Thinking with Michel Foucault in Educational Leadership - (Social Theory and Methodology in Education Research) by Richard Niesche & Denise Mifsud

About the Book

Brings together key scholars using Foucault in educational leadership to provide an overview of his methodologies, concepts, and examples of applications.

Book Synopsis

This book brings together key scholars using Foucault in educational leadership to provide an overview of his methodologies, concepts, and examples of applications. Written for both those new to and experienced with Foucault's work, this book explores new avenues to understand, critique and explore relevant issues in educational leadership. The book features chapters from academics and practitioners based in Australia, Denmark, Italy, the UK and the USA, and includes chapters on global education leadership, decolonial leadership, gender, and digital education governance.

Review Quotes

As the authors in this collection show, Foucault can be a thinking companion who provokes, stimulates and encourages critical interrogation of knowing, knowers and how we come to know. Researchers in educational leadership need this book.
Pat Thomson Professor of Education, The University of Nottingham and Adelaide University

Foucault argued that the point of his work was to be useful. This collection of paper makes very worthwhile use of his work. Foucault's toolbox is brought to bear on the question of educational leadership with flair and the papers offer a rich array of insights highly pertinent to the current 'problems' and vicissitudes of education. Some critical possibilities for a different kind of leadership are offered. Lots of food for thought here.
Stephen J Ball Emeritus Professor of Sociology of Education, University College London.

This book demonstrates that the field of educational leadership is not intellectually dead. So many public resources have been wasted on 'what works' agendas that do not work for educational leaders, leading and leadership. Instead, thinking with Foucault is methodologically necessary because the authors show that educational leadership is educative.
Professor Helen Gunter, Professor Emerita, University of Manchester.

About the Author

Richard Niesche is Professor in the School of Education at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Denise Mifsud is Associate Professor in the Department of Education at the University of Bath, UK.