The Role of School Principals as Leaders of Educational Change in Saudi Arabia

261 Pages·2016·1.95 MB·English

by  Griffith Student

The Role of School Principals as Leaders of Educational
Change in Saudi Arabia

Abdulaziz Saad Alshehri
B.A. in Education, King Saud University, 1996
M.A. in Training and Professional Development, Griffith University, 2009

School of Education and Professional Studies
Griffith University

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy

September, 2015
Preface
My personal interest in school reform and educational leadership stemmed from my
experience of working in Saudi Arabia as an educational training centre manager and
supervisor. It also stemmed from my master of training and professional development
studies at Griffith University in 2008/2009. At that time, I was most inspired by
engaging in an assignment examining the impact of educational change and its
implications for teaching practice. I was asked to examine one key policy change that
had been mandated by reform leaders and how these changes had impacted teachers,
which developed my understanding of the imperatives for schooling reform and their
impact on educators, including school principals.
In December, 2009, after completing my Master of Training and Development
(HDR Specialization) and gaining a Griffith Award for Academic Excellence, an
opportunity presented itself to search the impact of rapid educational reform in Saudi
Arabia on school principals. My initial examination of the literature, which identified
the lack of knowledge about the impact of contemporary school reform initiatives on
school principals in traditional Arabic countries, inspired me to undertake this study.
Despite the challenges involved and commitments required to undertake further
academic research, I chose to take a step forward and approached Professor Richard
Bagnall to supervise me throughout my long PhD journey.
My PhD journey was not an easy one. I had to work hard, develop new ways to
engage with ideas, and embrace an unfamiliar research environment and methods of
learning. However, with my supervisor Professor Bagnall’s support, I pushed through
the challenges and everything worked out well. I believe, as a result of undertaking this
research, I am now able to add clarity to the concept of contemporary educational
initiatives and their impact on school principals as the leading educational change
agents in school reform. I also believe that I have a great many valuable experiences to
share with my relatives, friends, and colleagues in my home country.
Abdulaziz Alshehri
September 2015

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Abstract
In an increasingly globalised world, public education reform in Saudi Arabia has been
given high priority as a driver of economic and social development and its
sustainability. This reform has impacted on the working lives of school principals, who
are continually faced with complex global challenges in the education system, including
higher expectations for schools and school leaders, moving towards decentralisation,
making schools more autonomous in their decision making and holding them more
accountable for results, with expectations of improved overall student performance
while serving more diverse student populations.
This study sought to examine the ways in which globalising pressures,
particularly the neoliberal economic globalisation pressures, for educational reform are
perceived and responded to by school principals in the Saudi educational system, with a
view to informing educational policy and practice in responding to those pressures. The
impetus for the study stemmed from the lack of knowledge about the impact of
contemporary school reform initiatives on the leading change agents – school principals
– especially in traditional Arabic countries.
This research study used an interpretive case study that sought to construct and
interpret the meaning of school principals’ experiences of managing educational reform
initiatives in Saudi Arabia. Those experiences were explored and analysed by obtaining
detailed information from 20 participants through semi-structured interviews, in
conjunction with official documents relevant to the research topic being investigated.
The study found that the magnitude and importance of the imperatives for
educational change were seen as being appropriately reflected in the extent and depth of
the Government commitment to educational reform. The generally high level of
understanding by the principals of the governments’ reform initiatives should also serve
as a strong foundation to successful reform. However, the lack of a coherent policy
implementation framework coordinating the implementation of the different reform
initiatives and their supporting programs of professional development was found to be
impacting negatively on the opportunity to successful implement the policy reforms.
Traditional approaches to the provision and the content of the training programs were
also seen as generally inadequate in meeting the professional development needs of
school principals as leading change agents of major school reform. The lack of a
coherent school leadership framework defining the major responsibilities and tasks of
effective school principals and guiding school principals' recruitment, training and
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appraisal was also found to be negatively impacting on the opportunity for school
principals to perform the roles that would make a difference in school and student
performance.
The major implication of the study suggests the importance of developing a
clear and coherent policy framework, directing schooling reform and coordinating the
implementation of the different reform initiatives and their supporting programs. It also
suggests the importance of a coherent school principalship framework, grounded in
research evidence on effective principalship practices, providing guidance on the main
characteristics, tasks and responsibilities of effective school principals, using it as a
basis for the recruitment, training and appraisal of school leaders.

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Dedication
In the name of Allah and the best prayers, and most abundant peace, be upon the
Prophet Mohammad.
Praise be to God the Almighty, who has given me the strength and assistance to
complete this study.
I owe all of my success today to my parents, who instilled in me the value and power of
education, and who consistently encouraged their children to pursue their dreams.
The successful undertaking of this thesis would not have been possible without my
wife, Mastourah’s, support and willingness to take care of me and our children and
sacrifice our time together. It is only because of you that I was able to fulfil a dream. I
will always love you.

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Acknowledgments
What a wonderful experience this PhD journey has been, even though the path has not
always been an easy one. I thank the God for providing me with the time, opportunity
and strength to complete this thesis.
I wish to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to the following people
who have contributed towards the completion of this thesis.
First and foremost, I wish to acknowledge my supervisor, Professor Richard
Bagnall as being a superb supervisor. I am most grateful for his support, guidance,
encouragement, patience and understanding.
My thanks also to Associate Professor Ray Brown for his advice during the early
stages of the project.
I would also like to acknowledge my brothers and sisters, who encouraged me and
inspired me to complete this project.
I also wish to express my gratitude to the Saudi Government and the Ministry of
Education for sponsoring my study.
My sincere thanks also go to the Director and members of the Department of
Education in Al-Namas for sponsoring and giving me the opportunity to pursue this
further study. I would also like to acknowledge the school principals involved in this
study for allowing me to research in their schools and for providing the relevant
information necessary for the study. Without their support, the study would not have
been possible, and I am forever grateful to them. I can only hope that the study will
contribute to making their schools better places for them, and most importantly for their
students.
I am grateful for the fellowship and support of my colleagues and friends, whose
support, individually and as a group, has encouraged and inspired me to complete this
project.

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Statement of Originality
I certify that this work has not been previously submitted for a degree or diploma in any
university. To the best of my knowledge and beliefs, the thesis contains no materials
previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made
in the thesis itself.
Signed
Abdulaziz Saad Alshehri
Date 29/09/2015
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Table of Contents
Preface ...................................................................................................................................... ii
Abstract ................................................................................................................................... iii
Dedication ................................................................................................................................. v
Acknowledgments ................................................................................................................... vi
Statement of Originality ........................................................................................................ vii
Table of Contents .................................................................................................................. viii
List of Tables ......................................................................................................................... xiii
List of Figures ....................................................................................................................... xiii
Chapter One: An Introduction of the Study ....................................................................... 14
Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 14
Research Topic and Rationale ........................................................................................... 14
The Significance of the Study ............................................................................................ 16
The Structure of the Study ................................................................................................. 17
Chapter Two: Literature Review ......................................................................................... 19
Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 19
Globalisation ...................................................................................................................... 19
Educational Change ........................................................................................................... 28
School Principals as Educational Change Managers ......................................................... 39
Development of Skills for Effective School Principalship in the Reform Process............ 48
The Changing Nature of Educational Professionalism ...................................................... 58
Schooling in Saudi Arabia ................................................................................................. 64
Implications for the Study .................................................................................................. 71
The Conceptual Framework Guiding the Study ................................................................ 72
Chapter Three: Research Methodology .............................................................................. 76
Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 76
Research Approach ............................................................................................................ 76
Interpretivism ..................................................................................................................... 76
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) .............................................................. 79
The Case Study Method ..................................................................................................... 81
Research Procedures .......................................................................................................... 83
Site and Participant Selection ............................................................................................ 83
School level ................................................................................................................... 83
School site ..................................................................................................................... 83
School type .................................................................................................................... 84
viii
School principals’ experience ....................................................................................... 84
Data Sources ...................................................................................................................... 84
School principals ........................................................................................................... 84
School leadership consultants ....................................................................................... 87
Professional development planners ............................................................................... 87
Official documents ........................................................................................................ 88
Data Collection .................................................................................................................. 88
Group information session ............................................................................................ 89
Individual interviews ..................................................................................................... 90
Interviews with school principals .................................................................................. 92
Interviews with educational leadership consultants ...................................................... 93
Interviews with professional development planners ..................................................... 94
Documentary information ............................................................................................. 94
Interview protocols ........................................................................................................ 94
Data Analysis ..................................................................................................................... 96
Transcription and translation......................................................................................... 96
Reducing individual interviews and individual documents .......................................... 97
Undertaking aggregated analysis .................................................................................. 98
The Pilot Study .................................................................................................................. 99
Research Integrity .............................................................................................................. 99
Reality in Interpretive Research....................................................................................... 100
Evaluative Criteria ........................................................................................................... 100
Credibility ................................................................................................................... 101
Transferability ............................................................................................................. 101
Dependability .............................................................................................................. 102
Confirmability ............................................................................................................. 103
Ethical Considerations ..................................................................................................... 103
Chapter Four: The Research Participants and the Schools ............................................ 106
Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 106
School Principals ............................................................................................................. 106
Abdulrahman ............................................................................................................... 106
Abood .......................................................................................................................... 107
Ahmad ......................................................................................................................... 107
Ali ................................................................................................................................ 108
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Amjad .......................................................................................................................... 108
Bader ........................................................................................................................... 109
Bander ......................................................................................................................... 109
Basem .......................................................................................................................... 110
Fahad ........................................................................................................................... 110
Hamad ......................................................................................................................... 111
Hassan ......................................................................................................................... 112
Majed ........................................................................................................................... 112
Omar ............................................................................................................................ 113
Rayed ........................................................................................................................... 113
Salman ......................................................................................................................... 114
Departmental Representatives ......................................................................................... 114
Ammar ......................................................................................................................... 114
Anas............................................................................................................................. 115
Emad ........................................................................................................................... 115
Khalifah ....................................................................................................................... 115
Soltan........................................................................................................................... 116
Summary .......................................................................................................................... 116
Chapter Five: The Imperative for Educational Change .................................................. 117
Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 117
The Importance of Educational Change .......................................................................... 117
Imperatives for Reform .................................................................................................... 119
Globalisation ............................................................................................................... 120
Preparing students to be involved and competitive at a global level .......................... 121
Improving the quality of students achievement .......................................................... 124
Improving student achievement in national and international tests ............................ 126
Improving the quality of education institutions .......................................................... 128
Promoting active learning styles ................................................................................. 131
Providing high quality education for all students ....................................................... 132
Summary .......................................................................................................................... 134
Chapter Six: Policy and Procedural Responses to the Imperative for change .............. 135
Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 135
Interventions Being Undertaken by the Government ...................................................... 135
Establishing the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Project for Developing Education
(Tatweer) ..................................................................................................................... 135
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