ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book deals with the tension between the complexity of a research environment and the personal and professional understanding of the individuals within it. It focuses on the very centre of micropolitical activities in a school, the leadership issue. Headteachers are regarded as ‘change agents’ in institutional development and therefore the quality of leadership becomes a critical feature of school life. The book aims to propagate an action research approach to give practitioners a voice in educational research by making them reflect on their professional action. It draws on collective memory within a research group. By presenting collective self-reflection as a qualitative voice in educational research, the book describes an approach which renders more weight to the fundamental social processes and thus plead for a greater emphasis on considering the epistemological origin of research results.
