How Contexts Matter: A Framework for Understanding the Role of Contexts in Equity-Focused Educational Leadership

Abstract

In this article, I put forth a framework for thinking about how contexts matter. This framework highlights organizational, occupational, personal, and social contexts that influence leadership, which I illustrated with three cases of superintendents working on issues of systemic, equity-focused improvements. Data are drawn from a seven-year study of a superintendent's network, including nine interviews with each participant. These illustrations demonstrate that different interactions between the personal, occupational, social, and organizational contexts may result in reframing, crystallizing, or negotiating what it means to lead for equity. For superintendents to engage in equity-minded reform, research and policy need to expand to consider leaders’ personal experiences as well as dominant discourses of equity.