Poster #11 - "The Lord Is My Shepherd": Exploring the Influence of Principal Spirituality on Leadership in Mindanao, Philippines

• In Event: 79.052 - MTCC Poster Session 19
  In Poster Session: 79.052-1 - Division A Section 1 Posters: Leadership in a Modicum of Contexts

Abstract

This study explored the influence of principal spirituality on school leadership in a region beleaguered by centuries-long religious Christian - Muslim tensions. Although the Philippine Constitution posits the separation between church and state, it does support and promote religion to be taught in schools. The focus of this study was to better understand how and in what ways school principals’ personal Christian beliefs influenced their work leading religiously diverse schools. The findings suggested that school leaders approached religious diversity in one of five ways: evangelical, devotional, separational, respectful, or uninformed. This study contributes to furthering the understanding how principal spirituality informs leadership and how principal spirituality can contribute to the reinforcement of extant hegemonic social structures.

Author

• Melanie Carol Brooks, Monash University