Thesis thoughts: Women in leadership roles within Education


For my Thesis I have decided to explore the area of women in leadership focusing specifically on women in leadership roles within education. The prospect of writing about this topic got me thinking about what are the main issues faced by women in leadership roles or in pursuit of leadership roles within the area of education. This lead me to three issues in particular which I think could serve as building blocks for investigating what kind of relationship women have with leadership within education and if this relationship does exist what problems and challenges does this relationship bring to the doorstep of women in the area of education today? 🙂


Three points of discussion related to this topic:

  1. Gender Equality: Although people may say teaching has become a somewhat feminine profession it is noticeable that many of the higher job positions within Education remain quite male dominated. (Eg. Principal and Vice-Principal positions) I would like to know how women can look to not necessarily eliminate men from these positions but rather contribute to ensuring a more balanced ratio between men and women can occur for these positions of leadership.
  2. Empowering Young Women: Women are needed to take on leadership roles in order to ensure the success of empowering young women. Young women from second-level education and onwards especially are very impressionable and are in search of the right role model for themselves. Young women can be filled with self-confidence and self-belief just from witnessing women in leadership especially in the area of education.
  3. Creating a Sisterhood and Eliminating Negativity: Women need to support one another and women in leadership roles especially in the influential area of education. The creation and encouragement of a sisterhood of women within the educational sector is necessary to prevent the negativity that is seen between women in the corporate world seeping into schools and education departments. Women should all look to create a sisterhood mentality not just within the staffroom but also within the classroom amongst students.

how do women lead

Three questions to be asked in relation to this topic:

  1. Is there a gender equality issue in existence within education and if so is more women in leadership roles the solution?
  2. Do women in leadership roles within education successfully empower young women?
  3. Is it possible to encourage a sisterhood mentality within education both amongst staff and within the classroom?



Whilst completing another blogging assignment I came across a very basic but helpful worksheet for introducing students to the topic of community. Considering how basic it is I think it would be best suited to First Year students and maybe could be used at the end of a lesson as a form of assessment to refresh their minds of the new concepts they have learnt. It is important for students to acknowledge and understand the role of community in their lives and also the role that they can play within the different communities that they belong to.


  1. Your neighbourhood community is made up of people from another county.
  3. It is important to participate in the functions of your community.
  4. In a community people have nothing in common with each other.
  5. Communities can be improved by people working together.
  6. You do not have to work with other people in your community.


  1. I help people learn to do many things. I am a …….
  2. I am always there when things get hot. I am a ……
  3. I can help you find a book or film. I am a ……
  4. I deliver things to you and your friends. I am a ……
  5. I help you keep your car running smoothly. I am a …..
  6. I help you stay healthy. I am a ……
  7. I help you cross busy streets safely. I am a …..
  8. I can drive you where you want to go. I am a …..