AISC 2024

Educational change, improvement efforts, and policy reforms are constants in the evolving landscape of education. Principals and senior leaders play a pivotal role in navigating these changes and supporting their school communities. This presentation explores how leaders’ life histories influence educational change, offering insights into leadership, community, agency, and political awareness.

Over the past century, approaches to school improvement and change implementation have transformed significantly. Building on the co-construction approach (Datnow & Park, 2009), this presentation highlights the need for re-conceptualized methodologies that emphasize storytelling and analysis to understand the complexity of educational change and educators' professional lives. Integrating life history and narrative analysis from psychology, sociology, and education, this approach documents principals' and educators' experiences, focusing on identities in leadership and change. It reveals how individuals make sense of their worlds and how these worlds shape actions and perceptions during times of change and improvement efforts.

This framework explores how principals interweave their narratives with those of their school communities. The findings inform how principals construct their stories and make decisions about school improvement, offering attendees a deeper understanding of life histories in educational leadership and broader implications for future-forward education.

Expected Outcomes:
Participants in this session will gain a deeper comprehension of how life histories and personal narratives shape leadership practices and decision-making processes in educational settings. In imagining possible educational futures, school leaders will learn how the co-construction approach to educational change can be applied to better navigate and implement school improvement and change effectively. Participants will be introduced to life history and narrative analysis methodologies, equipping them with tools to document and reflect on their own leadership experiences and those of their teams. Leaders will develop a heightened awareness of the role of community and agency in educational change, and the importance of political awareness in navigating policy reforms and advocating for their school communities. In doing so, this will allow for more inclusive and responsive leadership strategies in the pursuit of new educational futures.