Defining and enacting social justice leadership: An examination of principal and assistant principal perceptions

The purpose of this single case study was to explore how a group of public school principals and assistant principals in Texas, a Southern state in the United States, define and describe social justice in education, as well as leadership practices and challenges they associate with social justice leadership. We draw upon theories of justice from Rawls (1999), Fraser (1999), and Gewirtz and Cribb (2002) to examine school leaders’ perceptions of social justice in education. Through data analysis, definitions of social justice in education are categorized as follows: simplistic, critical, and contextually responsive. Central leadership practices identified are: self-reflexivity, capacity building, and developing a culture of care. Lastly, challenges school leaders described as related to social justice leadership were connected to district operations, resource allocation, school-community attitudes, and time. Findings highlight the important role of school community context in how social justice is advanced in schools. Findings have implications for research and educational leadership development to support school leaders in the use of social justice leadership practices in diverse contexts. Copyright © 2025 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.