Abstract:

In recent years, higher education institutions have increasingly recognized the need to prepare students for today’s interconnected, ever-changing, and complex world. Likewise, many institutions have agreed that developing student’s leadership capacity is a core outcome of higher education. Recognizing the importance of preparing student leaders who can serve as agents of positive change, this paper discusses the theoretical, pedagogical, and practical aspects of engaging students in critical thinking and reflection about systemic societal issues.

Power dynamics, oppression, and inequities perpetuate and deepen worldwide challenges. While previous studies have reported on the importance of promoting social justice, civic engagement, and inclusion in leadership education, there is a need for further research on the praxis and implications of incorporating this theoretical framework into undergraduate student leadership programs. How can we provide students with the knowledge and tools that will make them more effective at understanding and addressing systemic inequity, promoting social change, and furthering inclusive societies?

Motivated by this question, this paper contributes to both the academic and the practitioner educational fields by analyzing current trends in social justice and leadership education through the lens of student development theory. It also provides practical insights through an applied case study in the higher education context. Based on data from an open-ended questionnaire, it presents a qualitative analysis on undergraduate students’ reactions to and learning from a social justice-oriented curriculum within an undergraduate co-curricular leadership program at Simon Fraser University. Finally, it suggests that the pedagogy and praxis of leadership education must evolve to keep pace with the complexities of current social issues.

Keywords:

Leadership Education, Social justice, Student Development, Pedagogy.