The Power of Two: Sharing Leadership for School Improvement in Indigenous Education

Abstract

Australian schools are now under constant pressure to improve student results, particularly those of Indigenous students. To this end, successful school-community interrelationships are considered especially significant. This research focuses on a microcosm of such relationships, that is the one between Indigenous Education Workers (IEWs)/Community Education Counselors (CECs) and principals in the North Queensland educational region (NQR). It aims to examine and transform the professional relationship between these key people as they respond to and address implementation issues of ‘Closing the Gap’. A qualitative participatory action research multi-site case study guided by a critical theorist framework will be conducted using a mixed methods approach. The research will be used to highlight best practice in educational leadership through planning and action. It has the potential to provide a new way of looking at educational leadership within the case study schools, NQR, and potentially to the wider system in the state of Queensland.