Jane Strachan

Feminist Educational Leadership: Locating the concepts in practice

This article describes a qualitative study of the feminist educational leadership of three co-educational secondary school principals in New Zealand. The findings showed that while each of the women was committed to many of the same ideals, such as leading for social justice, how each went about and achieved that was unique and dependent upon their individual value systems and the cultural and socio-economic mix of the student body they were working with. The women were not passive reactors to the demands of political and school community forces. Rather, they were active and creative in constructing their own feminist leadership practice to effectively meet the needs of their students.

Feminist educational leadership in a New Zealand neo‐liberal context

A qualitative, feminist, case study methodology was used to research the feminist leadership of three women principals of coeducational secondary schools. Information was collected by interviewing and observing the three feminist principals, interviewing 24 staff, and collecting documents. Research indicated that being student focused was central to the practice of feminist educational leaders. This thesis explored how they were able to remain student focused in a New Zealand, neo‐liberal, education context with increased financial, accountability and marketing responsibilities. By resisting and appropriating the opportunities and demands created by the reforms, the feminist principals were, to some extent, able to resist the pressure to be less student focused. However, in doing so they worked very long hours. Their personal value systems and the school context were also important influences on their practice. There were both commonalities and diversity among the women’s leadership.

You have to be a servant of all: Melanesian women's educational leadership experiences

This article presents findings from research on womens educational leadership experiences in Melanesia, a least developed part of the world. Specific context research is needed so that theories and strategies developed that help women access educational leadership in developing countries are grounded in grassroots experience.

Ni Vanuatu women graduates: what happens when they go home?

Part of New Zealands aid to Pacific Island nations is given in the form of tertiary scholarships. Students awarded scholarships study at tertiary institutions throughout the Pacific, including New Zealand. But what is it like when they return home, fitting back into their culture and family life, and finding work? The research described in this article explored this question in relation to women graduates from Vanuatu when they returned after studying overseas for three or more years. Some slipped back in easily and found work quickly; others experienced profound culture shock on re-entry and took many months to find suitable work. If Vanuatu is to make the best possible use of these womens tertiary qualifications, and if donors are to realise the goals of their scholarship scheme, necessary changes include more co-ordinated support and regular tracer studies.

Critical Evocative Portraiture: Feminist Pathways to Social Justice

The authors developed a methodology they call critical evocative portraiture to write Shaping Social Justice Leadership: Insights of Women Educators Worldwide (Lyman LL, Strachan J, Lazaridou A, Shaping social justice leadership: Insights of women educators worldwide. Rowman & Littlefield Education, Lanham, 2012). The book explores social justice leadership in the actions of 23 women researchers and educational leaders representing 14 countries, all members of Women Leading Education across the continents (WLE). Each woman featured responded to the call from a WLE research team to submit “the story of your personal and/or professional journey in whatever format and with whatever emphasis makes sense and is comfortable for you.” The first narrative was submitted in October 2007, with the book in print almost 5 years later in June 2012. This chapter includes attention to the purposes of the book and the phases of data gathering and analysis of themes that led to the book’s unique structure and content. Beginning with evocative narratives submitted by the WLE members, the authors gave each thematic chapter a critical frame and then turned the original narratives into portraits, each with its own critical frame. In this chapter, the authors ground the methodology in the literature on qualitative research associated with the terms critical, evocative, and portraiture. Explaining the distinguishing features of critical evocative portraiture, they offer it as a research approach that honors the complexity of powerful social justice leadership in difficult contexts and challenging times.