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This study explored the perceptions of Arab professionals toward pracademia and the ways they position themselves as professionals in this field.

Narrative data were elicited through semi-structured interviews with a total of eighteen pracademics identified for their work in teacher education. Participants included ten professional development (PD) specialists, three university supervisors and five specialists working at the Ministry of Education in Qatar.

Narrative analysis of the interviews revealed variations in their identity renegotiations, with one group experiencing an emerging pracademic identity and the other group “holding on” to their previous practitioner identities. The narratives further provided insight into Arab pracademics relating to three themes: (1) definitions and roles, (2) knowledge and skills and (3) relationships with others, all of which pertain to pracademic identity construction.

The study contributes to understanding the identity renegotiation of pracademics working in multiple contexts in an Arab setting. Several recommendations are offered to support pracademics' identity renegotiation as a social activity.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the nature of student teachers’ development as teacher leaders during a 12-week practicum experience at Qatari government schools.

The investigation involved a qualitative research methodology entailing multiple data generation methods, including pre/post interviews, weekly journals, mid- and post-reflective essays, classroom observations and multiple assignments. Data analysis was carried out using deductive and inductive methods, by adapting the conceptual framework of teacher leadership practices, identity and views, but allowing for new analytical themes to emerge.

Upon initiating leadership practices, two pathways to leadership development were revealed, mediated by the presence or absence of supportive factors. Both pathways, however, led to the development of divergent teacher leadership identities and varying views toward teacher leadership.

The study includes implications for the design of initial teacher preparation programs designed to prepare student teachers as teacher leaders.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the development of a professional development (PD) model for educator growth and learning that is embedded into the school context in Qatar. Because the success of a PD program in practice cannot be judged against its theoretical underpinnings, the paper goes on to examine the perceptions of instructional coaches on the effectiveness of the PD model.

Through the use of a qualitative, constant comparative approach, data were collected from 19 instructional coaches through open-ended surveys followed by focus group interviews. The instructional coaches provided information about the strengths of the PD program, the challenges they faced in their day-to-day implementation of the program, and their suggestions for the improvement of the program’s implementation and outcomes.

The instructional coaches reported several strengths, which were compatible with the literature on effective PD. However, the challenges they faced were deeply rooted within the inherent structure of the program, in addition to external challenges at both the school and Ministry of Education levels. Thus, a general consensus on the way that the program should be implemented was reached.

The study revealed the complexity inherent in transferring research-based principles and theory into practice. It indicated that the components of PD programs interact within complex social settings.