The Relationship between Social Justice Leadership and Sense of School Belonging

Abstract

This research aims to examine the correlation between students’ sense of school belonging and social justice leadership behaviours of school principals. This research is conducted in correlational survey model. Research data are collected by “Students’ Sense of School Belonging Scale” and “Social Justice Leadership Scale”. Data social obtained from scales, which were applied on 510 high school students, are analysed in the research. In the research, it is determined that students’ sense of school belonging is at moderate level and that school principals exhibit social leadership behaviours in moderate level. No significant difference is determined in students’ sense of school belonging in terms of the sex of students, socio-economical level of school and grade level of students. While I did not find any significant difference in terms of socio-economical level of the school in terms of the way that students’ perceive the social justice leadership behaviours of school principals, I detected a significant difference in terms of the sex of students and grade levels. I detected a positive significant correlation of moderate level between the way that students’ perceive the social justice leadership behaviours of school principals and students’ sense of school belonging. I determined that the way that students’ perceive the social justice leadership behaviours of school principals predict their sense of school belonging and that it clarifies 17% of the variance related with their sense of school belonging.