UNC School of Education

>> Brown, Kathleen

By focusing her attention more squarely on the expansion of theoretical bases, Kathleen Brown is working on an original, creative and interdisciplinary research process in the field of educational leadership. The struggle for social justice in schools has become clearer in her research as she has sought greater understanding and solutions to a range of equity issues. An example of her findings is a sole-authored article appearing in the February 2004 issue of the top administration journal, Educational Administration Quarterly, titled “Leadership for Social Justice and Equity: Weaving a Transformative Framework and Pedagogy.” This theoretical piece represents the first of a continuing line of inquiry that synthesizes a broad range of ideas and citations including adult learning theory, transformative learning theory and critical social theory. While many agree that theory, research and practice should be intertwined to support the type of schooling ─ and society ─ that values rather than marginalizes, few scholars offer ground-breaking, pragmatic approaches to developing truly transformative leaders. From a critical theorist perspective, her research offers a practical, process-oriented model responsive to the challenges of preparing educational leaders committed to social justice and equity.

Through this expanded line of inquiry, Brown is investigating a coordinated set of issues around educational leadership that are important to the improvement of schooling. The change to schools that she envisions – and that many administrators and teachers desire – is tangled in a history of economic, social, psychological and political traditions and structures. It is their presence that Brown is exploring more deeply and building into a coherent, sustained research agenda. By critically examining the educational ideas, policies and practices that serve the interests of the dominant class while simultaneously silencing and dehumanizing “others,” she is revealing and challenging the philosophical and ideological underpinnings of these discourses. Several paper presentations as well as published articles and book chapters frame this dimension of her line of inquiry, including “Assessing Pre-Service Leaders’ Beliefs, Attitudes and Values Regarding Issues of Diversity, Social Justice and Equity: A Review of Existing Measures,” “Weaving Theory into Practice: Preparing Transformative Leaders for Social Justice,” “Racial Gap in Teachers’ Perceptions of the Achievement Gap,” “Pivotal Points: History, Development and Promise of the Principalship” and “Democratic Leadership and Moral Leadership: Exploring the Connection from a Critical Theorist Perspective.” Her first book, From the Desk of the Middle School Principal, has been followed by a prospectus for a second, single-authored book titled Preparing Leaders for Equity and Justice: Weaving a Transformative Framework and Pedagogy. The prospectus has received encouraging reviews.

Brown’s line of social inquiry is predominantly qualitative with some mixed methods and explicit presentations of systematic procedures for collecting and analyzing data. A notable example is her co-authored article with Vincent Anfara that appeared in the October 2003 issue of Educational Researcher, titled “Qualitative Analysis on Stage: Making the Research Process More Public.” Work in progress includes collecting interview data from more than 100 principals and teachers in K-12 public schools in North Carolina regarding schools that are both excellent and equitable and schools that have high teacher retention rates.