Islamic school leadership: advancing a framework for critical spirituality

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to better understand how an Islamic school leader’s critical spirituality informed and shaped leadership practice. This qualitative case study explored the role of critical spirituality as it relates to social justice, gender justice, and pluralism in a progressive American Islamic school. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews, documents, and school site observations. Findings identified three components of critical spirituality essential to her work as a school leader; specifically, critical consciousness; critical resistance; and critical love. The paper contributes to the literature on school leadership and critical spirituality through its introduction of an empirically based critical spirituality in leadership framework.