From Emotional Discomfort to Empathic Connection in Developing Equity Leaders: Learning through Multiple Ways of Being and Knowing

• In Event: Building Equity-Centered Leadership: Readiness, Reflection, and Systemic Support

Abstract

While research on educational leadership has documented emotional discomfort among educators when they engage in equity-oriented learning, the existing studies tend to fall short by treating emotion as a mere additive or partial component of learning, often prioritizing the cognitive dimension. This study aims to extend scholarly and practical discussions on discomfort in equity leadership learning by analyzing adult learners' emotional responses within the context of preparing equity-oriented school leaders at a graduate school. This study addresses two research questions: 1) How did educators encounter emotional discomfort when engaging in equity-driven leadership learning?; and 2) What strategies were found to help guide them to build empathic connections toward equity?

Authors

• Taeyeon Kim, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

• Hyunjin Choi, Teachers College, Columbia University