Examination of the relationship between school principals social justice leadership and high school students' future expectations

This study examines the relationship between school principals' social justice leadership and high school students' future expectations. The research was conducted using a quantitative method based on the relationalsurvey model. The study population consists of high school students in the Osmangazi district of Bursa during the 2024-2025 academic year, and the sample includes 665 students from various school types. Data were collected using the "Social Justice Leadership Scale" and the "Future Expectations Scale"; independent samples t-test, one-way ANOVA, regression, and correlation analyses were used in data analysis. The findings reveal a statistically significant and positive relationship between principals' social justice leadership practices and students' future expectations. According to gender, female students had higher perceptions of social justice leadership, while male students had significaantly higher future expectations. Regarding school type, sports high school students perceived the highest levels of social justice leadership, whereas vocational high school students perceived the lowest. Similary, students from sports high schools had higher future expectations. In terms of grade level, 10th-grade students perceived social justice leadership most positively, while 11th graders perceived it the least. Students in the 9th grade had significantly higher future expectations compared to other grade levels. While no significant difference was found in social justice leadeship perception based on socioeconomic status, significant differences were found in future expectations: students with high socioeconomic status had more positive future expectations than those from lower and middle-income groups. These results show that social justice-oriented leadership practices in schools positively affect students' future perspectives and hopes. Therefore, implementing social justice leadership in educational institutions is crucial for supporting students' psychological and academic development.