Humanizing school communities. Culturally responsive leadership in the shaping of curriculum and instruction

Pages533-545
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-01-2018-0018
Published date06 August 2018
Date06 August 2018
AuthorStefanie LuVenia Marshall,Muhammad A. Khalifa
Subject MatterEducation,Administration & policy in education,School administration/policy,Educational administration,Leadership in education
Humanizing school communities
Culturally responsive leadership in the
shaping of curriculum and instruction
Stefanie LuVenia Marshall and Muhammad A. Khalifa
University of Minnesota College of Education and Human Development,
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examin et he role of instructional leaders in promotin gcu lturally
responsive practice in ways that make schooling more inclusive and huma nizing for minoritized students
and communities.
Design/methodology/approach The data pull from a six-month long case study of a mid-sized,
Midwestern school district that was attempting to implement culturally responsive leadership practices. After
axial coding, findings emerged from interview data and field notes.
Findings Instructional leaders can play significant and useful roles in promoting culturally responsive
teaching and pedagogy in schools. Districts can establish positions in which instructional leaders can work to
strengthen the culturally responsive pedagogy of every teacher in a district.
Research limitations/implications This study has implications for both research and practice.
Culturally responsive school leadership (CRSL) exists in multiple spaces and at various levels in a district.
CRSL is not only a school-level function, but it can also be a district-level practice. Culturally responsive
instructional leaders (in this case, not principals, but coaches) can have significant impact in promoting
culturally relevant pedagogy.
Originality/value This contribution move s beyond school leaders hip and examines how dis trict
leadership practice s and decisions foster culturally re levant practices and the challeng es in employing this
equity work.
Keywords Leadership, Instructional coaches, Culturally responsive leadership
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Culturally responsive leaders exhibit a number of leadership behaviors that improve the
lives and the education of children. The research on culturally responsive school leaders has
tended to focus on four broad areas (Khalifa et al., 2016): critical self-reflection, community
advocacy and engagement, school culture and climate, and instructional and
transformational leadership. While this last domain is the focus of this paper,
unfortunately, most of the literature dualistically describes the literature in this area;
there is on the one hand, the cultural (often thought of as being related to social and
emotional learning) and then, on the other hand, there is instructional leadership. There is
virtually nothing written on culturally responsive instructional leadersunderstandings and
behaviors, despite the fact that they are of the most influential actors on teaching practice
(Hallinger, 2003). This study moves beyond examining the role of school leaders, principals,
by centering those who are formal instructional leaders.
Instructional leadership involves developing the instructional capacity of teachers in
ways that improve student achievement and everything from establishing professional
learning communities, to goal framing, mentoring, and evaluation and assessments are
thought of as core behaviors. In culturally responsive leadership discussions, the key
questions have often been: how can you talk about race and advocate for minoritized
students. We affirm this past research, and recognize the necessity of discussing race in
schools and education research. Yet, there is also wide opportunity for researchers to think
more deeply about how school leaders can develop more culturally responsive instructional
leadership practices.
Journal of Educational
Administration
Vol. 56 No. 5, 2018
pp. 533-545
© Emerald PublishingLimited
0957-8234
DOI 10.1108/JEA-01-2018-0018
Received 22 January 2018
Revised 15 May 2018
22 May 2018
8 June 2018
Accepted 14 June 2018
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0957-8234.htm
533
Humanizing
school
communities

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