Values, Diversity and Educational Leadership: Training and Professional Development on Issues of Social Justice for Head Teachers within a Culturally Diverse Primary School

By:
Georgiadis Fokion,
Zisimos Apostolos
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In this presentation it is considered that school leadership studies combine socio-political problems and issues of diversity in contemporary times with the aim of improving facets of schooling that prevent students from learning. The fact that multiculturalism is now a vivid reality in most primary schools affects many headteachers’ lives. Therefore, further professional preparation and training on issues of racism and social justice should be of critical concern in the field of education leadership. This presentation falls in two parts. The first part tackles and offers a critical analysis regarding issues of school headship through explorating new ideas on value-laden leadership while it focuses mainly on racism and social justice. The second one indicates that many Primary headteachers (in Greece but elsewhere as well) are not adequately prepared for the challenges accompanying contemporary educational multiculturality, especially for racism and social justice. Finally, we conclude that, through special oriented training and professional development programmes on racism and social justice, educational leaders of tomorrow will be more effectively prepared to recognise, reflect on, and appreciate differences and diversity, tolerance and plurality.


Keywords: Social Justice, Intercultural Education, School Leadership, Training
Stream: Pedagogies and Teaching Practices
Presentation Type: Virtual Presentation in English
Paper: , Values, Diversity and Educational Leadership: A Critical Review of the Greek Paradigm

Georgiadis Fokion

Ministry of Education, Primary Education Teacher
Institute of Education, University of London
Athens, Attica, Greece

Georgiadis Fokion (MA in CompEdu) studied Pedagogy and Psychology in the Universities of Rhodes and Athens and worked as a Primary schoolteacher since 1988 in Greece and Britain. He participated in many conferences in Greece and abroad and authored intercultural educational material for University of Athens and Crete. At the moment he attends the Doctoral School of Education in the Institute of Education, UofLondon. He is a member of the International Association of Intercultural Education (IAIE), the Society of Intercultural Education, Training and Research (SIETAR Europa), the British Association for International & Comparative Education (BAICE) and of the International Academy for Intercultural Research (IAIR).

Zisimos Apostolos

Teacher, Ministry of Education, University of Thessaloniki
Athens, Attica, Greece

Zisimos Apostolos (MA in PrEdu) studied Pedagogy in the Universities of Thessalia and Athens. He worked as a Primary school teacher since 1985 in Greece and Britain. He participated in various conferences on education in Greece and abroad. He co-operated with the University of Crete on the "Education of the Greek Diaspora" programme (E.DΙA.M.M.E). In 2005 he completed his postgraduate studies in the Brunel University in London on Primary Education. At the moment he attends the Doctoral School of Education in the University of Thessaloniki. He is a member of the International Association of Intercultural Education (IAIE).

Ref: LS7P0023