Project Information
Expressions of interest from researchers who wish to participate in the ISLDN Social Justice Strand project are invited and welcomed. To discuss the opportunities, and the potential for participation, contact Ian Potter (group convenor). The power of this international collaboration is that all members follow the same protocol, increasing the likelihood that cross case conclusions can be drawn on a global scale. New members of the group are expected to contribute a case study and follow the agreed model. This is currently constructed in 3 tickets.
The project takes ethical issues very seriously. For practical purposes our expectation is that all those undertaking research as part of this project secure ethical approval from their own institution. All researchers must secure the appropriate consents from any subject participating in the project. The core methodology of the project participants is case study. A case is a single school principal, drawn from either the primary or secondary phases of education. A snowball sampling approach has been utilized by most team members, acknowledging that this technique does not provide a representative sample. Moreover, the principal should self-identify as a ‘social justice leader’ (phrased appropriately for different contexts). By this we mean, the principal has a strong educational philosophy that commits to reducing inequality. Inequalities are intentionally broadly defined, reflecting differences based on class, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, ability and may include inequalities in different forms of capital. Case principals may have a reputation generally for ‘social justice leadership’, or they may have focused their efforts on a single, specific issue. As the project progresses, data collection will be on-going and in-depth as the team works with the case principals over an extended time period. |