Contextualizing an Uncertain Educational Future: Educators, Leadership, and World Challenges

• In Event: Activist Stance in an Uncertain Educational Future: Foreground Personal, Develop Sense of Place, Build Context

Abstract

Objectives and Theoretical Framework
This research project is an effort to investigate leadership (i.e. teacher, principal) trends in relation to challenges in our societies and in the world around us. We explore beliefs, practices, and policies within the concept of responsive leadership in education. We are drawing on impactful works by experts on the climate crisis; cultural diversity; technology; health; environmental issues; inequality; war; refugees; and democracy. Each is a “wicked problem,” “amorphic, contextually social and infused with uncertainty, ambiguity and contradictions,” (Jordan, Kleinsasser, and Roe, 2014, p. 419).

Methodology
The study uses qualitative methods centered on meta-analysis of past projects using Grounded Theory and Situational Analysis (Clarke, A. E., 2021), while also using Democratic Concept Development (Kubow and Fischer, 2004; Kubow and Fischer, 2006 ) so as to investigate contextual evidence in practices, policies, processes, procedures, and values. Democratic Concept Development (DCD)—the term that describes the method originally focused on parsing out curriculum directions, was created by Kubow and Fischer (2004). It emerged from work with a group of South African and Kenyan educators committed to democratic learning and democratic schooling practices. The DCD methodology moves from a critical pedagogical perspective. We argue that critical pedagogy applied to policy making and work with educational leaders may be especially appropriate for educators and researchers engaged in efforts focused on learning

Data Sources
We also use situational analysis, grounded theory, and democratic concept development to focus our methods on listening to those in schools and other educational institutions in Poland, the United States, and other parts of the world. Data sources are interviews with teachers, principals, and other educational leaders.

Results/Warrants for Argument
We center this work on contextualization of the school and those that work in it. We are identifying competencies and practices of those who model responsiveness. We theorize perceptions, contextual evidence in practices, policies, processes, procedures, and values at a time of challenges in the world.

Significance
We ultimately believe that findings and outcomes will contribute to a redefinition of the preparation of educational leaders at every level, teacher and principal (Mazurkiewicz and Fischer, 2021). The research methods employed are designed to capture the meaning-making and the perspectives, of individuals across the levels of educational leadership.

We are accepting the call to think about aspects of educational leadership for the untenable now and an uncertain educational future. We believe that connecting the dots from practice to educational policies, to important world challenges, and looking at how all are situated in local communities, can contribute to our knowledge base about effective practice. We draw findings that will help to develop education in order to contribute to a better society. We seek to work for more responsive schools, leadership, and policy making.

Author

• Grzegorz Mazurkiewicz, Jagiellonian University
  Presenting Author