Women Leaders In Education Research Articles

Editorial: Ways of Seeing Women’s Leadership in Education—Stories, Images, Metaphors, Methods and Theories

Gender and educational leadership remains a focus for scholarly interest precisely because gender inequalities remain. That is the case 30 years on from the publication of seminal works that established gender and women in educational leadership as a focus for research (Shakeshaft 1987; Blackmore 1989; Dillard 1995). Scholars continue to document women’s under-representation in leadership (Alston, 2005). This Research Topic focuses on accounts of doing leadership (e.g. Cook), as well as showing how their inclusion transforms leadership theory e.g. by incorporating gender, feminist, intersectionality and Afrocentric theories (e.g. Gullo and Sperandio, Tripses and Lazaridou, Malachias et al., Williams). Feminist epistemology ensures women’s experiences and ways of seeing are central to the research purpose and process; that women as leaders are not solely the object of the researcher’s gaze. In particular, feminist standpoint theory recognises there is epistemic privilege so that situated knowledge, what is known and the ways it can be known, is shaped by the positionality of knowledge producers. A reflexive approach prompts feminist researchers to reflect deeply on context, as well as their positionality, in relation to the focus of research. The theme of this Research Topic—“Ways of seeing women’s leadership in education: stories, images, metaphors, methods and theories”—reflects collective experiences from diverse perspectives. Earlier versions of these eighteen papers were first presented at the seventh Women Leading Education across Continents conference at the University of Nottingham, UK in the summer of 2019.

Women in Sustainable Education: Glass Ceiling among Female Schools Principals in Indonesia

Sex segregation remains happening in the education realm. In the 21st century, Indonesian women's participation in the public sphere still becomes an issue, especially leadership. Women are perceived as the second class of society, even obtaining the negative stereotype of incapable leaders, which the myth of leadership belongs to men's world. As an oxymoron, women are "freely binding," meaning they can be involved in the public sphere. However, they are encountering "glass-ceiling" to be in the top position, especially in rural West Java, where women have been perceived for their physical appearance-minded rather than the capability of leadership. The proposition of women principals in compulsory education in Indonesia is underrepresented compared to men principals with 38.68 percent and 61.32 percent. Women are capable of a good leader who has leveraged their subordinates through positive relationships, empowering others,and improving schools. Therefore, women empowerment is essential to achieving sustainable education under SDG Priority 4 Quality of Education and SDG Priority 5 Gender Equality. This study aims to analyze the presence of women school principals' "status quo" and "glass-ceiling" in Indonesia by utilizing the PAR gender model of Blaikie et al. (2003), consisting of three factors; root causes, dynamic pressures, and unsafe condition. Hence, this study will be able to offer policy recommendations on women's leadership empowerment. This research used the exploratory approach by investigating sixteen school principals of elementary education and literature reviews, such as research reports and academic articles related to women leaders in education. This study found that Indonesian women in the educational realm have dealt with the glass ceiling deriving from root causes on power and structure. Meanwhile, dynamic pressures are knowledge dissemination and the unsafe condition on economic imbalances and discrimination on welfare and social protection, which becomes a sustainable threat and negatively affects the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Increasing diversity in leadership: perspectives of four Black women educational leaders in the context of the United States

ABSTRACT This paper is a collation of the experiences of four Black women, all senior-level educational leaders in the United States of America. Considering the predominance of White males in educational leadership, our paper furthers the conversation around race-gender diversification in this realm. We employed a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, focusing on the intersections of race and gender, in the effort to challenge epistemological incongruencies within this context. Using in-depth, timed, semi-structured interviews, participants reflected on their journeys, experiences, and perceptions as non-archetypal leaders in education. In highlighting contributors’ perspectives,our objective was to bring the matter of race-gender underrepresentation in educational leadership to the forefront. Study participants revealed the importance of visibility, education, collaboration, exposure, mentorship, pursuit, authenticity, and living one's truth in the move towards diversifying the educational leadership sphere. Participants’ recollections underscore the need for more research specific to the journeys of non-typical educational leaders in the United States.

Changing cultural norms through education: voices from Ghanaian women principals

PurposeThis study examined how cultural factors positively or negatively influenced women's access to the principal role and influenced their leadership experiences. The researchers used Hofstede (2011) six dimensions of national culture as a conceptual framework. The Hofstede (2011) model of national culture consists of six dimensions (6D) that the investigators utilized to interpret and code the data. This framework allowed the researchers to comprehend the impact of cultural norms and values on women leaders and how women leaders work within those behavioral patterns. Utilizing this framework to map women educational leaders' experiences provided nuances in the dimensions within this region.Design/methodology/approachUsing a qualitative research paradigm and a phenomenological approach, this study explored the experiences of 12 women principals in the Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem District (KEEA) of the Central Region of Ghana. The phenomenological approach is represented in cultural and social experiences. It enables researchers to describe the meaning of individuals' experiences (Creswell, 2007). This approach helped the researchers describe the participants' perceptions and experiences as Ghanaian women school leaders. This study sought to answer the following research questions: What are the experiences of women principals in Ghanaian K-12 public schools? What challenges do these women encounter in their work as principals? What support exists for these women to effectively execute their leadership roles? A criterion sampling was used to select principals. Data collection included one-on-one in-depth interviews and field notes.FindingsFindings revealed that these women navigated cultural norms and beliefs in order to exercise their own leadership style and pursue their careers in education. These women leaders were also able to gradually change the teachers' and community members' mindsets on women and leadership.Research limitations/implicationsThis study took place with 12 women within one district in one region of Ghana. While this is a limited sample, this study is significant because it increased one's understanding of how women leaders in patriarchal societies navigate cultural beliefs and norms in order to execute their responsibilities. This study informs educational reforms on gender equity and leadership preparation programmes and sheds light on culturally informed leadership practices unique to women.Practical implicationsBased on the study's findings, the researchers offer some recommendations for practitioners, policy makers and scholars.Social implicationsGiven the global call to promote equity in all aspects of social, economic and public life, the question is not whether we should support women educational leaders but rather how we can better support these professionals navigate cultural norms embedded in patriarchal and traditional societies.Originality/valueCurrently, majority of scholarly articles written on the experiences of women educational leaders come from South Africa (Diko, 2014; Mestry and Schmidt, 2012; Moorosi, 2010). In Ghana, quantitative studies have focused on factors accounting for gender disparity in education leadership in specific districts (Segkulu and Gyimah, 2016) and stereotypical perceptions of women principals (Pwadura, 2016). However, there are a limited number of qualitative studies that explore the experiences of women principals. This study is designed to fill this knowledge gap by employing a qualitative design to explore the experiences of 12 women school principals located in the KEEA municipality in the Central Region of Ghana. Thus, the gap in knowledge that this study seeks to bridge is both methodological – in terms of the use of a qualitative approach – and topical – in terms of exploring the experiences of female principals.

Leveraging Women’s Leadership Talent to Promote a Social Justice Agenda in Ethiopian Schools

Background: Research that identifies and celebrates the positive attributes of women educational leaders advancing a social justice agenda in traditionally male-dominated, Sub-Saharan African (SSA) societies is sparse. Studying female educational leadership in SSA conceptually brings to the fore issues associated with the intersectionality of gender, leadership, pervasive abject poverty, and cultural mores from a critical theory lens that runs counter to the White, western, male conceptions of leadership underlying much of the existing literature in the field. Purpose: With a focus on Ethiopia, we sought to understand the way in which women educational leaders, as traditionally oppressed groups in a patriarchal society, utilize their past marginalization as they advance a social justice agenda to promote educational opportunities for traditionally underserved students, particularly females. Research Design: Using transformative leadership as our theoretical lens and semi-structured interviews as our methodology, we conducted a grounded phenomenological study of eight Ethiopian women who were in educational leadership positions ranging from assistant principal to regional supervisors. We recruited the women leaders through direct contact, reputational nomination, and leadership positions they held. Findings/Results: Our findings paint a portrait of these female leaders as tenacious and determined, with a strong sense of self-agency and moral courage, whose identities are born out of their humble beginning and multi-focal understanding of issues from being female, from poor communities, submersed in male-dominated culture. These identities drove the participants to work towards emancipatory policies to acknowledge and intervene in “power differences” that directly influence school performance for girls and women in Ethiopia. Conclusions/Recommendations: Increasing workforce diversity with respect to gender, recasting leadership preparation programs as equity-oriented institutions, and addressing key public policies to support women in leadership positions are foundational recommendations that can lead to gender equity in education in Ethiopia.

Intersectionality and Leadership in Context: Examining the Intricate Paths of Four Black Women in Educational Leadership in the United States

Intersectionality and Leadership in Context: Examining the Intricate Paths of Four Black Women in Educational Leadership in the United States

Balancing race, gender, and responsibility: Conversations with four black women in educational leadership in the United States of America

This article focuses on equitable leadership and its intersection with related yet distinct concepts salient to social justice pertinent to women and minorities in educational leadership. This piece is rooted and framed within the context of the United States of America, and the major concepts include identity, equity, and intersectionality—specific to the race-gender dyad—manifested within the realm of educational leadership. The objective is to examine theory and research in this area and to discuss the role they played in this study of the cultures of four Black women, all senior-level leaders within the realm of K-20 education in the United States. This work employed the tenets of hermeneutic phenomenology, focusing on the intersecting factors—race and gender, specifically—that impact these women’s ability and capability to perform within the educational sector. The utilization of in-depth, timed, semi-structured interviews allowed participants to reflect upon their experiences and perceptions as Black women who have navigated and continue to successfully navigate the highest levels of the educational leadership sphere. Contributors’ recounted stories of navigation within spaces in which they are underrepresented revealed the need for more research specific to the intricacies of Black women’s leadership journeys in the context of the United States.

Intersectionality and leadership in context: Examining the intricate paths of four black women in educational leadership in the United States

ABSTRACT There is an emergent body of scholarship about the specific ways in which Black women lead within the context of education. In the United States, women comprise three-quarters of the educational workforce. Yet, roughly four in five senior-level leaders in education are male. Although developments continue to be made, only very recently has significant advancement been made in what remains a historically male-dominated space. Black women represent the most educated group in today’s workforce; yet, they represent a small fraction of leaders who ascend above the ranks of mid-level management. In response to this, we were compelled to add to the existing research in this sphere. Our paper incorporates social justice leadership theory as a frame for the study of Black women in the context of educational leadership. Employing a hermeneutic phenomenology, we interviewed four Black women in educational leadership to examine the intersecting factors (i.e. race and gender) that impact these women’s ability to lead. Using in-depth, timed, semi-structured interviews, contributors reflected upon their unique experiences and perceptions as non-archetypal leaders. Participants’ recounted stories of resilience, community, struggle, and perseverance revealed the need for more US-based research specific to the intricate leadership journeys of Black women in education.

Arab women as instructional leaders of schools: Saudi and Qatari female principals’ preparation for and definition of instructional leadership

ABSTRACT This qualitative study examined how female principals from two nations that recently opened up new avenues for women in educational leadership defined instructional leadership and what they did to prepare to become school principals. Using an open-ended survey and snowball sampling, female school leaders from Saudi Arabia and Qatar who led a diverse array of schools in size and grade configuration were asked questions regarding their professional and educational background and a variety of questions regarding what they did as principals that they considered representative of instructional leadership. This study adds to the small body of research regarding Arab female principals as instructional leaders as well as illustrates the knowledge and experience which led these women to their positions as educational leaders. Female principals from both countries viewed teacher supervision as their primary task as instructional leaders which included classroom observations and providing feedback to teachers. Saudi principals also described providing professional development for their teachers as part of their instructional leadership. Experience as teachers was identified as the primary preparation to become an instructional leader followed by degree completion and pursuit of additional training.

All Eyez on Me: On Being Black, Female, and a First-Gen Leader in the Academy

All Eyez on MeOn Being Black, Female, and a First-Gen Leader in the Academy Carol E. Henderson (bio) When and where I enter, in the quiet, undisputed dignity of my womanhood … then and there the whole … race enters with me. —Anna Julia Cooper, A Voice from the South It is not the responsibility of black women to tailor who they are and how they express themselves because of our white and male-dominated society. —Rebecca Lais, "The Purposeful Silencing of Black Women in Educational Leadership" If you are from around the way, you know that there are two types of education: that which is formal, from the hallowed halls of the academy, and the other, informal, from the university of hard knocks. Both served me well in my leadership roles at the University of Delaware (UD), my former institution.1 As the former chair of a small but mighty department, I was not naïve enough to believe that just because I had assumed a leadership role—one of a very few African Americans to serve in that role at that time—I had been magically accepted into the fraternal order of academic brotherhood. I say brotherhood because most leadership roles at my institution, and I've come to understand at many institutions across the country, are occupied by those who are white and/or male. Because [End Page 125] these systems tend to replicate themselves, that is, those in positions of power tend to mentor and groom for leadership those individuals who look like themselves—breaking this cycle requires courageous and intentional interventions that support successful succession planning in leadership built on the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. For me, this intervention came in the form of an initiative introduced by the African Heritage Caucus (AHC) at UD. They had noticed that very few African heritage faculty and staff were in leadership and executive positions in the highest ranks of the institution, and they further realized that there was no mechanism in place on campus to create career pathways to these positions either formally or informally. The cochairs of this caucus met with upper administration and suggested that resources (whether in-kind or financial) be allocated to fund a shadowing initiative that would allow nominated faculty and/or staff to assume leadership roles in certain units and departments under the guidance of a mentor. The program was approved. Once approved, the AHC then went about the business of selecting individuals to serve in these apprentice roles. I am not sure how that list was compiled or who was actually on the list, but I know I was one of the people nominated. My colleague, who was one of the cochairs, informed me that my peers on campus had spoken of my potential to serve in a greater leadership capacity. They knew of my wide-ranging committee work both nationally and at the departmental, collegiate, and institutional levels. They felt this work was great preparation for this opportunity, and they asked me to not only consider the nomination, but to also consider what sort of leadership position I might find amenable to my career goals. I was a tenured associate professor at the time and had been for about five years. I had never really thought about administrative work as a career path. I love to teach and being with students reminds me of why I entered the academy in the first place. I serve as mentor to a number of students from all backgrounds—but my kinship with students of color is life-changing and spiritually affirming. In them I see the promise of the ancestors. In me they see themselves reflected in the authentic and vibrant exchange of knowledge about the richness of African heritage and about cultural resilience and reinvention despite systemic racism, sexism, and inequities. They see what they can do and whom they can become because there are centuries of struggle and triumph to prove it. And these students are affirmed in ways spoken and unspoken in the classroom. This intellectual engagement would serve as primers for their experiences as global citizens. I saw a number of these students who majored...

Challenges of Women in Educational Leadership Position in Tano North Municipality of Ahafo Region, Ghana

The study explored the challenges of women in educational leadership in Tano North Municipality, Ahafo Region of Ghana. This was a qualitative study which employed case study design. Purposive sampling technique was used to select participants comprising 15 women in educational leadership position for the study. Semi-structured interview guide were the instruments used for data collection. The data was analysed using thematic approach. It emerged that some teachers do not accord female heads the necessary respect due to their culture, religious background and perception about women in general. Also, the problem of heavy workload associated with their new positions posed challenges to women in educational leadership position. It was established that mentoring, professional development coupled with leadership and administrative support help women in leadership positions to excel. It is recommended that Tano North Municipal Education office and other gender-based groups should periodically organize leadership training programmes or seminars for women to prepare them professionally for leadership positions. Keywords : Leadership, Subordinates, Gender, Equality, Position. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-31-04 Publication date: November 30 th 2020

Challenges that contribute to low participation of women in educational leadership at government primary schools, Ethiopia

The purpose of this study was to investigate the challenges affecting women’s participation in educational leadership. The participants were 106 teachers and 24 school leaders. The respondents were selected using stratified random sampling, purposive sampling and comprehensive sampling methods. The findings from the study revealed that the perception of school leaders and teachers was high towards women leaders’ ability, skill and leadership competence. Despite their ability and competence, women are still largely underrepresented in the leadership of primary schools. There were several challenges at the self-image, organisational and societal levels preventing qualified women from ascending to junior positions in primary schools. At the self-image level, challenges such as women still acknowledging the world as masculine, women’s fear of balancing professional work and family responsibility, fear of success in achievement, lack of mentor and role models, reluctance of women to hold position of power, lack of awareness and knowledge of organisational culture were found to be deterring women from taking up leadership positions. In addition, cultural challenges such as cultural and religious sentiment with regard to women inferior to men, male prejudice reflecting stereotype women as less acceptant than men in society, misconception of the society about women’s roles, girls and boys being socialised by different roles and expectation in the society were seen as major hindrances of women’s participation in educational leadership in the study area. Keywords: Educational leadership, challenges, contribute, participation, primary school.

Struggling to make a difference against the odds: a synthesis of qualitative research on women leading schools in Zimbabwe

PurposeThis paper reports on results of a systematic research synthesis of 25 studies on women in educational leadership and management in Zimbabwe. The aim of this systematic review of research was to report conclusions drawn from a synthesis of findings from studies of gender and educational leadership in Zimbabwe.Design/methodology/approachThe review used systematic methods to identify 25 research studies that examined women leading schools in Zimbabwe. Research synthesis methods used for qualitative research studies were employed in order to identify three broad themes and related subthemes across the studies.FindingsThe review identified three themes: (1) barriers to women gaining access to management positions, (2) female ways of leading, (3) context challenges for women leaders. Both barriers to gaining positions and context challenges faced in enactment of the leadership role are described. These consist of an intertwined web of personal, institutional and cultural challenges. Women's ways of leading were characterized as collegial, collaborative and caring.Research limitations/implicationsThree implications are identified. First is a need for better statistical information on gender representation in Zimbabwe and other African countries. Second is a need to design and implement training, mentoring and networking support programs for female leaders in Zimbabwe. Finally, the authors recommend that future research move toward the use of mixed methods research designs capable of achieving complementary research goals of gaining a broad perspective on the effects of female leadership and in-depth understanding of how those are achieved.Originality/valueEmpirical studies of female leadership is especially urgent in Africa where particular features embedded in the cultural context shape female access to leadership role and attitude towards efforts of women to lead.

The Barriers, Facilitators, and Solutions for Women in Educational Leadership Roles in a Chinese University

Although women are considered to be dominant contributors in the field of education, underrepresentation of women in educational leadership is still a pervasive issue. The situation may be more critical in the Asian Chinese context, wherein the male-dominated tradition of the feudal system has been prevalent for thousands of years. This article examines the barriers faced by women in educational leadership roles in a Chinese university, and the facilitators of female educational leadership. The case study was conducted using qualitative methods, involving interviews with both male and female leaders. The findings present a range of barriers that women in the research university are now facing, facilitating factors, and ways to solve the issue. Addressing the importance of recognising the underrepresentation of women in Chinese universities also has the aim of promoting gender equity in educational leadership.

Challenges to Women in Educational Leadership

Challenges to Women in Educational Leadership

I can’t believe I’m still protesting: choppy waters for women in educational leadership

ABSTRACT In January 2017, at various Women’s Marches spanning the world, women with decades of activism under their belts held signs that called attention to their incredulity at having to resist government policies that threatened control over their bodies. This paper explores a similar persistence of stereotyping and discrimination that women in positions of educational leadership have faced for decades. Herein, we describe and explore the professional involvements and perspectives of fourteen women possessing diverse positionalities holding various positions of leadership in education, and we examine overt and covert forms of discrimination that affect decision-making and authority. Moving beyond evidence of stereotyping, pigeon-holing, and discrimination, this paper takes up Karen Barad’s theory of intra-action to understand these positionalities and subjectivities in a different light. In so doing, we explore the ways our participants adopted postures of resistance as they accepted, rejected, and wrestled with discrimination and stereotyping while negotiating positions of leadership.

Gender Equality and Situated Constructions: Perspectives of Women Educational Leaders in a Muslim Society

Gender equality is emphasized globally not just by international organizations such as the United Nations but also by the national governments, as reflected in the relevant policy documents nationally and internationally. However, the practice of gender equality that is embedded in contextual constructions, conceptualizations, and interpretations of gender equality varies across societies and communities. These situated constructions of gender equality have implications for women’s participation and experiences in the public and the private spheres in their respective societies. This article draws on data collected from women academics in a Muslim society to investigate the impact of given constructions of gender equality on women’s experiences and career trajectories, critically debating the interacting factors that shape these constructions and command “willing” submission with complex implications for their professional journeys.

Analysis of Leadership Style of Women in The Field of Education in TK Aisyiyah Bumiayu Brebes Regency

This event will be based on research by the large number of women leaders in education, especially in TK Aisyiyah Bumiayu where majority of its leader is a woman rather than a man. The research method used is Descriptive qualitative approach. The subject of research, namely the school TK Aisyiyah in Bumiayu. Date collection techniques acquire date, quality of date collection are also related to the quality of the research instrument made by the researchers. Research results are obtained, namely that a woman can also lead an institution especially in the institution because a woman is the main educators of at least within a family. In TK Aisyiyah Bumiayu is indeed the majority must be led by women because the institution is indeed in desaign to women leaders.

Indigenous women in educational leadership: identifying supportive contexts in Mi’kmaw Kina’matnewey

ABSTRACT This article is drawn from a larger qualitative case study that examined the leadership context and leadership approaches of five Mi’kmaw women school principals in Mi’kmaw Kina’matnewey (MK), an Aboriginal educational authority, located in Nova Scotia, Canada. This article aims to identify the contextual supports within MK that have enabled Mi’kmaw women educators to obtain and retain positions as principals. The use of a decolonizing methodology positioned the participants to work in partnership with the researcher during data collection and analysis. Data collection and analysis involved the use of one-on-one and sharing circle conversations with the principals. Findings suggest that the social, cultural, and organizational contexts where women lead have had a significant influence on their lives. More specifically, familial, collegial, community, and organizational supports have enabled these women to hold positions as principals and enabled Mi’kmaw cultural revitalization to occur within their school communities. Although the contexts within MK are not reproducible, aspects of the supports within these contexts can be employed by schools and school districts to support the hiring and retention of minoritized members of society in educational leadership.

Motivation and perseverance of women in education leadership in the United States of America

This study examined executive women leaders in higher education administration in the United States of America. It examined factors influencing women to attain leadership positions. It also looked at the challenges facing female leaders and established strategies women use to overcome these challenges. A sample of 11 women leaders in higher education was selected purposively based on experience, seniority and roles. Multiple sources of data collection were utilised including interviewing, observation and document analysis, which served as a way of triangulation. The nature of the study was exploratory. The qualitative phenomenological method was utilised to organise and analyse the data. The researched data was collected from both primary and secondary sources such as journals, interviews and observations. Findings reveal that senior women leaders in higher education positions are intrinsically moved by a great desire to make a positive difference and a need to help others. External forces influencing women to leadership include mentoring, self-efficacy, networks, prior experience, leadership training, and career planning. The results indicated that the women desire is to achieve personal growth and development. The results are consistent with both leadership and motivation theories (Maslow, 1970; Burns, 1978; Bandura, 1997). The findings are limited to women leaders in the education sector; they cannot be generalised to other business sectors.