Female Educational Leaders Research Articles

Women’s Leadership in School Education: Barriers and Opportunities in Karachi, Sindh

School education is the basic foundation for shaping the holistic education of children. This qualitative study investigates Women's Leadership in School Education in Karachi, focusing on barriers and opportunities for female principals in Government Primary Schools. Utilizing a constructivist qualitative approach with a phenomenological design, data was collected through interviews and document analysis. Thematic analysis of the data revealed a multifaceted landscape: persistent gender discrimination and harassment, the challenge of work-life balance, cultural norms impacting diversity promotion, and gender stereotypes shaping experiences. The study underscores the importance of raising awareness about girls' education and its transformative potential, driven by a shared belief in empowerment through education. It highlights the resilience and dedication of women principals advocating for change and recognizing girls' education as a catalyst for societal transformation. In response, the study recommends providing equitable resources and support structures to enable female educational leaders to champion social justice and overcome barriers, ultimately promoting equal educational opportunities for all.

LEADERSHIP EMPOWERING BEHAVIORS: GENDER-BASED COMPARATIVE STUDY AT SECONDARY SCHOOL LEVEL

The study compared the leadership empowering behaviors of male and female secondary school heads in Pakistan. Main purpose of the research is to collate captaincy empowering conduct of male & female educational leaders at the secondary level. The sample was comprised of 564 teachers including 379 males & 185 females employing a stratified random sample technique. In this study, quantitative and descriptive methodologies were used. A standardized tool “Leader Empowering Behavior Questionnaire” was used for data collection. Data was collected and analyzed using the mean, standard deviation, & independent samples t-test. Results explored that there is significant difference (t = 3.160, p = .002) between leadership empowering behavior among male (mean = 5.73, SD = .30) and female leaders (mean = 5.64, SD = .31) on whole. Male leaders were found to have better leadership empowering behavior than female leaders. Thus, it was recommended from results that female educational leaders should further improve and adopt leadership empowering behavior for better organizational productivity and female educational leaders should further improve their empowering behavior so as to stimulate potential of their subordinates for better performance and commitment in diverse situtions for desired outcomes.

Female's Journey to the State Superintendency

Several studies have emerged over the past several decades attempting to pinpoint potential factors for occupational inequity and inequality for prospective and current female educational leaders. Although women are increasingly obtaining leadership positions in the field, one position has remained elusive to the aspiring female educational leader: the superintendency (Bilken & Brannigan, 1980; Brunner & Björk, 2001; Brunner & Grogan, 2007; Dana & Bourisaw, 2006; Mertz, 2006; Shakeshaft, 1987). Overcoming societal perceptions, handling hardships associated with attaining and maintaining one’s position, and building powerful, meaningful relationships are some of the foci of previous research; however, there seems to be a piece missing from the current available literature. While one may evaluate the struggles females have faced in attaining district-level superintendent positions, research detailing the female’s journey to the state superintendency remains incredibly limited to nonexistent. Through a postmodern-feminist lens, this qualitative study employs Harter and Monsour’s (1992) Self-in-Relationship (SIR) interview protocol, in addition to open-ended interview questions, to explore a conceptual framework blending perceptions, reality, and relationships that potentially impact females on the journey to and in service within the state superintendency. From a constructivist, Grounded Theory approach, the study investigates a glaring gap in the current available literature in an effort to answer the overarching question: Do female superintendents perceive gender as playing a role in fulfilling one’s duties at the state level? 
 Keywords: female state superintendent, gender and educational leadership

Leading in times of crisis: evidence of digital transformational leadership among Arab female educational leaders

ABSTRACT During the pandemic, educational leaders had to suddenly deal with unprecedented changes that teaching and learning environment has undergone. In times of crisis, leaders’ control of emotions, the quality of relationship between them and the team, and the value congruence play a significant role. In the Arab world, however, cultural, national and sociological contexts largely impact female leaders’ values, beliefs and behaviors. Hence, it is significant to explore these leaders’ behaviors and practices in times of crisis, the factors that helped them cope with the sudden changes and lead digitally, and the extent that the dimensions of the transformational leadership style had on their performance. Through eight semi-structured interviews, results revealed practices of Arab female educational digital transformational leadership that helped them maintain their own and their organization’s performance during the Covid-19 pandemic. These practices include, building relationships, motivating and recognizing team efforts, open communication, adaptability, a strong sense of emotional intelligence and self-control. While these leaders consider themselves democratic and transformational leaders, an emergent theme showed that they implemented the changes as a coercive activity. This study suggests for policy-makers to form strategies and policies that would increase teachers’ leadership skills in preparation for potential leadership positions.

Examination of the Effectiveness of Male and Female Educational Leaders

The purpose of this inquiry was to examine the effectiveness of male and female educationalleaders who made use of the invitational leadership style of leadership in their k-12 schoolsettings. Study participants consisted of 14 principals (7 female and 7 male) and 164 teachers.While quantitative findings revealed a statistically significant difference between the usages ofinvitational leadership qualities in effective schools versus less effective schools, there were nodifferences based on gender. Follow-up interviews with teachers and principals established thatteachers believed that the invitational qualities of respect and trust were the most influentialleadership qualities, while principals viewed trust as the predominant influencing factor.

Female leadership in the Arab world: an ethnographic study of educational leaders

ABSTRACT The Arab world is very diverse when it comes to leadership practices. The females’ level of participation in leadership positions in Arab countries ranges from very restricted to fully engaged. Taking on leadership roles imposes many challenges both on micro and macro levels. The aim of this study is to explore the leadership practices of Arab female educational leaders and understand the impact that environment and culture have on their leadership practices. Using an ethnographic approach, seven female educational leaders, who lived and worked in leadership positions in eight Arab countries, revealed that they practice a combination of transformational, servant and instructional leadership dimensions. However, a new leadership style emerged ensuring that these leaders and their followers are valued for who they are and rewarded for what they do. This study highlights the combination of both aspects of change and leadership as critical to female educational leaders success in addition to mentoring, informal networking and social connections. Furthermore, having partner and family support were identified as a cornerstone to their career advancement. This study suggests the need to design policies that support teachers to become involved in decision making and to promote them into leadership positions.

A Phenomenological analysis of the factors influencing the motivational climate experienced by a group of female educational leaders

This study explored the experience of female educational leaders in their executive and personal life, identifying what motivates them and what influences their performancerelated goals, well-being, work-life balance and workplace relationships. The motivational climate experienced by these leaders is discussed through the self-determination theory perspective. Six female educational leaders participated in one-to-one semi-structured interviews. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was the research methodology adopted due to its idiographic nature. Findings revealed that social perceptions, personal traits, together with personal goals, contributed to their motivational drive. Coping strategies were adopted to safeguard their well-being and motivational drive in stress-related situations. Work-life balance and female multifaceted roles impact progression in leadership roles, while autonomously driven attitudes are interlinked with job engagement. This research proposes an insight into what nurtures and what hinders the motivational climate of female educational leaders, whereby policymakers can provide opportunities for those who aspire to pursue a career in leadership positions.

The relationship of creative leadership with crisis management for the secondary stage in public schools in Jeddah from the teachers' point of view: علاقة القيادة الإبداعية بإدارة الأزمات للمرحلة الثانوية في المدارس الحكومية بمدينة جدة من وِجهة نَظر المعلِّمات

The study aimed to discover the relationship between practicing creative leadership and school management crisis among female educational leaders of publicsecondary schools in Jeddah from the latter’s’ perspectives. The study adopted adescriptive, correlational-relational research design and used a questionnaire to randomly collect data from a sample of (357) female teachers during the first semester of the 1441/1442AH academic year. Findings revealed that female school leaders practice creative leadership, and school crisis management at a high degree, whereby, accommodation and cooperation styles ranked first and second respectively, and avoidance style ranked last. Findings also showed that there were statistically significant differences at the level of (0.5 = α) between the means of the degree of creative leadership and crisis management practices referred to the difference in experience. Moreover, results showed a positive correlation between the degree of creative leadership and crises management practices. The study recommended holding events in the education and schools’ management that highlight the role of creative leadership and its impact on enhancing schools’ ability to manage and face crises, along with offering training courses aboutcrisis management, and encouraging relevant practices by teachers and staff members.

Put Your Big Girl Knickers on! The Experiences of Two Female Leaders in New Zealand Primary Schools Turning Schools Around

This chapter examines the experiences of two female leaders in New Zealand state primary schools and their experiences of turning their schools around. Leading schools through times of change and challenge is complex, especially when issues of school underperformance and student achievement are intertwined. In some instances, such circumstances result in educational authorities imposing an intervention such as a ‘turnaround’ program. Each year a small number of New Zealand schools are considered ‘underperforming’ and require external leadership assistance, usually from the Ministry of Education. This support is implemented through a statutory intervention mechanism aimed to address underpinning issues such as governance and leadership matters, low student academic achievement, issues of finance, and student and staff safety and wellbeing (Ministry of Education, 2017). While statutory interventions have been enacted in New Zealand since 1994 as a mechanism to ‘turn a school around’, there is little research about what this experience is like for educational leaders in primary (elementary) schools, or how it affects their professional and personal lives. Within the turnaround school literature, educational leaders are often positioned as ‘heroic leaders’, usually male, seeking to change the school’s climate and culture. However, there is little literature discussing how female educational leaders approach school recovery processes. With sparse acknowledgement of the effects this work has on a leader's professional and personal life, it is within these spaces that this research on female leaders’ experiences is situated. This study was part of a doctoral research project undertaken in 2016 to explore New Zealand primary school leaders’ perceptions and experiences of working to turnaround schools and addressing complex and challenging circumstances within their schools and communities. Using Dewey’s theory of experiences, the professional and personal experiences of two female leaders’ leading such schools are focused on to understand how their leadership is, in Clandinin and Rosick’s (2007) terms, constituted, shaped, expressed and enacted. The research revealed the professional and personal struggles both women encountered in their journey to turn their schools around, and contributes critical findings to the research focused on women’s experiences when turning schools around.

Leadership and women: The space between us. Narrating the stories of senior female educational leaders in Malta

The main objective of this research is to investigate the perceptions and experiences of senior female educational leaders in Malta, where senior leaders are considered as those leaders from the Minister of Education to leaders at directorial level. Although Malta’s laws relating to gender equity are in line with those of the European Union, traditional beliefs and values, including those shaped by the Catholic Church, mean that in many areas of social life, women and girls continue to be perceived as inferior. The study is framed within a constructivist and interpretivist paradigm and takes a narrative approach. Throughout 2017 to 2018, in-depth interview data was collected from eight senior female leaders in the Maltese education department. Data used from an ongoing doctoral study was analysed manually using a hybrid method in order to establish the relevant themes. The findings from the study demonstrated that women in educational leadership roles in Malta have to face challenges specific to their being female. The study recommends, among other things, real family friendly measures by organisations, organised professional development programmes for women in leadership and for those aspiring to be leaders, and training programmes focused on how to build healthy collegial relationships.

Analysing the spectrum of female education leaders’ agency in Islamic boarding schools in post-conflict Aceh, Indonesia

ABSTRACT Our research responds to a limited understanding of the agency of female leaders in a context of Islamic politics and society, in post-war and post-tsunami Aceh province in Indonesia. Drawing on empirical ethnographic data, we aim to provide a more nuanced perspective on the ‘strategic space for manouevre’ of women’s agency in Islamic boarding schools in Aceh. Our paper focuses on female educational leaders and teachers at female dayah, or Islamic boarding schools [for girls] in Aceh. The study explores the grassroots roles and motivations of female education leaders, and analyses how a range of contextual (political, economic, socio-cultural and religious) factors play a role in their sense of agency and engagement in (re)producing or challenging societal inequalities and tensions. These factors include women’s own experiences of the conflict and post-conflict period, the influences from their direct networks and kinship, and their opportunities to participate in ‘outside’ trainings and public life.

Feminist Approaches to Educational Leadership in Disadvantaged Rural Communities

Playing host to many leaders of South Africa's transition to democracy, the historic schools continue to contribute to the education of learners in disadvantaged rural communities. Within the leadership narratives of these schools are the lived daily experiences of female educational leaders whose voice has been largely absent from main stream leadership discourse. Problematizing this silence, this paper draws on critical feminist leadership theory to explore social justice interpretations of female leaders in South Africa's historic schools. Data were collected through a qualitative research paradigm and from a critical feminist perspective. The aim of the study was to analyse and conceptualise educational leadership in relation to power and social justice in the post-Apartheid era. Contained within the findings are multiple narrations of leadership for social justice and an alternative interpretation to feminist servant leadership. In addition, the findings unlocked insights into the relationship between curriculum management, instructional leadership and critical pedagogy.

An Application of Hofstede’s Cultural Dimension among Female Educational Leaders

With the exponential advancement of technology, global sharing, industrialization and economic development, national and global cultures are becoming more collective. More importantly, this fundamental paradigm shift is affecting national and global educational leadership cultures. Therefore, the power/distance index (PDI); individualism versus collectivism (IDV); uncertainty avoidance index (UAI); masculinity/femininity (MAS); and long-term orientation versus short-term orientation (LTO); are of interest when considering national and global cultures. These cultural dimensions can be exemplified in the responses of eight female educational leaders: three Canadians and one from Jamaica and Trinidad; two Grenadians and one Lebanese. This qualitative methodology in the form of a phenomenological study found that all respondents displayed varying degrees of each aspect of Hofstede’s five cultural dimensions which can be charted along a continuum from high to low index factors. Each dimension is linked to different leadership styles. PDI is linked to servant leadership, IDV is linked to shared/participatory leadership, UAI is linked to transformational leadership and emergent leadership, and MAS is linked to people versus task-oriented leadership. In each case, the slight variances in responses reflect the microcosm of the macrocosm where each country’s particular culture is mirrored. Recommendations are made for a more androgynous leadership style as well as more androgynous socialization processes if national and global educational leadership cultures are to become less gendered and more instrumental and functional based on the demands of the particular environment. It is expected that a focus could be placed on transcultural rather than intercultural studies in leadership and education.

The Big Five Factors of Personality and Its Relation to Emotional Intelligence among Leaders of Educational Institutions in the State of Kuwait

The goal of thesis is to know the relation between the Big Five Factors of Personality and the Emotional Intelligence among Leaders of Educational Institutions in the State of Kuwait. The researcher used Descriptive Approach using following study tools: Big Five Factors of Personality Scale (Researcher translation)-Emotional Intelligence Scale as of Ability (Prepared by Othman AlKhodor). The sample of the study was (93) detailed as follow: (36 male) and (57 female) educational leaders of Kuwait Secondary Schools which belongs to Ministry of Education, Mubarak Al-Kabeer Educational Area. Researcher used SPSS Program (Statistical Pack of Social Science) at data entry and the statistical processing. Also used the following statistical methods: Arithmetic Averages, Standard Deviation, Pearson correlation coefficient, (t-test) Test of the differences between the averages, analysis of variance and Cronbach’s alpha formula for persistence. The results were revealed as follows: 1) Existence of positive relation between four of the Big Five Factors of Personality and was reverse with the empirical factor. 2) There was no existence of a relation between degrees of the Big Five Factors and the degrees of the Emotional Intelligence as ability. 3) There was no existence of a relation between total degrees of the Emotional Intelligence scale and degrees of Emotional Intelligence as ability. 4) There were no differences between male and female in the averages of Emotional Intelligence as ability, in the averages of Emotional Intelligence and in the averages of the Big Five Factors of Personality.

Enacting Social Justice in Education through Spiritual Leadership

Promulgated by Nelson Mandela in December 1996, South Africa’s post-Apartheid Constitution draws on the Bill of Rights to affirm the democratic values of human dignity, equality and freedom. As an emerging democracy, South Africa further seeks to address issues of social justice and equality in education through the South African Schools Act of 1996. This Act sets out policies and practices intended to redress past injustices and support the rights of learners, educators and parents. Drawing on critical feminist theory, this study explored the experiences of female educational leaders in South Africa’s disadvantaged rural school communities. This qualitative research project adopted a case study research design. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and observations. The aims of this paper are: (i) to investigate the principles of social justice and equity as expressed through spiritual leadership; and (ii) to interpret these principles in relation to education policies. Identifying connectedness and spirituality as prerequisites for spiritual leadership, the study found that spiritual leadership is a means through which social justice leadership can be enacted. While the South African Schools Act upholds the notion that public schools promote democracy through respect for all and tolerance of diverse religious beliefs, this paper does not conflate spirituality with religion. It instead, explores alternative interpretations which explore spiritual leadership and restorative justice as vehicles through which equity and social justice can be understood and enacted.

Roles of female leaders of educational in Vietnam National University

In order to understanding the increasing number of women leaders in Vietnamese higher education. The research was a qualitative study using a narrative inquiry research design as a means to elicit the lived experience of some respected female educational leaders. However, a higher of males leader than females still fills senior management roles in Vietnamese higher education. 
 This study explores of perspective the leadership styles of women leaders who want to positions of leadership in higher education. Most of the female leaders have not leadership training at any school, so their leadership and management by experiences.The identification of important factors effect on the educational leadership of these figures will provide insight into the nature of leadership in relation to teaching and learning in Vietnamese higher education.
 Research will focus on interview as method for exploring thestories offemale educational leaders in Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU). The role of female leaders in changing, developing and perfecting valuable structures. Exploring these stories will demonstrate and can be understood the leadership styles of female leader in at VNU.

Remote and invisible: the voices of female Indigenous educational leaders in Northern Territory remote community schools in Australia

ABSTRACTWhile the literature on women and educational leadership has been addressed in substantive ways in recent years, the experiences that reflect female Australian educational leaders are rare. This article reports findings from a study of five female Indigenous principals in the Northern Territory utilising biographic narratives and foregrounds their experiences as female educational leaders in Indigenous communities. I share the views of Ribbins, P. and Gronn, P. (2013. Researching principals: context and culture in the study of leadership in schools. Asia Pacific journal of education, 20 (2), 34–45) and Dimmock, C. and Walker, A. (2005. Educational leadership: culture and diversity. London: Sage) that research and theory into educational leadership must move towards the inclusion of localised unique cultural contexts since the practice of leadership is a socially bounded process. The study reveals the daily complex roles and challenges of being a female Indigenous principal in communities that are grounded in broader Indigenous epistemologies, beliefs, and value systems yet to be fully embraced by mainstream educational leadership perspectives.

Female Educational Leadership through an East-West Metaphor: A Journey

Abstract Meeting the global need for educational leaders presents challenges for every school system due to economic, style, role, and cultural differences. Recruiting leaders who can work through the challenges stands as a goal for every school regardless of gender, yet females are underrepresented in educational leadership globally. This article is based on three years of research and interviews with female educational leaders in China and the United States and explores the idea that words and phrases used by female leaders communicate gender identity, intersections between ethnicities, economic levels, and cultural priorities. The word that arose most often in the interview responses from 35 female educational leaders, and that was used metaphorically by female educational leaders from remote rural areas of China to the New York City metropolitan area, was journey . Keywords : intersections, female, educational leaders, metaphors, journey

Leadership Styles of Female Educational Leaders: In Search of a Gender Inclusive Leadership Theory

This exploratory case study investigated the perceived leadership styles of Zimbabwean women in primary school governance within the context of extant literature. The specific objective was to est ablish the female school heads' perceptions of themselves, and their teachers. Another objective was to compare interview data with what literature says about the leadership styles of female educational leaders. Literature was also compared with data from a psychometric instrument. Literature reveals gender differences and similar ities in leadership but is not emphatic in describing women's distinct styles. An explicit theory of leadership particularly of females is a far cry. The key question was whether or not these females possessed distinct styles. This study adopted a case study research design. A convenient sample of nine female heads, and forty-five teachers participated. The LBDQ and interview guides were used to collect the data from subordinate teachers and female school heads respectively. The LBDQ results indicated that most female heads displayed task-oriented behaviours. Interviews revealed a relations orientation. The findings further complicate the search for an explicit feminine leadership theory. Implications for educational practice are highlighted.

`The Fact that I'm a Woman May Have Been the Defining Factor'

This article reports on the values and moral dilemmas of one Icelandic headteacher. The article draws on doctoral research currently being conducted with educational leaders in Icelandic basic schools. The research explores the values underpinning the work of female and male educational leaders and how values impact upon their actions, in particular when encountering moral dilemmas. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews with participants who all work in Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland. The main tool of analysis is an adapted version of Begley's `arenas of administration'. This article adds another theoretical dimension, that of gender, to Begley's model. Results show that the motivation behind the headteachers' values is primarily based on consensus. They also show how the headteacher attempts to act as a mediator between competing values of the various leadership arenas while coming to terms with her own. Gender was found to effect on the headteacher in various ways as she felt the need to negotiate and contest her values and leadership actions against stakeholders of various arenas.