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Just leadership in
Multicultural School –
Head Teacher’s Ethical Device
Conference on Diversity and Global Education
Thematic Group:
Intercultural education, social justice and equity
25.4.2008
Katri Kuukka
Educational Consultant, Doctoral Student
Katri Kuukka
Aim and Background of the Study
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Working title: Head teachers’ ethical thinking and leadership in multicultural school
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Why?
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social justice seen here as one aspect of virtue, virtues seen as part of normative ethics >
schools seen as normative communities
multicultural school seen here as a school with a considerable amount of pupils of
immigrant background
own professional experience during 13 years in Helsinki City Education Dpt – also a general
phenomenon in globalizing, pluralistic western societes:
 schools have become more diverse
 demands and needs of different interest groups have become more diversified
 nature of school administration has altered dramatically
 teachers and head teachers need advice – and device for ethical discussion and
practice in school context
Why head teachers?
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key figures of the school: responsible power holders, treasurers, pedagogical
leaders…and essential moral agents?
“Values, morals and ethics are the very stuff of leadership and administrative life”.
(Hodgkinson 1991)
educational leadership has a moral purpose (Fullan and Hargreaves 1991; Greenfield
2004)
Katri Kuukka
Head teachers’ ethical framework
”In a multicultural education situation the educator can or cannot believe in god.
S/He can trust on the reality of the values or consider them as social constructions.
This doesn’t effect the basic task of value education. - - From now on we are
”doomed” to multiculturalism, which is not the end of the value education but a
new possibility”. (Huttunen, Tynjälä & Heikkinen 2003) (italics mine)
Head teachers are also ”doomed” to
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follow the rules
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implement school curriculum
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The Constitution of Finland
Basic Education Act, Basic Education Decree
Government Decree on the General National Objectives and Distribution of Lesson
Hours in Basic Education
National Core Curriculum (included ”acceptance of multiculturalism” as one basic
value)
other acts, decrees, procedures, guidelines
action plan, annual report
manage and lead
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rules of procedure
Katri Kuukka
Value Basis
defined in municipality-specific guidelines
In the schools of of Helsinki city
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everyone has the right to culture and good education, to grow
as a learner, and as a human being;
we act in a democratic way so that everyone has the
possibility to grow up as a responsible member of the
community and to influence the common matters;
we promote equality, respect everyone’s human dignity and
take care of friendly atmosphere, safety and well-being
together;
we value Finnish culture and everyone’s own cultural
background and promote the interaction between the cultures;
we don’t allow any kind of violence, discrimination or racism;
we undertake to promote sustainable development and learn
to take responsibility of the environment and the future.
Katri Kuukka
Head Teacher’s Ethics
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professional
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personal
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legislative framework
ethical codes > as civil servant, as qualified teacher, as head teacher
values, beliefs, assumptions, attitudes
history, experiences as an individual
mindset/worldview
teleolocigal – what’s good > the purpose of the school
deontological – what’s right > the normative culture of the school
consequental – what’s next > the most useful solutions for the school
(Launonen 2006)
intertwined, situational, reflexive/non-reflexive…
Katri Kuukka
Existing Device
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Guideline documents
 Multicultural education plan
 Aspects of the tuition of Muslim pupils
 Aspects of the assessment of second language speakers
Interpretation services
Pedagogical advisors for
 preparatory tuition
 FLS-tuition
 mother tongue and Islamic religion tuition
 pupil welfare
Financial support for teaching materials added to school budgets
In-service training for teachers, head teachers and other school staff
On-line information on the web-site
Katri Kuukka
Leadership in school – as it should be
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Ethical (Sergiovanni, Starratt, Greenfield)
Transformational (Leithwood & Jantzi)
Authentic (Begley)
Distributed (Spillane)
Democratic (Woods)
Responsible (Maak & Pless, Starratt)
Sustainable (Hargreaves & Fink, Fullan)
For diversity (Lumby & Coleman)
For social justice (Blackmore)
”Social justice scholarship in educational leadership emphasizes
moral values, justice, respect, care, and equity; always in the
forefront is a consciousness about the impact of race, class, gender,
sexual orientation, and disability on schools and students’ learning.”
(Cambron-McCabe & McCarthy 2005)
Katri Kuukka
Problem Statement
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What kind of ethical thinking head teacher is
expressing in his/her discourse?
What kind of leadership head teacher's action is
representing?
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What kind of ethical dilemmas are typical in
multicultural school?
What kind of values head teacher expresses?
What kind of vision of a multicultural school is
head teacher's thinking connected to?
Katri Kuukka
Data
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thematic interviews (with a pinch of
in-depth approach) in 2004
14 female and 11 male heads, of whom
 20 at lower lever, 2 at upper level, and 3
at comprehensive schools
 ~25 % of municipal comprehensive
schools
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content analysis
Katri Kuukka
Themes
Theme # 1: Multiculturalism in school
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definitions of multiculturalism
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multiculturalism as a challenge and a resource in the school
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multiculturalism staff requirements
Theme # 2: Multicultural school
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atmosphere and working culture
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the joint responsibility of educating: school, care takers
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challenges, dlemmas, conflicts linked to multiculturalism
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surprising/not anticipated situations > solutions
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what would you do -questions
Theme # 3: Head teacher’s role
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involvement in various dilemmas
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courses of action
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required characteristics
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survival strategies
Theme # 4: The vision of a multicultural school
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definitions of an optimal multicultural school
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this school after ten years
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the task of the school in a multicultural society - head’s role?
Katri Kuukka
(Ethical) Dilemmas Faced
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violence
threatening with violence
troublesome _individuals_
arguments/conflicts between ethnic groups
religious fanatism and absoluteness
participation in art and physical education
underestimation of female teacher
prejudices towards psychological tests and
special education
Katri Kuukka
Background of Solutions
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Appealing
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Flexibility
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Finnish school legislation: ”I had all the piles in front of me and I read the
basic education act…which subjects includes in lower level and so forth…”
school curriculum: ”We’ve said that you participate [music lessons]. Period.
It is said in the curriculum and your teacher takes care that your religion is
not insulted.”
municipal guidelines: ”And then we went through those text, digged on the
net, and after thet is wasn’t a problem any more, when he realized that no
one is converting his child to anything…”
Holy Quran: ”Show me the point where it’s said that a pupil cannot attend
music lessons.”
”Physical education is one thing…We have been drifted to adapt, so if that is
so tough thing, the child moves according to circumstances…”
Personal reflection
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”I think that it cannot be any woman’s choice that even her eyes are
covered.”
”In the meantime you just think that both ow us want the best of the
child…But we just have difference in views of it..”
Katri Kuukka
Actions Towards Just/Ethical
Leadership
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preventive actions
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external support
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teaching arrangements
flexible structures
support of mother tongue teacher
experts
education department
multidisciplinary networks
professional apathy (Airaksinen 1993)
slow knowledge - patient leading (Claxton 1999,
Hargreaves & Fink 2006)
Katri Kuukka
References
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Airaksinen, T. (ed.) 1993. Ammattien ja ansaitsemisen etiikka. 3.
painos. Helsinki: Yliopistopaino.
Fullan, M.G. and Hargreaves, A. 1991. What’s Worth Fighting For?
Working together for your school. Australian Council for Educational
Administration, Hawthorn.
Cambron-McCabe, N. & M. McCarthy, M. 2005. Educating school
leaders for social justice. Educational Policy, Vol. 19, No. 1, 201-222.
Claxton, G. 1999. Hare brain, tortoise mind: Why intelligence
increases when you think less. Hopewell, NJ: Ecco Press.
Greenfield, W.D. 2004. Moral leadership in schools, Journal of
Educational Administration, Vol. 42 No. 2, pp. 174-96.
Hargreaves, A. & Fink, D. 2006. Sustainable leadership. San
Fransisco: Jossey-Bass.
Huttunen, R., Tynjälä, P. & Heikkinen, H.L.T. 2003 Rakentavasti
konstruktivismista. Puolimatkan kriittisen kritiikin kritiikki.
Kasvatustieteen päivät 20.11.2003.
Katri Kuukka