Pre-service School Leaders’ Sensemaking of Supervising for Equity

Abstract

Given increasing diversity in the United States and enduring educational inequities, leadership preparation programs are increasingly called upon to prepare pre-service leaders (PSLs) for social justice. In this qualitative study, we draw on sensemaking theory to examine how 83 PSLs enrolled in a supervisory preparation course grappled with the call to embrace leadership for equity. The data collected in this study included transcripts of in-class discussions, online discussion posts, and individual reflections. Findings suggest PSLs negotiated prescribed resources (video, readings, the Danielson framework, and class discussions) and selected resources (personal and professional experiences) to make sense of hypothetical scenarios and grapple with what it means to be an equity-oriented school leader. The authors discuss pedagogical insights for equity-oriented leadership preparation programs.