 2020). This study aimed to examine the influence on educational leadership students of participation in an intensive, ‘Just Peace Leadership Programme.’ The programme was designed to identify core leadership values and enhance cultural competency to develop social justice literacy. The overarching goal was to empower participants to drive transformative educational change in the pursuit of social justice. Twenty-one particpants were drawn from two institutions in Northern Ireland and a state university in the United States. An interpretative research design was employed, with data collected from a pre-experience questionnaire, learning journals, focus group reflections, action plans for practice development and a focus group conducted three months post-programme. Data analysis was hermeneutical, dialectical, and interpretative (Lincoln & Guba, 2000). Findings indicate that the intensive programme design enhanced exposure to diversity, reflection, and motivation for action-oriented planning for change. Participants reported shifts in their professional identities and recognised their capacity to affect educational transformation. The programme supported aspiring school leaders to develop competence and confidence as authentic moral agents for social justice and systemic change. This study underscores the importance of leadership development initiatives that are explicitly designed to prepare educators for the challenges of fostering equity, inclusivity, and peace within diverse educational settings.

Keywords: Leadership development; Professional learning; Intensive programmes.

REFERENCES

[1] Groenewald, E., Groenewald, C., Uy, F., Cantere Jr, G., Kilag, O. K., & Depoyart, J. (2024). Enhancing Leadership Skills for Addressing Learning Loss and Mental Health Challenges: Insights from School Leaders in Low-and Middle-Income Countries. International Multidisciplinary Journal of Research for Innovation, Sustainability, and Excellence, 1(2), 226-232.

[2] Leithwood, K. (2021). A Review of Evidence about Equitable School Leadership. Education Sciences, 11(8), 377.

[3] Lincoln, Y. and Guba, E. (2000). Paradigmatic controversies, contradictions and emerging influences. Handbook of Qualitative Research, pp. 163-188, (Y. Lincoln and E. Guba, eds.), Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2000.