Social Justice in Education: Perspectives of Disadvantaged Schools Principals from Chile

Abstract

The article presents the results of an investigation that identified and analyzed the perceptions of school leaders on some criteria that should be met by institutions operating under the social justice perspective. A multiple-case study was carried out with eight principals who had taken office recently in disadvantaged schools and had completed their first year in that position. The aim was to know their vision regarding aspects related to justice, optimism, empathy, and democracy —presented by other authors— to describe how an educational center works from the perspective of social justice. The results showed discourses that partially incorporated these criteria and indicated a stronger presence of the distribution component over those of recognition and representation, which belong to the concept of social justice.