In this article, we attempt to understand English teachers' perceptions, practices, and challenges concerning social agency through an integrative literature review to build and draw an interpretative framework and generate new knowledge. To achieve this, 58 empirical studies published in a period of seventeen years--2006 to 2023--were selected…

This article explores Syrian higher education (HE) teachers' perceptions of their role as change agents in the reconstruction of post-conflict Syria. It utilises the notions of "change agent" and "strategic competence" (previously developed in relation to academics by Idahosa and Vincent) for exploring HE teachers' capacity to…

The literature on teacher leadership tends to omit mention of the dark side of leadership. This is troubling since, after all, examples of bad leaders come readily to mind. This paper delves into the literature on bad leadership, illuminating it with reference to Iris Murdoch's moral psychology, to elaborate an explanation as to why leaders often…

The aim of the article is to present transformational giftedness (TG) in the context of the theory of personality development. TG refers to individuals who strive to make a positive difference in the world in order to create a better place to live. Robert Sternberg divided TG into the following categories: self-realized giftedness, other-realized…

Applied theatre extends beyond traditional performance and entertainment, using theatrical techniques to address social issues and engage communities. In this paper, we emphasise the importance of a socially and politically engaged approach to Applied Theatre (AT) using Paulo Freire's and Augusto Boal's works as primary references to support…

Youth have been, and continue to be, at the forefront of radical positive social change that advances the human condition. Historically major social movements seeking change, equality, and social justice have been driven by youth. The role of youth in facilitating social change is particularly relevant today more than half of the world's…

In the context of an established research-practice partnership with the Hope Resource Center, we piloted The Stories Project, a narrative inquiry study alongside refugee-background youth workers and U.S.-born community members. Our inquiry explored the process by which storytelling could be used to humanize and advocate for refugee-background…

School psychologists can be essential team members in driving systemic change towards achieving educational fairness, as their experiences, perspectives, and actions significantly contribute to this effort. This qualitative phenomenological study delved into an in-depth investigation of the lived experiences of school psychologists who have…

In this paper, the authors utilize critical reflection and autobiographical narratives as a pedagogical tool for aspiring school leaders to examine beliefs and assumptions on equity and social justice in an educational leadership preparation program. Comparative themes related to their developing social justice and equity orientations included:…

This paper advocates for the integration of the 'sociological imagination', as proposed by the sociologist C. Wright Mills, into pedagogical practices to foster inclusive and democratic classrooms. Departing from narrow evidence-based approaches, it explores how the sociological imagination connects personal experiences with broader societal…

In recent years, new expectations have been placed on universities, demanding academic contributions towards solving large-scale, interdisciplinary challenges. This is in conflict with existing insights from university governance research, which emphasises that scientific communities focus on reproducing disciplinary practices that are unsuitable…

This article problematizes traditional and critical conceptions of civic knowledge and centers minoritized youth voices. We utilize case studies from two critical qualitative studies in two urban contexts to suggest that minoritized youths' subjugated knowledges are a type of civic knowledge and necessary for youth to imagine agentic social…

Lifelong learning has become the overarching concept and vision for education, as reflected in the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), one of which, SDG 4, explicitly petitions countries to 'ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities…

The kind of transactional, or tit-for-tat giftedness that so many programs identify and develop will not help to create a better world. Yet, if anyone is in a position to create a better world, it is our gifted young people. In this article, roles are presented that can be used to create change in the world. Some of these roles, when applied…

Ethical intelligence is the strength of a transformational society. As a change agent, the school leader is expected to be a representative figure of ethical standards. Unfortunately, they are criticized for their unethical activities. Therefore, drawing on the concept of ethical leadership, this study aims to construct the meaning of ethics as…