Past event
In this Â鶹ÒùÔº event, Dr. Carolyn Shields and Dr. Ira Bogotch lead a discussion on the importance of social justice research, focusing on how Western dominance has shaped educational leadership. The session challenges and seeks to disrupt mainstream thinking in educational leadership that perpetuates Global North bias and neglects the impact of colonialism across contexts.
Drawing on decolonial thinking and theories from Lopez, Dei, Fanon and others, the event explores concepts and encourages open dialogue about colonialism/coloniality and community-building around alternative futures that break from traditional managerialism and challenge performative uses of terms like anti-racism, equity and social justice. The aim is to broaden educational leadership research, methodologically and conceptually, Â by moving beyond already existing knowledge and envisioning imaginative futures grounded in ethical relationships among participants and communities.
Through the speakers and activities, we will discuss key challenges for researchers regarding ways to re-centre education and educational leadership discourses inside global affairs. Moreover, we will consider ways that critical and transformative conceptual frameworks in educational leadership research have fallen short or failed to disrupt the status of colonized/oppressed peoples and consider practical and theoretical actions to engage Dei’s concepts of  talking back and writing back in the field. Through this event and discussion, we will engage with others to think about how to design research agendas that foster equity, collaboration, participation, and community, and which move the field of educational research beyond the physical and mental walls wherein the borders of education have been historically confined.
The event will engage attendees in discussion and activities with practical actions to redesign educational leadership research and practice that embodies and enacts decolonial concepts.
Draft programme:
| 16:00 | Introductions and Welcome |
| 16:05 | Setting group norms and context Professor Azumah Dennis, The Open University |
| 16:15 | Activity |
| 16:25 | Speakers; Dr. Carolyn Shields, Emerita, Wayne State University; Dr. Ira Bogotch, Florida Atlantic University |
| 16:45 | Discussion |
| 17:25 | Closing and Next steps; Liliana Belkin, University of Roehampton |
| 17:30 | Close of Event |
Senior Lecturer at University of Roehampton
Dr Liliana Belkin has a PhD in Educational Leadership, Administration and Policy from New York University and was awarded a US–UK Fulbright Core Scholar Fellowship in 2019–20. She was awarded an ESRC ADR UK Fellowship in 2024. She is a senior...
Lecturer at The Open University
Carol Azumah Dennis has worked in higher education since 2010, first at the University of Hull where she was employed initially as a lecturer in education and programme director for post-16 teacher education, and later as programme director for...
Professor at Wayne State University
Dr. Carolyn M. Shields, past-president of CCEAM, is currently a professor emerita of educational leadership at Wayne State University, Detroit. Dr. Shields taught high school for 19 years before completing her doctorate at the University of...
Professor at Florida Atlantic University
Ira Bogotch, recently retired from Florida Atlantic University, a member of the Florida state university system which is under attack by Project 2025 Conservatives. Ira continues to write back and use his academic platform to promote socially...
Lecturer in Education at University of Manchester
Karen Healey is a lecturer in education leadership at the Manchester Institute of Education, University of Manchester.  She teaches on the Masters in Educational Leadership  with a focus on contemporary issues, policy and research methods....
The Social Justice SIG promotes dialogue on educational policies and practices at all levels in terms of supporting or inhibiting social justice.
A meeting place for the critical exploration of educational leadership – research, policy and practice - in the pursuit of social justice.
Save the date We are delighted to announce a new event – the Celebrating the Impact of Educational Research. We will have ‘lightning talk’ presentations about cutting edge research...
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