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Confucian Junzi Leadership: a Model of Authentic Moral Transformation for Educational Leaders

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Confucian Junzi Leadership: a Model of Authentic Moral Transformation for Educational Leaders Confucian Junzi Leadership: A Model of Authentic Moral Transformation for Educational Leaders by Christine Tze Ngan Wong M.Ed. (Curriculum & Instruction: Post-Secondary), Simon Fraser University, 2008 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education in the Educational Leadership Program Faculty of Education Christine Tze Ngan Wong 2013 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY Spring 2013 All rights reserved. However, in accordance with the Copyright Act of Canada, this work may be reproduced, without authorization, under the conditions for “Fair Dealing.” Therefore, limited reproduction of this work for the purposes of private study, research, criticism, review and news reporting is likely to be in accordance with the law, particularly if cited appropriately. Approval Name: Christine Tze Ngan Wong Degree: Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership) Title of Thesis: Confucian Junzi Leadership: A model of authentic moral transformation for educational leaders Examining Committee: Chair: Dr. Celeste Snowber Associate Professor Dr. Allan MacKinnon Senior Supervisor Associate Professor Dr. Heesoon Bai Supervisor Professor Dr. Paul Crowe Internal Examiner Assistant Professor Director of David Lam Centre Dr. Xin Lin External Examiner Professor, College of Education California State University, Long Beach Date Defended/Approved: January 24, 2013 ii Partial Copyright Licence iii Abstract The specific personality of junzi is the primary concern of Confucian philosophy. This study explores Confucian junzi leadership so as to understand Confucian ethics in its own terms as well as to contribute to the contemporary forum of educational leadership. Through analyzing the unique Confucian moral principles and insights, the study presents a model of educational leadership with an emphasis on authentic moral transformation. Seven qualities of junzi leadership have been highlighted, including: a high degree of moral accomplishment, an awareness of moral obligation, a consciousness of being human, a passion for social harmony, an integration of self and others, an illustration of transformation, and a state of balance. The study also unveils five aspects of junzi leadership that make sense particularly to educational leadership. They are: the awareness of self-identity, the moral meaning of learning, the construct of moral transformation, the respect towards culture, and the relation between teacher and student. Today’s education landscape presents a new set of challenges for educational leaders. Junzi leadership may not be able to solve every practical problem of modern education, but Confucian commitment to transformation and devotion to moral cultivation may provide a concrete universal platform for today’s educators who wish to sustain their leadership. Keywords: Confucius; Junzi; Leadership; Ren; Dao; Tian; Self-cultivation; Authentic; Moral; Transformational iv Dedication In memory of my father who passed away when I started to write this thesis; and to people who are interested in unveiling the wisdom of Confucian teachings v Acknowledgements My thanks go first of all to my senior supervisor, Dr. Allan MacKinnon, for his encouragement and guidance, and especially for giving me the generous support throughout the journey of thesis writing. I am also grateful for the valuable comments and inspiring feedback provided by Dr. Heesoon Bai on my thesis. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to my husband and daughter. This is my husband, Tony, who demonstrates his endless support for my career and the pursuit of my Doctorate of Education. This is my daughter, Opal, who always motivates me to move forward. She is an unlimited source of courage and hope for me. She has turned into my pride and joy. Also, I must extend very special thanks to my parents. They set great examples in their lives, and I have learnt a lot from them. They were my best teachers who taught me the first lessons when I was a child. They guided me to improve myself throughout every step of my life. My gratitude towards them is well beyond words. Last but not least, I wish to thank my brother, Edmond, and my sister, Ida. Though they live far away from Vancouver (one in Sydney and one in Toronto), their timely and encouraging emails always provide me with so much care and love. vi Table of Contents Approval .......................................................................................................................... ii Partial Copyright Licence ............................................................................................... iii Abstract .......................................................................................................................... iv Dedication ....................................................................................................................... v Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................ vi Table of Contents .......................................................................................................... vii List of Figures.................................................................................................................. x 1. Introduction .......................................................................................................... 1 1.1. Background ............................................................................................................ 1 1.2. Objectives .............................................................................................................. 2 1.3. Methodological Issues ............................................................................................ 4 1.3.1. Selection of Confucian Texts ....................................................................... 5 1.3.2. Translation of Terms ................................................................................... 7 1.4. Overview of the Thesis ........................................................................................... 8 2. An Overview of American Educational Leadership .......................................... 10 2.1. Introduction .......................................................................................................... 10 2.2. Three Principalship Roles ..................................................................................... 10 2.2.1. The 1960s and 1970s ............................................................................... 11 2.2.2. The 1980s ................................................................................................. 11 2.2.3. The 1990s ................................................................................................. 11 2.3. Educational Leadership Models ............................................................................ 12 2.3.1. Managerial Leadership .............................................................................. 13 2.3.2. Instructional Leadership ............................................................................ 14 2.3.3. Transactional Leadership .......................................................................... 14 2.3.4. Transformational Leadership ..................................................................... 15 2.3.5. Participative Leadership ............................................................................ 15 2.3.6. Interpersonal Leadership .......................................................................... 16 2.3.7. Contingent Leadership .............................................................................. 16 2.3.8. Moral Leadership ...................................................................................... 17 2.3.9. Post-modern Leadership ........................................................................... 17 2.4. Four Major Trends ................................................................................................ 19 2.4.1. The Influence from Business Management ............................................... 19 2.4.2. The Tendency towards Marketization ........................................................ 21 2.4.3. Revisiting Values ...................................................................................... 23 2.4.4. The Passion for Change ........................................................................... 25 2.5. The Call for Connection ........................................................................................ 27 3. The Great Master and the Core Virtues ............................................................. 31 3.1. Introduction .......................................................................................................... 31 3.2. The life of Confucius ............................................................................................. 31 3.3. Confucian Understanding of Person ..................................................................... 34 3.4. Human Nature ...................................................................................................... 36 3.5. The Core Virtues .................................................................................................. 38 vii 3.6. Ren 仁 .................................................................................................................. 40 3.7. Yi 義 ..................................................................................................................... 43 3.8. Li 禮 .....................................................................................................................
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