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This literature review responds to global concerns regarding the state of Islamic schools and their leadership. A socio-religious conceptual framework guided the inquiry and informed the analysis. The review offers a counternarrative to hegemonic discourses, provides meaning to the complex work of Islamic school leaders in varying contexts, and informs the literature on educational leadership for social justice. Findings suggest Islamic school leaders working to advance social justice converged and diverged in their worldviews, manipulated formal and informal power dynamics, supported the development of Muslim students' differing expressions of identity, and were responsible to others as a moral calling. The review makes international research connections in leadership for social justice and aims to deepen the knowledge base in educational leadership.

This study investigated the ways that principal leadership practice is shaped by religion and spirituality, both in terms of how beliefs inform their work and in relation to how religion and spirituality are manifest in school and community. Data were collected over a 6-month period from public school principals working in mixed Catholic-Muslim communities in the Philippines. The authors developed a conceptual framework that integrated research on principals with multidisciplinary work on spiritual capital and religious capital. Findings suggested that religion and spirituality are very important to principals as individuals and that spirituality and religion form two closely related (but distinct) symbolic systems in which principals must participate to effectively lead in school and community. The study also raised interesting methodological issues related to translation and to cultural relevance for the Australian-based researchers.

The purpose of this study was to better understand how an Islamic school leader's critical spirituality informed and shaped leadership practice. This qualitative case study explored the role of critical spirituality as it relates to social justice, gender justice, and pluralism in a progressive American Islamic school. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews, documents, and school site observations. Findings identified three components of critical spirituality essential to her work as a school leader; specifically, critical consciousness; critical resistance; and critical love. The paper contributes to the literature on school leadership and critical spirituality through its introduction of an empirically based critical spirituality in leadership framework.

The article advances an emergent framework for conceptualizing the relationship between principal leadership and education policy implementation. Based on a qualitative study of school principals and policy implementation in Region X of the Philippines, findings suggested that the way in which policies were interpreted and implemented at the school level was influenced by a variety of intrinsic and extrinsic dynamics and these were shaped in situ by individual, school and community inhibitors and facilitators. These motivations and localized contexts were critical to implementation, and compelled principals to ignore, monitor, or implement education policies as a priority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate how socio-religious dynamics influence (and are influenced by) principals in Islamic schools. Design/methodology/approach: This qualitative case study took place in Semarang, Indonesia. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews with school leaders along with school site observations. To frame the study, we drew from both Indonesian and international scholarship to understand extant perspectives on the context and on the ways that principals influence socio-religious thinking and practices in schools. Findings: Findings suggested that principals' personal experiences and beliefs are central to the ways that socio-religious thinking and practices are manifest in their school. Principals practice more progressive or conservative leadership by influencing the degree to which the school is (a) an open or closed system, (b) inclusive or exclusive in their practices and (c) plural or unitary in their teaching. In making decisions along each of these continua, principals in Islamic schools "curate" a socio-religious educational environment. Originality/value: This paper contributes to the literature on principals and socio-religious dynamics in schools by discovering specific continua of practice that collectively suggest a more conservative or progressive interpretation of Islam. As this area is understudied in educational leadership, the study makes a foundational empirical contribution, suggests theoretical constructs heretofore unexplored, and advances the notion of principal as curator of educational practice.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore how leaders in an Islamic school in the United States engaged in culturally relevant leadership (CRL) within a diverse school community to develop students' critical social consciousness. Research Design: Data were collected over 4 years at an Islamic K-8 school in the United States and included the following: 12 in-depth semistructured interviews with school and community leaders; 4 phone interviews; 7 focus group interviews with teachers, students, and parents; 5 observations of classroom and school events; and documents from the Islamic center, school, and classrooms. Data specific to the school leaders were analyzed using tenets of CRL. Findings and Conclusions: This article describes how Muslim and non-Muslim leaders in an Islamic school engaged in the tenets of CRL. This study suggests that the tenets of CRL, in this context, were grounded in inter and intrafaith dialogue, cultural syncretism, and a unique focus on the development of an American Muslim identity.

Culturally relevant school leaders help establish and nurture school cultures that support the academic and social success of all students. Yet, some school leaders are not culturally responsive and make uncritical or intentional decisions that disadvantage certain students. This has implications for students marginalized by the dominant culture, especially in contexts of social unrest where culturally irrelevant leadership can reinforce existing social and academic divisions. This research centered on school principals in Northern Mindanao, Philippines. The region has a long history of ethno-religious conflict which has displaced two million people and killed 160,000 people over the last 40 years. The purpose of this research was to explore how and in what ways school principals in Northern Mindanao are culturally (ir)relevant leaders. One research question guided this inquiry: How and in what ways do school principals in Northern Mindanao understand and practice culturally relevant leadership? The research findings make explicit the importance of meaningful principal preparation and professional development programs that interweave culturally relevant leadership skills, reflective practice, and inter-cultural understanding in ways that can be locally applied.

It is urgent that education scholars explore how Islamic values shape (and are shaped by) Muslim school leader beliefs, given the heightened anti-Muslim sentiment present in western contexts. Yet, there is a lack of scholarship on non-western approaches to leading schools. To address this gap, we drew from extant Islamic and educational leadership literature to develop a conceptual framework for Islamic school leadership. The framework is grounded in Islamic values and beliefs that cross socio-religious and contextual boundaries. Outside the framework are Islamic leader values. Inside the framework are four inner domains that influence the encircling values. Some beliefs will hold more sway that others, which will provide new insight into how Muslim leaders perceive their work and how this may influence their practice. Our expectation is that this framework will be tested, refined, and interrogated through empirical inquiry, thereby furthering scholarship in non-western contexts.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore how school principals in Southern Philippines approached issues related to religious diversity because of its long history of ethno-religious conflict. Religion has particular importance in the field of education, since how and in what ways religion is included in formal and non-formal curricula can have large bearing on student learning and engagement. Design/methodology/approach: Data for this exploratory qualitative case study were collected over five months in Cagayan de Oro, located in Northern Mindanao, Philippines. The interview sample included 42 principals. School site observations took place in 23 public schools. Data were analyzed and sorted using an inductive and iterative process that thematically coded the data that focused broadly on leadership and religiosity. Findings: The presentation of findings is organized by leadership typologies that emerged through the analysis of the data. Findings suggested that school leaders approached religious diversity in one of five ways, namely, as evangelical leaders, devotional leaders, separational leaders, respectful leaders, or uninformed leaders. Originality/value: This study is a unique contribution to understanding how principal spirituality informs leadership, especially in the non-western cultural contexts where there is need for a localized leadership inquiry.

Background/Context: Current estimates show 2,500 Islamic State (IS) jihadists are from the United States, Australia, and Western Europe. How and in what ways formal schooling influences the radicalization process and the development of extremist worldviews is yet to be fully understood. There is little research that explores how religious schooling educates against radical thought and behavior and this article reports findings from a qualitative case study of an Islamic school in the United States that counters religious extremism through the promotion and development of an American Muslim identity in its students, an ideology that advances the idea that an individual can be wholly American and wholly Muslim without any incongruity. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of the Study: The purpose of this research was to explore one American Islamic school's efforts to counter religious extremism through the promotion and development of an American Muslim identity in its students. Two research questions guided this inquiry: (1) How does one American Islamic school attempt to develop and promote anti-extremist beliefs and behaviors through their development of an American Muslim identity in its students? (2) How is this reflective of Davies' Critical Idealism XvX Model? Research Design: For this qualitative case study, data were gathered and analyzed using Lynn Davies' Critical Idealism XvX Model, which contrasts formal education that teaches anti-extremism to education that may teach extremist worldviews. Findings/Results: The findings suggested that this Islamic school's focus on American Muslim identity reflected the components and values put forth in Davies' framework that supported anti-extremist education and thereby thwarted extremist ideologies of single-truths, silencing, obedience, utopian excellence, political ignorance, and pure identities. Establishing a "good fit" for teachers, parents, and students were essential and parents with extremist or fundamentalist ideologies tended to disenroll their children. This study also suggested that Davies' (2008) Critical Idealism XvX Model may be a useful framework for exploring religious education. Conclusions/Recommendations: The school's administrators believed in the need to re-envision the American Muslim community--moderate in outlook, resonant with American values, participative with community, and supportive and welcoming of diversity. In doing so, the school delivered an anti-extremist education that promoted social integration, democratic values, and acceptance of diversity. This moderate outlook is counter to prevailing stereotypes and thus it is imperative that research continues to explore the role formal schooling plays in educating for or against extremism.

This study explored how principals in Southern Thailand lead schools in areas of violent conflict. In order to better understand principals' perspectives on working in such a context, the study was guided by Lynn Davies' Drivers of Fragility Framework, which identifies five "drivers" of conflict in communities: (1) problems of governance; (2) lack of security; (3) weak economy; (4) cultures of power; and (5) environmental degradation. Data were collected through 30 interviews and 6 school site observations. We used Davies' Drivers of Fragility Framework as a priori analytic codes. Then, using analytic induction, we gathered additional data to identify and then refine emergent categories. Two themes emerged from the analysis of the findings, specifically the misalignment of national education policies to the local context and poor teacher quality. The findings suggested that principals were able to influence local governance, community-based security, and environmental sustainability, but were limited in their ability to influence the weak economy or cultures of power in their communities. This study is a unique contribution to research focused on how leadership is enacted in non-Western cultural contexts and sheds light on what influence principals may have in alleviating social fragility.

This article reports findings from a case study of school principals in Southern Thailand who work in areas targeted by Muslim separatist groups. Data were gathered and analyzed using a conceptual framework that conceived of trust as five interrelated constructs: benevolence, honesty, openness, reliability, and competence. This study builds on prior trust research by examining trust in a specific non-Western cultural context that is moderated by two cultural phenomena: violence and ethno-religious difference. This study is a unique contribution to both the broader research on trust and to our understanding of how leadership is enacted in different cultural contexts. More narrowly, this study also helps us understand the way school leaders in southernmost Thailand build and sustain trust with community leaders. Findings suggested that school principals experienced each of these forms of trust, yet each individual principal interpreted them in a unique manner. In addition, in regards to principal work, fear and problems with communication were found to hinder leadership efforts.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is twofold: to discuss methodological challenges facing US scholars when conducting international research; and to present personal reflections as educational leadership faculty in the USA conducting and publishing on research undertaken in Haiti and Thailand. Design/Methodology/Approach: This study drew from educational leadership literature and personal experiences to identify methodological challenges to conducting and publishing international research in the field of educational leadership. Findings: The methodological challenges facing international research--language, data, publication, and career incentives--should not be reasons to hinder scholars from conducting research in international contexts. Allowing methodological deterrents to impede international research limits US scholar engagement in global conversations and places the field of educational leadership in the USA at risk of a parochial and myopic future. Originality/Value: This paper explores the methodological reasons as to why US scholars are not engaging in international research and provides two vignettes of faculty research in international contexts. This discussion is valuable for faculty interested in or presently conducting research beyond US borders.

The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences, issues, and concerns Thai government school principals have about the presence of armed military guards and how this helps or impedes their school leadership. Data were taken from a larger ongoing study of this topic and the findings suggest that the military protection of schools largely hinders principals' leadership. This study adds to the larger discussion of how school leadership is enacted in different contexts and sheds new light on the military protection of schools in areas affected by violent conflict.

Background/Context: In-school racial segregation, also called second-generation segregation, is a social dynamic that is manifest in different and complicated ways in schoolhouses across the United States. This study sought to investigate how building-level leadership facilitates or impedes the practice of racial equity in an urban high school, from teachers' and administrators' perspectives. Purpose: The primary purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate how educational leaders perceive and influence second-generation in urban secondary schools. Research Design: As the purpose of the study was to ascertain leaders' perspectives, we followed a dialogic methodological approach used in studies seeking to investigate similar perceptual phenomena. This methodology emphasizes both personal narrative and dialogue. This study took place in a single urban high school in the Southeastern United States over the course of two academic years. Conclusions/Recommendations: The study revealed that both formal and informal leadership influenced second-generation segregation in the school. The authors conclude with recommendations for improving future research focusing on the topic and with recommendations for improved practice.

This single-subject case study explored one teacher's religious conversion to Islam and her workplace relationships in the United States and Egypt. Key findings of the study suggested that social context of schools influenced workplace relationships. As a Muslim-American teacher working in the American public schools, she was uncomfortable revealing her Muslim identity. Teaching in an Islamic-American school, she was welcomed as a member of the community. In Egypt, she viewed the schools through an American lens and chose to outwardly disapprove of administrative decisions. Her Muslim identity had no bearing on her ability to gain acceptance; rather, it was her overconfidence and ego that harmed her workplace relationships. Although Amy failed to foster positive interpersonal relationships while teaching, she continued to pursue teaching, hoping for a better situation at another Egyptian private school. (Contains 1 note.)

This article reports findings from a two-year case study of teachers in a single public high school. Data were gathered and analyzed using a conceptual framework that conceived of alienation as a set of five sub-constructs: powerlessness, meaninglessness, normlessness, isolation, and estrangement. Findings suggested that teachers experienced each of these forms of alienation, but that each individual teacher interpreted them in a unique manner. Moreover, data suggested that for individual teachers, experiences of alienation varied from situation to situation and evolved over time. The authors concluded that teacher alienation was a fluid phenomenon, a seemingly basic assertion that has profound implications for teachers, administrators, and policymakers as they consider adopting or implementing reform initiatives. (Contains 1 note.)

The purpose of this qualitative cross-cultural case study was to better understand how Muslim students living in Australia, Ireland, and the United States navigated racism to identify ways in which school leaders and teachers can better address the structural, historical, and socioeconomic roots of racial injustice, discrimination, and ongoing oppression. Data collection was guided by a shared interview protocol that asked questions regarding family background, personal interests, identity, and friendships with a focus on their experiences of anti-Muslim racism in secondary schools. Findings suggested that Muslim students navigated racialization by (de)constructing their Muslimness, seeking voice, navigating between inclusion and exclusion, and responding to hate. This paper contributes to the bourgeoning literature exploring anti-Muslim racialization and makes a foundational empirical cross-cultural contribution with its identification of essential practices for anti-Muslim racism in schooling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]