The Positionality of Instructional Leaders: What Do We Do When All the Leaders Are White?

• In Event: Learning Communities, Context, and Positionality in Supervision and Instructional Leadership

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate a) what level of training exists for administrators regarding positionality awareness in an educational leadership program at a large university in the South, and b) to what extent understanding of positionality impacts instructional leadership provided by administrators to translate theory into practice. The state examined serves a 37.3% non-White student population, while 89.6% of teachers in the state are White, providing an opportunity to examine how educational leadership programs help administrators connect positionality theory to instructional leadership practice. Findings include systematic training for administrators to be aware of their positionality, how this impacts their research, and the servant leadership they can provide to help address instructional leadership through understanding of positionality.

Authors

• Ian Mette, University of Maine

• Lisa Nieuwenhuizen, William Woods University

• Bryan Silverman, University of Maine