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Re-conceptualising Teacher Leadership Through Curriculum Inquiry in Pursuit of Social Justice: Case Study from the Canadian Context

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International Handbook of Educational Leadership and Social (In)Justice

Part of the book series: Springer International Handbooks of Education ((SIHE,volume 29))

Abstract

Changing demographics and social realities in schools have precipitated calls for social justice education and have garnered the attention of educational leaders, researchers, and school-based scholars. This chapter explores social justice leadership within the context of teacher’s curriculum work and leadership in their classrooms. It also examines the importance of teacher leadership within educational leadership discourse. Utilizing a case study approach, I posit an alternative framework for teacher leadership at the intersection of social justice and curriculum inquiry that highlights activist bottom-up leadership. The chapter draws on research conducted in a large ethnically, racially, and linguistically urban secondary school in Southern Ontario, Canada. The findings reveal that activist teacher leadership and agency focused on the development of culturally relevant curriculum grounded in the lives and experiences of students are essential in creating success for diverse students and highlight ways that teachers construct new epistemologies for themselves.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Acting Academic Director, Initial Teacher Education, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, 252 Bloor St., M5S 1V6, West Toronto, Canada

    Ann E. Lopez

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  1. Ann E. Lopez
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Correspondence to Ann E. Lopez .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, USA

    Ira Bogotch

  2. Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA

    Carolyn M. Shields

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Lopez, A.E. (2014). Re-conceptualising Teacher Leadership Through Curriculum Inquiry in Pursuit of Social Justice: Case Study from the Canadian Context. In: Bogotch, I., Shields, C. (eds) International Handbook of Educational Leadership and Social (In)Justice. Springer International Handbooks of Education, vol 29. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6555-9_26

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