Globalization has led to the narrowing of physical and cultural spaces and has also led to the creation of multicultural societies with the two-way sharing of knowledge, values and understandings. Yet, as societies edge towards closer cooperation, our understanding of the situatedness of cultures and cultural spaces and cultural practices are not always premised on similarities but rather on differences. Similarly, some analyses have tended to exclude countries from the developing world, although providing "authority" through their "global", and "international" labels.

Concomitantly, much of the available educational leadership research assumes a normative, mono-cultural, Anglo-American perspective that does not adequately capture and represent the contribution of non-Westernised paradigms and perspectives of educational leadership. The papers presented in this session problematise the majority hegemonic notion and articulation of leadership and proffer models of educational leadership as exercised globally. Drawing on research data from 36 academics/ researchers in 42 countries located on six continents, the session explores the interconnectedness of leadership practice between and among countries. Each paper presents data that: includes at least one developing country; spans at least two continents; and applies the same methodology among all countries in a chapter. The session reveals similarities and differences in the ways leadership is understood and practiced in very different cultural and national spaces.

This session explores the notions of educational leadership in Global and intercultural contexts and stems from an existing book project: Cultures of Educational Leadership. In this session a several project contributors : researchers and practitioners alike, representing multiple contexts will share research evidence on the ways educational leadership is constructed and practiced. The overall theme of the session provides us with a platform from which to gain a more developed understanding of educational leadership practices globally- resulting in the production  of “cultures of leadership” or a higher level understanding of leadership derived from at a multiple country integrated data gathering and analysis framework. The session therefore makes it possible to understand and acknowledge that in an increasingly globalised world, researchers and practitioners in educational leadership have role to play in promoting and in building cultural understanding.

Miller, P. (Ed.). (2016). Cultures of Educational Leadership: Global and Intercultural Perspectives. Springer.