Conducting comparative analyses of social justice leadership: Creating an international research team from diverse country, policy and education system contexts

Abstract

This article is concerned with considerations for conducting comparative analyses, with a focus on the process of creating a diverse international research team committed to investigating equity issues in education and society. Following brief background information on the International School Leadership Development Network (ISLDN), provided to contextualise the author team and the article’s discussion, the main sections focus on conducting comparative equity research and related methodological considerations. The authors explore the development of specific research methods which they consider to hold significant potential for supporting comparative methodology: the Bacchi approach to policy analysis; and the Delphi method of eliciting the views of groups of respondents. The article offers new perspectives on conducting comparative analyses. The conclusion invites critical reflection on this research team’s development of understandings and methodological approaches to conducting comparative research to critique social justice leadership.