Making School Leadership Effective

Abstract

The primary aim of this research was to explore the key factors to enhance the effectiveness of leadership in K-12 schools in the UAE, intending to develop a leadership framework as a practical tool for guiding school leaders. The study found that school administrators perform to combine school culture, shifting educational legislation, and increased performance expectations while adhering to international best practices and the country’s specific sociocultural and regulatory environment. The rationale lies in the crucial role that school leaders play in achieving educational outcomes, addressing the need for an internationally as well as contextually relevant and empirical leadership framework that incorporates instructional, strategic, operational, and inclusive and equitable leadership dimensions. An exploratory sequential mixed-methods design, involving document analysis, 9 semi-structured interviews, and 212 survey questionnaires, captured the qualitative and quantitative data from school leaders, educational advisors, and educational professionals. The findings showed that four interrelated domains: instructional leadership, strategic leadership, operational leadership, and inclusive and equitable leadership, are paramount domains for effective school leadership in the UAE. Participants in interviews and surveys repeatedly emphasized how data-driven decision-making allows leaders to shift from the role of an administrator to the all-inclusive instructional leader, with an increasing emphasis on accountability, student achievement, and data-driven educational quality. The study’s outcomes revealed strengthened collaborative functioning, enhanced developmental practices, and a sustained culture of continuous improvement within schools. Keywords: school leadership, instructional leadership, data-driven decisions, UAE, K-12 schools