2.2 Disrupting the status quo: the action research dissertation as

The Quality Practitioner of Educational Leadership

During the last decade there has been an ideological shift in defining and characterizing the notion of a quality practitioner of educational leadership. As a result of many critical conversations, some of which may or may not have involved educational practitioners themselves, there appears to be some agreement on the characteristics which are believed to best describe expertise in the practice of educational leadership at the beginning of the 21st century.“E]ducational leadership [has]be[gun] to embrace more organizational content:…not just running organizations but molding them for success”(Levin, 2006, p. 38). Contrary to past descriptions that emphasized staff supervision, management and discipline, current descriptions of leadership include the leader’s capacity to influence and promote equity, equality and excellence in educational organizations. Most important is the leader’s willingness to interrupt the status quo for the purpose of maximizing learning opportunities for all those involved the organization.

Educational leaders need to be able to reflect upon how the policies and practices embedded in the organization support or detract from every student’s educational experience (Starratt, 1994). For instance, the argument is made that if leadership practitioners know how to listen to their constituents and gather relevant organizational data, they will be able to collaborate with their educational partners in the organization and community to influence change that results in better educational outcomes for all students (Furman, 2002). More than ever before, educational leadership is being associated with student academic achievement. Firestone and Riehl, (2005) have recently published an edited book that resulted from an American Educational Research Association (AERA) and University Council of Educational Administration (UCEA) taskforce charged with developing a research agenda on educational leadership. The main research questions addressed in this volume are:“How can educational leaders increase student learning, and how can they foster equity in educational outcomes?”(p. 1). However, Brown (2006a) argues that our current leadership preparation programs pay little, if any attention to the necessity of preparing educational leaders to engage in social justice or equity work.