Document Type

Article

Disciplines

5.3 EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES

Publication Details

In Re-imagining higher education through equity, inclusion and sustainability (RISE). Proceedings of the 2nd. EUt+ International Conference on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Technical University of Sofia, Sozopol, Bulgaria, 1-3 September.

doi: 10.21427/pqq1-1q52

Abstract

The purpose of this case study undertaken in 2021 was to explore the different ways educators in higher education might implement innovative andragogical practices for inclusive leadership training for minority women. There is need for minority women to develop abilities to make personal adjustments as well as receive support from external structures if they are to benefit from leadership training programs and to be successful leaders (Flower, 2021). The potential for innovation to shift towards a more engaged form of teaching and learning is very important in the 21st Century especially for the inclusion of minority women in leadership in higher education. Trainers of minority women for leadership must reflect on their praxis and learn how to implement innovative and responsive andragogical practices that engage and empower minority women in higher education. This case study attempted to answer a critical question: How might educators in higher education implement innovative andragogical practices for inclusive leadership training for minority women? This study was anchored on transformative leadership theory which aims at building socially just systems in a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world (Shields, 2018). Protagonists of transformative leadership theory urge educators to proactively initiate conversations and implement praxis that remove barriers that impede groups of learners, such as minority women, from thriving to their full potential. Researchers conducted online focus group discussions with eight minority women as tools to collect data for this study. More data was collected from participants’ personal stories. Focus group conversations and participants’ stories were recorded on Zoom. The data collected was analysed through the constant comparison of conversations and stories to distil common themes. Six common themes emerged as perceived game changers in the implementation of effective andragogical practices for the training of minority women for leadership in higher education. The six themes include (a) positive self-worth, (b) effective mentorship and role modelling, (c) networks of supportive partner allies, (d) female models and styles of leadership, (e) mindset change, and (f) male positive perception of women as leaders.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.21427/8zzf-7003

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.


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