Social justice school leadership through the century (1904–2020): from foundations to anomalies

Purpose – This study examines social justice school leadership (SJSL) historical progression across 120 years (1900–2020s) using Kuhn’s structure of scientific revolutions framework. Design/methodology/approach – We analyzed citation network and co-citation network from 177 peer-reviewed SJSL articles. Main path analysis was conducted to identify growth trajectories in the citation network. Co-citation network analysis was conducted to examine the intellectual landscape and evolution of influential works. Findings – Main path analysis illuminates multiple growth trajectories that have progressed from transformative frameworks in leadership preparation to broader applications in diverse educational settings. The results of co-citation network analysis suggest four interconnected sub-areas: (1) educational leadership preparation through transformative frameworks and andragogy, (2) social justice leadership theory and practices, (3) qualitative methods, and (4) critical race theory. Moreover, influential works evolved from moral principles in the 1900s to critical pedagogy focused on social justice and equity in the 2010s. Research limitations/implications – Future inquiry is recommended to explore anomalies that the current paradigm fails to adequately explain, challenge fundamental assumptions, diversify methodological approaches beyond qualitative methods, and expand beyond Western contexts. Originality/value – This study provides the first analysis of SJSL research spanning 120 years and uncovers its evolution from a pre-paradigmatic phase to its current established paradigm.