Education Commons^™

Beyond Boundaries: Third Space Leadership In Schools, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

This case study is relevant to practicing and prospective leaders because it raises issues related to third space leadership. I define third space leadership as the spaces/places between school and home, school and before or after school programs, school, and extra-curricular activities, such as the commute in a school bus. Third space leadership is grounded in adaptive leadership, cultural proficiency, equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging. This teaching case study exposes educational administrators to a holistic approach to leadership that includes the in-between spaces that are integral parts and moments of students’ educational journeys. The Teaching Notes outline key concepts on …

Linking Street-Level Bureaucracy & Funds Of Knowledge To Identify Core Competencies For Community College Admissions Counselors, Marquez D. Young, Matthew A. Witenstein

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Community college (CC) admissions counselors (ACs) are essential employees who serve as ambassadors of the institution. Their role involves providing valuable information to potential students and their families, leading to CC admissions. However, there is a lack of research exploring their work and how they cope with and adapt to the demands of their job. ACs juggle college fairs, campus visits, and reviewing application materials, which can be physically and emotionally challenging. To maintain stable student enrollment, CC leaders must find ways to keep ACs engaged and motivated. This study identified core competencies needed for communally engaged ACs by examining …

When Leadership Meets A Vision Of Love And Justice: The Art Of Leading For Social Justice, Aaliyah Baker

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Art abounds any task that lies ahead of the doer carried out by vision. Thus, the “artist has gradually become a form of identity which … often carries with it as many drawbacks as benefits” (Bayles & Orland, 1993, p. 7).

The concept of leadership for social justice as a form of art warrants more thought and critical inquiry. Leadership can be considered a form of art. Leadership can be both process and product oriented – both process and product lend themselves to becoming material goods by which the art of justice takes form. Leadership style is an art form …

Re-Thinking Education For Sustainable Development: Key Learning Insights From The Sdsn Usa Transformative Education Summit 2023, Radhika Iyengar, Sumie Song, Deepak Sridhar, Wendy M. Purcell, Ann Nielsen, Iveta Silova, Matthew A. Witenstein, Wen-Wen Tung

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

This paper summarizes key learning insights from the 2023 U.S. Summit on Transformative Education organized by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network USA. Over 400 members from higher education institutions, non-governmental organizations, think tanks, students, and teachers, joined the online event held February 23-25. The Summit created a bridge between social justice issues with an historical lens and sustainable development. Learning insights include those shared by session speakers, dialogue among participants during thematic conversations and regional networking forums, comments made by attendees on session Jamboards and the Zoom Chat function, and post-Summit feedback. A high-level thematic review was undertaken to cluster …

Fostering Youth-Led Innovations To Accelerate Progress On The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: A Guide For Policy Makers At Cop28, Brock Dickinson, Issa Gonzalez-Peltier Leogal, Radhika Iyengar, Nicholas Palaschuk, Haein Shin, Iveta Silova, Sumie Song, Hana Sahatqija, Valeria Soto, Deepak Sridhar, Wen-Wen Tung, Matthew A. Witenstein, Shriya Iyer, Eshan Akula, Suvid Bordia, Eshaan Jain, Aaryan Jain, Vidya Bindal

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

In today’s world, to address the most pressing global challenges, education must equip all learners with the values, skills, and knowledge that nurture cooperation, resilience, respect for diversity, gender justice, and human rights. This concept is called Global Citizenship Education which is a target of the Sustainable Development Goal 4 – Quality Education.

I commend the Mission 4.7 initiative facilitated by Columbia University’s Center for Sustainable Development, UNESCO, UN SDSN and the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens, for playing a pivotal role in addressing SDG Target 4.7 and on the release of the “Fostering Youth-led Innovations to Accelerate Progress …

Composite Storytelling Affiliated College Faculty Narratives In India To Propose Curriculum And Exam Policy Revisions, Matthew A. Witenstein, Joanna Abdallah

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Affiliated college academic staff members in India represent an abundance of frontline knowledges which hold great promise for impacting bottom-up policy. However, their knowledges are typically missing from the literature or not shared cross-institutionally. While it is common for them to express a lack of discretion, many find avenues for invoking high impact practices common to street-level bureaucrats. This study focuses on how they navigate university curriculum and exam policies through six emerging and high impact practices. This study highlights their high impact practices performed by illustrating meaningful mechanisms for coping and adapting to policies, and emerging insights regarding the …

Leaning Into A Critical Theory Of Love To Adaptively Engage In Teaching And Learning During Covid-19 In India And The Us, Matthew A. Witenstein, Narender Thakur

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

This article considers the experiences of teachers and learners in higher education institutions that led to the need for adapted learning modalities during COVID-19. It is critical to provide reflective faculty narratives. We position them as Street-Level Bureaucrats on the front lines, who as de facto policymakers, made adaptive decisions impacting students’ educational opportunities. Consequently, this article engages experiential reflections of two university professors in the field of education, one in the US the other in India. It examines how known ways of learning changed as universities closed and teachers and students were mandated to switch to online, remote or …

Can We Teach Methods That Transgress? Emancipatory Perspectives And The Praxis Of Research, Aaliyah Baker

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Qualitative research surrounding perceptions of reality influence human experience. Since qualitative research is grounded in theoretical perspectives and epistemologies that value human experience as knowledge and embrace identity and cultural awareness (Hollingsworth & Dybdahl, 2007), qualitative methods in education research can have an endless capacity for abolishing social inequities.

I have experience teaching research methods courses. My goal is to challenge students to become agents of social justice. I encourage students to question the methods we employ and seek solutions that are necessary for combatting injustices. Rigorous and systematic methods that shed light on injustices students experience and advance the …

Crisis Leadership: Voices From The Field, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Becoming Culturally Proficient Qualitative Researchers By Crossing Geographic And Methodological Borders, Corinne Brion, Carol Rogers-Shaw

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

This article explores how novice researchers develop a scholarly identity as they cross geographic, cultural, institutional, identity, and methodological borders throughout their studies, experiencing insider, outsider, and in-betweener positions. It hypothesizes that researchers become more culturally proficient through their fieldwork and self-study. The autoethnographic narratives address the social justice issues encountered by two early career researchers who increased their cultural proficiency and self-awareness as they moved across multiple cultural contexts. By shifting back and forth between insider, outsider, and in-betweener, the researchers became more culturally proficient, developed their voices as researchers, and practiced inclusivity by amplifying marginalized voices. Their self-reflective …

Creating And Sustaining Positive School Climate During Covid-19 Pandemic, Corinne Brion, Bilgen Kiral

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

The researchers used a qualitative design with a descriptive phenomenological approach to examine the experiences of 10 principals in creating and sustaining a positive school climate during COVID-19. The researchers conducted interviews over Zoom from October to December in 2021. The principals have worked in two American states, one Midwestern state and one in the South region of the country. Findings indicated that although the principals knew about school climate, they did not have a complete understanding of the concept. In the present study, it was concluded that a positive school climate is created and sustained with specific leadership skills …

Whose Poverty Is It? An Autoethnography, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

When I first met my husband, he told me, “I have nothing material, I do not have money or many possessions.” When he meant he had nothing, he literally meant it, no savings, no house, no bank account, no retirement plans, and a job that hardly paid for one meal a day. His most precious possessions were a bicycle and the toolbox he used as a mechanic. He lived with his mom, sister and two nieces in a one-bedroom self-contained unit they rented. There was no bathroom, no toilet, no kitchen, no personal space, no decoration, and no furniture. It …

An Educational Leader’S E-Mails To The Parents During Covid-19 Pandemic, Bilgen Kiral, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

This study was conducted to determine what kinds of e-mails an education leader (school principal) sent to the parents of the students at the beginning, during, and end of the term during the COVID-19 pandemic process. In this study, the expression “educational leader” was used instead of the school principal.

The reason for this is that the school principal fully assumes the role of educational leadership during the pandemic period. The subject of the study is the transformation process in communication due to the pandemic. This transformation is e-mails, one of the digital communication tools that aim to reach everyone …

The Experience Of A White Professor Teaching Diversity Courses In The Midwest, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Facilitators of diversity courses in higher education institutions face multiple challenges because these courses are emotionally charged for students and facilitators alike. To date, there is a limited number of recent papers that focus on the reflections of professors from the dominant culture who teach diversity online and face-to-face graduate courses. The present paper fills this gap by describing the experiences of a White, French assistant professor in the Midwest of the United States. This paper also provides recommendations for practitioners.

The Centrality Of Social-Emotional Learning For Educators During Crisis: The Role Of The Principal, Corinne Brion, Alison Bachowski

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Social-emotional learning (SEL) is crucial to human development because SEL helps us maintain supportive relationships and make responsible and caring decisions. This qualitative

study aimed at understanding how, if at all, public school educators looked after their social- emotional health in times of crisis, during COVID-19. The sample consisted of 24 educators in

three school districts in a Midwestern state of the United States. Findings indicated that participants used several strategies to take care of their emotional health. These strategies included making time for non-school related activities, connecting with colleagues, engaging in small acts of kindness, and providing professional development …

The Impact Of Culture On Learning Transfer In Burkina Faso And Ghana, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Culture is a predominant force in people’s lives that impacts learning and thus culture influences learning transfer. Because working across nations has become the norm and every year billions of dollars are spent on professional learning around the world, it is crucial for organisations to understand the role culture plays in the learning transfer process. Using a multidimensional model of learning transfer and the six dimensions of national culture model as conceptual frameworks, this qualitative study used a case study approach to examine the impact of culture on learning transfer in Burkina Faso and Ghana, West Africa. Interviews were conducted …

The Centrality Of Cultural Considerations In Facilitating Training For Adults, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Teaching and learning are social and cultural activities. Across cultures people have different ways of communicating, interacting, and learning. Consequently, learning may not occur without understanding the role national cultures play on organizing and facilitating training events. This study is part of a larger study that took place over a period of six years, from 2013 to 2019, in West Africa. Using Hofstede et al., (2010) Six Cultural Dimensions model as a conceptual framework, this paper sought to examine the extent to which factors of national culture influences the facilitation of professional learning among school principals in two West African …

Cultural Proficiency: The Necessary Link To Family Engagement, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Although family engagement is crucial to student and community outcomes, schools often alienate families who are not part of the dominant culture. As a result, school leaders need to become culturally proficient to systematically engage all families equitably regardless of their race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and other cultural identifiers. This teaching case study raises issues related to cultural proficiency and family engagement. To help current and future educational leaders foster family engagement, I provide a cultural proficiency for family and community engagement framework. I also pose questions designed to trigger conversations and find practical solutions related to equitable family engagement.

A Journey Towards Cultural Proficiency: Lessons Learned From Africa, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

This autoethnography tells my story as a French American woman who lives in the United States and worked with hundreds of school leaders in five African countries over a period of six years. Using a cultural proficiency continuum, I illustrate my learning and changing frames of references pertaining to cultural differences. Movement along the continuum indicates an alteration in thinking that progresses from marginalization to inclusivity. My experiences, mistakes, and lessons learned contribute to the discourse on cultural difference. For six years, I spent more time on the African continent than in my American home. These extended stays allowed me …

Using A Culturally Proficient Leadership Lens To Effectively Serve Refugee Students, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

This teaching case study takes place in an American middle school and tells the story of Dorah, a refugee student from the Republic of Congo who experienced severe trauma. At Lincoln Middle School, the principal and her teachers encounter difficulties serving their refugee students adequately because of their lack of cultural proficiency. This case aims to help leaders in diverse contexts understand how to embrace and advocate for different cultures, beliefs, and norms to increase the cultural wealth of their communities. To achieve this goal, I provide a cultural proficiency model and a trauma-invested framework.

A Bottom-Up Approach To Improve Women’S Access To Technical And Vocational Education And Training In India: Examining A Non-Formal Education Upskilling Programme, Matthew A. Witenstein, Radhika Iyengar

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

The Indian Government’s 12th Five Year Plan features ambitious goals regarding the upskilling of women in India. While the Plan acknowledges Indian women’s continued inequality, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) programmes (a main avenue for upskilling) pose considerable challenges. There is significant work to be done if India aspires to meet the 12th Plan’s goals. Moreover, to achieve them in a socially just manner, greater efforts are required to include and amplify women’s voices throughout the process. In pursuit of this aim, the authors of this research note share insights from the first stages of their study of …

Leading In Times Of Crisis, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Defining what a crisis is can be challenging because the definition may vary based on information such as who the person defining it is and the context in which this person resides or learns. Educators and community members may argue that their educational organizations have always been in crisis depending on where their schools are located, their schools’ resources, and their students’ learning outcomes and well-being. Thus, for these communities it may be difficult to pinpoint how and when a crisis hits.

In this case study, the author defines crisis as, any situation that disrupts the education and training process …

Creating Intentionally Inviting School Cultures During Crisis, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

This qualitative study used Purkey and Novack’s (1988) Invitational Education as a conceptual framework to understand how 30 educational leaders in Ohio’s urban and suburban districts created intentionally inviting school cultures during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Findings indicated that leaders altered their leadership styles to focus on people rather than programs and policies in order to be more inviting. Challenges pertained to insufficient funding to provide professional development for teachers and parents and the need for more mobile devices and connectivity. This study is significant because it expands the invitational education framework to show how leaders are being intentionally inviting …

The Use Of Culturally Proficient Professional Development To Enhance Learning Transfer, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

The National Staff Development Council recommends that principals devote 10% of the school budget and 25% of teacher time to professional development (PD). While PD requires time, it is crucial that the time be organized, carefully structured, and purposefully led to avoid the waste of human and financial resources. Despite the millions of dollars spent on professional development nationally, student learning outcomes continue to stagnate or dwindle, discipline issues continue to skyrocket, and teacher moral plummets. This may be due, in part, to leaders paying little attention to learning transfer. Culture plays a key role in one’s ability to learn …

Building Emotionally Resilient Schools And Educators During Crises, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Teaching is one of the most stressful occupations in the U.S (Gallup, 2014). Stress affects teachers’ health and well-being, job satisfaction, job turnover, and student outcomes (Greenberg et al., 2016). Possessing and using social and emotional skills is necessary to regulate stress, maintain healthy personal and professional lives, and thrive as teachers and leaders (Jennings & Greenberg, 2009; Jennings, 2015). Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is key to human development because it is “the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective …

Changing Cultural Norms Through Educational Leadership: Voices From Ghanaian Women Principals, Corinne Brion, A. Ampah-Mensah

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

The purpose of this phenomenology study was to understand the experiences of women principals located in Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem (KEEA) district of the Central Region of Ghana, a patriarchal and traditional society. Specifically, this study examined how cultural factors positively or negatively influenced women access to the principal role and influenced their leadership experiences. Using Hofstede et al.’s (2010) six dimensions of national culture as a conceptual framework, this study elucidates the experiences of 12 women school leaders. Findings revealed that these women navigated cultural norms and beliefs in order to exercise their own leadership style and pursue their …

Covid-19 Crisis Management Strategies And Challenges Of Educational Leaders In America, Corinne Brion, Bilgen Kiral

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

This research was conducted to understand how 30 American school leaders managed during the COVID-19 pandemic. This qualitative study used a case study approach. The researchers utilized a convenience and snowball sampling to conduct Zoom interviews in May 2020. The research findings revealed that leaders encountered numerous difficulties related to having to lead during two crises (a global pandemic and social-racial issues). Findings also indicated that leaders altered their style and used many strategies to lead in times of crises: They emphasized communication, became stress managers and cheer leaders, focused on developing a sense of belonging among teachers and students …

Trauma-Informed Leadership, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

According to recent data, over 34 million students have experienced at least one or more types of serious childhood trauma. As a result, current and prospective school leaders urgently need to develop trauma-driven skills and abilities in order to create safe schools for all students and raise academic outcomes. This teaching case study raises issues related to trauma experienced among students and its impact on students and school improvement. The author discusses one case in a fictitious district that is representative of the kind of traumas many other American schools face. I also provide additional resources for practitioners.

Marianist Educational Associates: Advancing And Promoting The Mission Of Catholic And Marianist Universities, Corinne Brion, Allison P. Leigh

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Preparing employees to become stewards of the Marianist values and charisms has become a priority at a Marianist institution because employees impact the institution’s environment and faculty and staff directly impact student learning. To date, there is a lack of research conducted among employees of a Marianist institution on how new understandings of institutional mission get transferred to their jobs. Additionally, there is a lack of empirical studies that examine what enhances and hinders the transfer of such understanding. Using the Multidimensional Model of Learning Transfer as a theoretical framework, the purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the …

Unhinging The Machismo Binary Through A Third Space Lens: Reframing Latinx Males Postsecondary Academic Decision-Making, Matthew A. Witenstein, Alejandro Cervantes

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

This critical and conceptual analysis problematizes the machismo binary and situates it in a third space framework. It explores Latinx males’ higher education experiences and how machismo influences academic decision-making. Situating Latinx males’ college-going in the third space provides a more nuanced portrayal of their academic decision-making across diverse postsecondary settings. In doing so, the Latinx Gender Identity Development Model for Latinx Males in the Third Space is proposed and connects machismo with other domains such as marianismo, caballerismo and familismo. The proposed framework is illustrated by applying it to Latinx males across critical dimensions that impact their decision-making in …