Sustainable Educational Leadership and the Climate Crisis
Knowledge, Power, and Positive Futures
Alexander Gardner-McTaggart author
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Taylor & Francis Ltd
Publishing:26th Mar '25
£145.00
This title is due to be published on 26th March, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
Challenging conventional leadership models, this timely and pioneering volume offers a critical rethinking of educational leadership in the context of global crises, particularly climate change and social inequality.
Chapters introduce transformative approaches that prioritise sustainability, social justice, and collaboration by critically examining historical and philosophical foundations of current educational leadership through a blend of scholarly analysis and practical insights. Qualitative international data used in the book lends insight into educators’ lived perspectives. The book introduces thinkers such as Habermas, Serres, Foucault, Heidegger, and Anders on knowledge generation as applied to educational leadership. The book challenges neoliberal and patriarchal models of leadership that dominate the field. It offers innovative frameworks, such as degrowth and political ecology, to address the pressing issues of climate change and social inequality.
Ultimately, the book champions critical thinking as a tool for leadership and a resource for leading, and will be of use to researchers, scholars, and postgraduate students interested in leadership strategy, sustainability education, training, and leadership, and the theory of education more broadly. Those involved with higher education management and philosophy of education will also find the book of value.
"This book could not be more timely. If education is to make a positive contribution to our survival as a species it must begin now. The papers here demonstrate the failure by educational leaders to take the climate emergency seriously and point to a radical rethinking of school practices and the leadership role. Most significantly the book endorses a shift from education about the environment to education in the environment and highlights to inextricable relationship between sustainability and social justice."
Professor Stephen Ball, Institute of Education, University College London, UK
"Education is at the heart of sustainability solutions. This book brings school leaders up to speed on their role in reorienting education to meet environmental sustainability challenges."
Professor Phillip Hallinger, Global Talent Professor, Mahidol University, Thailand
"This book is a tribute to the future. Despite the critical and complex issues of educational leadership and global crises, it also expresses hope for the future and opportunities for change. The book offers much-needed critical perspectives on educational leadership amid the climate crisis and argues that a transformative approach is necessary to confront our future. Alexander Gardner-McTaggart advocates for a new paradigm in educational leadership that incorporates ecological awareness and emphasizes critical thinking, collaboration, sustainability, and holistic development. The book offers a compelling and thought-provoking perspective on the role of educational leadership in ensuring a more just and sustainable future for all, making it a must-read for educators, educational leaders, policymakers, and individuals interested in the intersection of educational leadership and the climate crisis."
Dr Susanne Sahlin, Associate Professor, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
"This book offers a timely and refreshing perspective on educational leadership, challenging dominant neoliberal paradigms that prioritise the commodification of knowledge, efficiency, and competition at the expense of deeper interpersonal connections, ecological sustainability, and social justice. Grounded in rich historical and philosophical analysis, Alex critiques traditional leadership models and the dominant knowledge culture, advocating for a more ethical and collective approach to leadership. Educational leaders and leadership scholars seeking to critically engage with inherited knowledge structures and promote sustainable, collaborative, and ethical leadership practices will find this book invaluable and should translate its lessons into practice."
Dr Meng Tian, Associate Professor in Educational Leadership, Director of Global Engagement, College of Social Sciences, University of Birmingham, UK
"This book could not be more timely. If education is to make a positive contribution to our survival as a species it must begin now. The papers here demonstrate the failure by educational leaders to take the climate emergency seriously and point to a radical rethinking of school practices and the leadership role. Most significantly the book endorses a shift from education about the environment to education in the environment and highlights to inextricable relationship between sustainability and social justice."
Professor Stephen Ball, Institute of Education, University College London, UK
"Education is at the heart of sustainability solutions. This book brings school leaders up to speed on their role in reorienting education to meet environmental sustainability challenges."
Professor Phillip Hallinger, Global Talent Professor, Mahidol University, Thailand
"This book is a tribute to the future. Despite the critical and complex issues of educational leadership and global crises, it also expresses hope for the future and opportunities for change. The book offers much-needed critical perspectives on educational leadership amid the climate crisis and argues that a transformative approach is necessary to confront our future. Alexander Gardner-McTaggart advocates for a new paradigm in educational leadership that incorporates ecological awareness and emphasizes critical thinking, collaboration, sustainability, and holistic development. The book offers a compelling and thought-provoking perspective on the role of educational leadership in ensuring a more just and sustainable future for all, making it a must-read for educators, educational leaders, policymakers, and individuals interested in the intersection of educational leadership and the climate crisis."
Dr Susanne Sahlin, Associate Professor, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
"This book offers a timely and refreshing perspective on educational leadership, challenging dominant neoliberal paradigms that prioritise the commodification of knowledge, efficiency, and competition at the expense of deeper interpersonal connections, ecological sustainability, and social justice. Grounded in rich historical and philosophical analysis, Alex critiques traditional leadership models and the dominant knowledge culture, advocating for a more ethical and collective approach to leadership. Educational leaders and leadership scholars seeking to critically engage with inherited knowledge structures and promote sustainable, collaborative, and ethical leadership practices will find this book invaluable and should translate its lessons into practice."
Dr Meng Tian, Associate Professor in Educational Leadership, Director of Global Engagement, College of Social Sciences, University of Birmingham, UK
ISBN: 9781032409757
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: 453g
256 pages