Research in Practice and Practicing Research: Teaching Women and Leadership Discourse

In this article, we examine the course Women and Leadership Discourse as research in practice. As Craig and Tracy have argued (1995; 2021), practical theory examines data from everyday practices and is consequential to social life. The course centers on women's leadership, issues of leadership dynamics, and women’s roles in organizations. As scholars and instructors, we move to transform research into embodied awareness, teaching students of all genders to be poised for career satisfaction because they understand how critical encounters in organizations work, and how to navigate them. In discussing course design, we describe the pedagogical ways which facilitate collaboration, engagement, and critical thinking while using a constructive learning framework. In addition, we offer an outline of course practices and assignments that combine research, action, interest, and awareness. This model framework is an understanding of leadership as discursive construction (Fairhurst, 2007), thus providing students with the tools to manage organizational life.