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1 – 3 of 3This qualitative study aimed to explore school principals' perceptions of social justice in a centralized school setting in Kuwait, as well as the challenges they face when…
Abstract
Purpose
This qualitative study aimed to explore school principals' perceptions of social justice in a centralized school setting in Kuwait, as well as the challenges they face when promoting equity and equality for students' learning in schools.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 18 public school principals from Kuwait's six educational districts.
Findings
The results revealed that principals' experiences and unique perspectives shape their definitions of social justice within their schools. Some school principals see social justice as ensuring fairness and equal opportunities for every student regardless of their backgrounds. Others focus on creating an inclusive and supportive environment. The results also showed that limited resources, institutional barriers, limited autonomy, lack of training, and some ministerial laws are among the challenges that school principals face in promoting equity and equality.
Research limitations/implications
The findings are informative to policymakers and other educational stakeholders. Practical suggestions are provided to improve school principals' social justice leadership practices.
Originality/value
This study adds to the empirical knowledge of school principals' role in promoting equity and equality for student learning in a centralized school setting and attempts to reduce the social justice leadership gap in schools.
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Keywords
This paper aims to investigate the influence of school principals’ effective communication and teachers’ trust in principals on schools’ organisational mindfulness from the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the influence of school principals’ effective communication and teachers’ trust in principals on schools’ organisational mindfulness from the perspective of public school teachers in Kuwait.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used a cross-sectional research design. A quantitative survey questionnaire was electronically sent to public school teachers in Kuwait. The final sample size consisted of 641 teachers.
Findings
The teachers exhibited a moderate level of school principal effective communication and organisational mindfulness, in addition to higher levels of school principal trust. Multiple regression analysis results revealed that schools’ organisational mindfulness was significantly related to the teacher’s trust in school principals’ and their effective communication.
Research limitations/implications
This study used quantitative data from a survey of public school teachers in Kuwait in a given period.
Practical implications
The findings indicate that the school principal’s communication and teachers’ trust in the principal are critical for creating a mindful and high-quality school culture. Thus, policymakers should empower principals to prioritise mindfulness in creating a positive and supportive school environment.
Originality/value
The study contributes to the understanding of the influence of leadership aspects on organisational mindfulness in schools. To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the impact of school principals’ practices on the quality of school organisations in Kuwait’s centralised educational system. This will pave the way for further research in the field.
Details
Keywords
This study aimed to explore Kuwaiti public school principals' experiences in relation to autonomy and accountability after the implementation of the School Education Quality…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aimed to explore Kuwaiti public school principals' experiences in relation to autonomy and accountability after the implementation of the School Education Quality Improvement Project, which aimed to increase the autonomy and accountability of Kuwaiti public schools.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopted a qualitative approach using semistructured interviews with 24 Kuwaiti public school principals who had participated in the education reform project.
Findings
The study results indicated that Kuwaiti public school principals have limited autonomy in four main areas: accountability, personnel management, budget allocation and instructional programs. The results also revealed that the Integrated Education Reform Program failed to develop more autonomy in schools, creating a lack of balance between autonomy and accountability.
Originality/value
The study's findings on school principals' experiences of autonomy in the reform era will be informative for policymakers. Practical suggestions are provided to reduce the autonomy gap in schools.
Details