Context in the Study and Practice of Leadership in Education: A Historical Perspective

Abstract

This paper argues that a historical perspective on the study and practice of educational leadership not only provides a deepened understanding of the nature of such leadership, but that the understanding of the nature of this ‘context’ has changed, and that in many ways an emerging understanding of a ‘global context’ provides a new way of viewing such study and practice. The paper will begin by discussing possible meanings of ‘context’, before moving to use examples from England, China and the United States to describe a historical developmental model which ultimately suggests that whilst national context is a necessary part of understanding the study and practice of leadership in education, there is a further need for a more global understanding of the forces that impact upon such leadership, and that such a global context might well provide new perspectives for research into this field.