School Leadership For Social Justice In Turkish Urban Setting

Decades of research suggest that the role of leaders in mitigating the negative impact of social and economic problems on the students is highly contentious one and more analyses in different cultural contexts are necessary to clarify the role of leadership in disadvantaged school settings. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of leadership in resetting equitable and excellent educational experiences in two primary schools located in a socio-economically disadvantaged urban setting in Turkey. Multiple case study was identified as the design of the study, and two primary schools located in the same neighborhood were identified as the cases of the study. The results drawn from the multiple cases showed that leadership has a limited capacity to create socially just educational provisions and ensure excellence in schools' academic practices. Parallel to the analyses in the sociology of education, sociological structures are more critical for the disadvantaged students in benefiting from educational provisions. As a result, leadership as an intervention mechanism must be empowered to set ties with other public services in disadvantaged schools.