Preparing Principals in Educational Leadership Programs

This chapter explores educational leadership graduate programs and the complex process of preparing the next generation of principals and building administrators. The authors emphasize the role of self-directed learning in educational leadership graduate programs, as pre-service principals will ultimately encounter problems of practice in school settings that challenge them to seek, analyze, and utilize information effectively and the skills necessary for making informed decisions and applying theory to practice. This chapter explores the ways in which some educational leadership graduate programs shaped their programs as settings that foster scholar-practitioners through the integration of new standards and frameworks that encourage the development of practice-related research skills. Also, the authors examine problems of practice and the ways educational leadership programs prepare pre-service principals to grapple with these complex issues. Lastly, a problem of practice project is outlined for use in the classroom.

Toward the Promise

Those in higher education stand on the cusp of an opportunity—an opportunity to fulfill the promise that higher education will provide access to liberty, freedom, resources, respect, ownership, and the ability to pursue happiness. The dominance of Eurocentric and Western knowledge, practices, beliefs, and perspectives in organizational leadership programs has yet to be disrupted. Consequently, many doctoral programs reinforce colonialism and White superiority instead of affirming and preparing students to work in a diverse and pluralistic society. This chapter presents some practical ways structural racism in higher education can be interrupted through a program overhaul and redesign to center justice and equity in all aspects of the program.

Utilizing Qualitative Research Methods in Doctoral Programs to Enhance the Importance of Social Justice in Educational Leadership

The Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree prepares individuals in research and professional practice in education. In the case of Doctor of Education programs that have a focus on leadership, candidates are expected to act as agents of educational and social change. This chapter turns a critical lens to educational leadership programs in two states, Connecticut and Ohio, in order to better understand the current state of qualitative research and social justice within Doctor of Education programs. Additionally, mission, visions, and educational websites were examined to assess the range of experiences around social justice offered in educational leadership programs. This work also explores the literature on qualitative research methods as a form of inquiry and the history and evolution of qualitative methods that makes this research paradigm a good fit for social justice research and activities within educational leadership programs. Lastly, it illustrates practical approaches to embedding social justice in qualitative research courses.

Neoliberal Approach in Higher Education

Differentiation strategies face higher uncertainty and dynamism because of design and functionality of their service in higher education. This is closely related with contextual knowledge and neoliberal approach. Researchers provide the contextual knowledge of neoliberal approach in Pakistan and state of social justice regarding higher education in the country. Neoliberal approach in education has been identified as a new trend in developing countries. Business approach in education has started treating education as a commodity and students as a costumer. Knowledge-based economy is one of the strongest factors influencing the neoliberal approach in higher education. There are certain circumstances for adaptation of this approach in higher education; however, the intellectual community needs to be aware of the pros of this approach. Humanitarian approach need to be taken care of by the government bodies in higher education. Ethical and leadership programs based on agile management may be helpful for faculty members to reduce social injustice through their teaching approach.

Communication in a pandemic: Concerns of agricultural and natural resources opinion leaders during early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic

During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic (March-April 2020), opinion leaders in agriculture and natural resources (ANR) were asked to participate in a survey about the impacts of the crisis on the ANR industry specifically about their concerns related to communication, economics, level of preparedness, and health during this crisis. Of the 225 ANR leaders who participated, the majority were concerned that members of the public were sharing inaccurate information about COVID-19; others they come into contact with were not taking appropriate measures to avoid contracting COVID-19; about the impact of COVID-19 on the U.S. economy, their state’s economy, and the global economy; and other countries’ level of preparedness to deal with COVID-19. ANR leaders were consistently the most concerned about items that were outside of their direct sphere of influence. Implications from this work are that ANR leadership programs should incorporate programing to help ANR leaders understand how to be influential during a crisis at a national and international level. For statewide ANR leadership programs, it is recommended to include programming sessions related to identifying and sharing credible information and enabling and inspiring those in their circle of influence to do the same.

Leadership Life Skills Development in 4-H Teen Leadership Programs

This study introduces a framework for 4-H leadership competencies and explores the relationship between 4-H leadership programs and participant leadership life skills development. Illinois 4-H members aged 15-18 completed an online survey about their 4-H experiences and skills. Participants reported local programs exhibited the characteristics in the leadership competencies framework. Members participating in leadership competency programs reported higher leadership life skills scores than those in other 4-H non-leadership oriented programs. Females reported higher leadership life skills scores in comparison to males. However, spending more years in leadership programs was only related to a significant change in skills development for some participants.

Sustainable Leadership: Philosophical and Practical Approach in Organizations

The contemporary leadership concept manifests trends of continuous improvement, which is why this paper is an approach to the field from the perspective of philosophical counseling practices, different from current training and development programs for managers. Thus, the new opportunities are identified, which can join business education and personal development programs for leaders. The paper analyzes the characteristics of coaching studies compared to those of philosophical counseling applied in organizations, using the concept of philosophical leadership in order to identify the existence of interdisciplinary links between the two fields. The intensity of these links was studied through the bibliometric analysis performed on the concepts of leadership and philosophy, which were the subject of papers published in relevant journals indexed in the international database Clarivate Analytics–Web of Science Core Collection. The results of the analysis showed a close connection between concepts, which confirms their association. Through the practical applications of philosophy in the leadership, an innovation of the programs takes place of current specialization dedicated to leaders, which contain tools and methods that can be taken from philosophical practices, to achieve high-performance leadership programs. The concept of philosophical leadership can have a sustainable approach which can be included in personal development programs addressed to leaders, and will be delivered in the form of leader service packages, in which other specialists can participate, such as philosophical counseling, who can be successfully involved in the development of the leadership training program (LTP).

Accelerating Character Education Learning Through a Networked Approach: Insights From the Kern Partners for Character and Educational Leadership

This article explores the utility of networked improvement communities (NICs) as an organizing structure for scaling character education across educational leadership programs through a case study of one network committed to integrating character education across varied institutions and contexts. In examining the improvement science process that guided NIC members’ development and implementation of character education approaches and their perceptions of and participation in NIC activities, this case study offers insights on the promise of structured collaboration across diverse institutions. Furthermore, it identifies the need for NICs to differentiate improvement science activities based on participants’ institutional readiness for character education.