Perception of Social Justice Leadership and its Impact on Student-Faculty Relationships in Southwest Nigerian Universities

Abstract This study examined the impact of social justice leadership on student–faculty relationships among final-year students of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria. The research was informed by the following question: Social justice leadership was assessed through three indicators: equity, access to resources, and inclusivity, while student–faculty relationships were measured using trust, engagement, and conflict resolution. Guided by a positivist philosophy, the study employed a quantitative, cross-sectional survey design and date collected from 176 students using 200 questionnaires which was later analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistical methods to test the relationship between the variables. The results indicated strong, statistically significant relationships between all three leadership indicators and the dimensions of student–faculty relationships. A high perception of equity and fairness were attributed to increased trust and participation, while equitable access to resources improved engagement and confidence in institutional processes. Similarly, inclusivity within the learning environment enhanced students’ sense of belonging and satisfaction with conflict resolution. These findings confirm that social justice leadership fosters cooperation, mutual respect, and ethical engagement in academic settings. The study recommends that higher education institutions embed fairness, accessibility, and inclusivity into leadership policies and professional development programs to strengthen student–faculty interactions. While the study provides important insights, its single-site design limits generalizability. Future studies should include longitudinal and multi-institutional comparisons to explore how social justice leadership practices can be scaled across different educational contexts. Keywords: social justice leadership, educational leadership, organizational relationship