Stakeholders’ Perceptions on the Effectiveness of Accreditation Systems and their Influence on Improving the Quality of Education in the International Schools of Dubai and Sharjah

Abstract

The international schools in our current time are expanding dramatically around the world to serve a wide range of nationalities. The private schools in the UAE offer around 15 different curricula with a predominance of UK and US schools. Studies about the accreditation systems and their influence on the quality of education are limited in the context of the UAE. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of accreditation processes and their influence on improving the quality of education in the international schools of Dubai and Sharjah. To fulfil this purpose, the research attempted to answer four questions: (1) what are the differences and similarities of different accreditation policies and frameworks in the context of the international schools of Dubai and Sharjah?; (2) what are the stakeholders’ perceptions on the effectiveness of accreditation processes in the international schools of Dubai and Sharjah?; (3) what is the influence of accreditation systems on improving the quality of the international schools of Dubai and Sharjah?; and (4) how can the accreditation systems be improved based on the stakeholders’ perceptions in the international schools of Dubai and Sharjah?. The theoretical framework was based on several theories such as Evaluation Theory Tree and Open Systems Theory. The sequential mixed-method approach was applied, which included document analysis, questionnaires, and interviews with leaders, teachers, and parents. The study concluded that there are several similarities in the processes and the quality standards, with some differences in the implementation. The findings indicated that the accreditation processes are appropriate. However, not all the participants are thoroughly involved in the self-evaluation, particularly the teachers. The results showed that the accreditation systems provide support to schools. However, this is inconsistent among accreditation systems. Hence, a number of participants indicated that more support and training are needed to understand the accreditation processes such as the quality standards, collecting evidence, and using data. The findings emphasised the role of accreditation in improving the quality and ongoing improvement in all aspects of schools such as resources, leadership, teaching, communication, professional development, learning, and well-being. However, there are limited examples about the role of accreditation systems in transformational change. Several challenges were highlighted such as the increasing pressure and stress, time constraints, cultural differences, schools’ and teachers’ autonomy, and teachers’ well-being. The study provides suggestions to improve the accreditation processes based on the perceptions of the stakeholders, and discusses the main features of the different accreditation systems, which might be considered as a starting point to develop a universal framework for school accreditation.

Keywords: accreditation processes, accreditation standards, education quality, self-evaluation, evaluation visit, recommendations