Abstract
Leadership matters in the engagement and achievement of students. Much of the research in this area has emanated from western contexts and there is a growing demand for research and knowledge generated from emerging areas of the world. This qualitative study through the use of narratives, examines the experiences of three female secondary school principals in Kenyan secondary schools to gain deeper insights into leadership practices and theorizing within a post-colonial context such as Kenya. Utilizing a decolonizing education and social justice leadership discursive framework the tensions and complexities of their leadership practices are explored. Educational leaders in developing countries face problems that are uniquely different from their counterparts in Western countries and as such leadership practices and theorizing must be contextualized. Findings of the study support existing research on the perpetuation of colonized approaches to education, existence of a “managing” view of leadership, tensions in practice regarding the manifestation of social issues in schools, and the need for leadership development grounded in Kenyan knowledge and experiences. While these findings can inform leadership discourses and practices, further research is warranted on a larger scale with greater diversity of participants.
Highlights
Leadership is an important factor in improving learning for students [1]
The narratives and experiences of participants reveal the complexities of school leadership in Kenyan secondary schools where the influences of a colonial past are still evident in the organization and structure of schools
Despite efforts by countries such as Kenya to increase education funding, if attention is not paid to the development of school leaders government, initiatives aimed at creating education systems that respond to global changes will not succeed [12]
Summary
Leadership is an important factor in improving learning for students [1]. As the field of educational leadership continues to grow, there are increased calls for more research to be conducted outside of Western countries. School leadership has emerged as an area that requires greater attention from practitioners, scholars and researchers as schools prepare students to meet the challenges of the 21st century characterized by increasing diversity where communication, critical thinking and collaborative skills are essential. Critical and creative thinking is at the heart of learning [3] and effective school leadership is critical to prepare students to solve messy, complex problems associated with living in a competitive and globally connected world. Leadership is a crucial ingredient in bringing about change in schools and improving learning outcomes for students [1]
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