Developing leadership identity through critical reflection: voice, knowledge and advocacy

This article describes the leadership identity development of an American Latina teacher as she moves from the domain of her classroom outward to lead her grade level team, school leadership team and school district personnel. The leadership master's degree programme is grounded in transformative learning theory, emphasizes social justice and equity, and employs systematic critical reflection. Through structured critical reflections over two years, Cecilia examines her own experiences as a student and teacher, interprets her individual educational journey in the context of broader societal patterns, and documents her development as a school leader. This case illustrates the power of critical reflection to integrate personal, cultural and professional experiences and promote leadership identity development of one woman of colour.