Creating Equity in Learning Experiences and Outcomes: How Do School Leaders Enact Socially Just Instructional Leadership in Practice?

Decades of research on instructional leadership demonstrate that school leaders play a vital role in promoting student learning. Meanwhile, widening inequalities among students from diverse backgrounds highlight the need for social justice leaders to foster equity in educational processes. This study explores the potential integration of two leadership models, instructional leadership and social justice leadership, highlighting the role of school leaders in improving the learning experiences and outcomes for all and bridging learning gaps among students from diverse backgrounds. The study employs a multiple case study design, gathering extensive qualitative data from three primary schools in Hong Kong SAR, China. In addition to semi-structured interviews with various school leaders and teachers, two focus group interviews were conducted at each school, and school documents were collected as supplementary data. The analysis revealed five interconnected themes: (1) strategizing for equitable school improvement; (2) capacity building for equitable teaching and learning; (3) cultivating an inclusive and empowering school culture; (4) leading equitable resource distribution; and (5) fostering family and community partnerships. These findings contribute to recent conceptualization efforts in Socially Just Instructional Leadership and enrich the field with valuable insights from a non-Western context.