Solomon Arulraj David
The British University in Dubai, Education, Faculty Member
- Education, Comparative & International Education, Comparative Higher Education, Educational management and leadership, Sociology of Education, Social Pedagogy, and 15 moreComparative Education, Higher Education, Teacher Education, BRICS, Developmental Education, Intercultural Education (Education), Moral Education, Critical Pedagogy, Reflective Teaching, Sustainable Development, E-learning, Educational Research, Education Policy, English as a Foreign Language (EFL), and English As a Second Language (ESL)edit
- Dr Solomon Arulraj DAVID has a doctorate in education from KUL-Belgium. He studied and worked in India, Belgium, Sout... moreDr Solomon Arulraj DAVID has a doctorate in education from KUL-Belgium. He studied and worked in India, Belgium, South Africa, and the UAE. He is currently working at the British University in Dubai as an Associate Professor of education. He is also an honorary visiting fellow at University of Glasgow, UK. He has 13 years of post-PhD and over 20 years of experiences in research and teaching in the field of education. He is a member of the editorial board of few and a reviewer for several academic journals. He is a member of the board of studies and external examiner for few universities and colleges. He conducts high-quality research focusing to publish on accredited peer reviewed journals. He has published over 50 journal articles, 6 book chapters, 3 books, 4 co-edited book, co-edited 7 conference proceedings, and several abstracts in conference proceedings. He has supervised 21 doctoral, 5 Mphil., and over 75 masters students and currently supervising several masters and doctoral students.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Solomon_Arulraj_David
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=g6aij-AAAAAJ&hl=enedit
The competence and cooperation of school leaders at all levels are crucial to the efficient operation of educational institutions. This study focuses on the critical role of School Leaders (SLs) in developing Middle Leaders (MLs) to... more
The competence and cooperation of school leaders at all levels are crucial to the efficient operation of educational institutions. This study focuses on the critical role of School Leaders (SLs) in developing Middle Leaders (MLs) to improve their performance in private schools in Sharjah. The study uses a mixed-method research methodology, using questionnaires and interviews to gather information from teachers, SLs, and MLs at the selected private schools. The results demonstrate how important it is for SLs to nurture MLs and support them to improve their performance. School administrators understood how critical it is to provide MLs the chance to develop their leadership abilities, and foster teamwork. SLs must provide a supportive climate that facilitates the development and effectiveness of MLs and assign them decision-making tasks. The study also emphasized the significance of open lines of communication between SLs and MLs. The study suggested potential techniques used by SLs, like developing mentorship programs to offer advice and assistance, setting aside time for ML development, and fostering a culture of collaboration and shared leadership. The results highlighted the necessity of continued professional development programs and encouragement for MLs. Educational institutions may build a strong leadership communication channel that supports a positive school culture, increases teacher effectiveness, and ultimately improves student outcomes by realizing the value of ML development. The study's findings add to the body of knowledge on educational leadership and have applications for private schools in Sharjah and elsewhere.
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Conference proceedings
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In recent years, there has been an ongoing debate about the impacts of using activity based learning strategies instead of traditional learning strategies in the classroom, and their appropriateness to increase student's... more
In recent years, there has been an ongoing debate about the impacts of using activity based learning strategies instead of traditional learning strategies in the classroom, and their appropriateness to increase student's motivation and attainment. The purpose of this study therefore is to determine the influence of activity based learning on students' achievement in comparison to passive learning and detect students' views towards activities. For this purpose, mixed research method was utilized, gathering data from a public school in Oman. Quasi-experimental research design with pre-test and post-test was used in the research with a sample of 24 male students from 12th grade. They were divided into two groups, namely; control and experimental group. The first group received traditional learning and the second group was taught through activity based learning strategy. After that, focus group interviews were held with 8 participants from experimental group to gather qualitative data. Independent sample t-test was used to analyse the quantitative data, whereas content analysis technique was used to analyse qualitative data. The result of the study indicated that activity based learning had a positive effect on students' achievement. Students believe that activity based learning enhance understanding, increase a sense of responsibility, create attractive learning environment and increase achievement. The study therefore contents that activity based learning has significant impact on student's academic achievement.
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The growing popularity of digital information resources has brought about a new dimension to preservation practices in libraries. However, libraries of many tertiary institutions in Nigeria do not have good digital preservation practices.... more
The growing popularity of digital information resources has brought about a new dimension to preservation practices in libraries. However, libraries of many tertiary institutions in Nigeria do not have good digital preservation practices. The study therefore, investigated the influence of ICT Competence on Digital Preservation Practices in Private Universities in Ogun State, Nigeria. The study adopted the survey research design. The population for the study comprised 164 library personnel in all Private Universities in Ogun State. The total enumeration method was employed. A structured validated and reliable online questionnaire was used for data collection. The Cronbach’s Alpha reliability coefficient for the constructs ranged from 0.70 to 0.93. A response rate of 98.8% was achieved. Results revealed that Information Communication Technology (ICT) Competence (F(1,159) =198.007, R =.529, P <0.05) has significant influence on Librarians digital preservation practices. Further, ICT...
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This paper aims to map the landscape of higher education transformation in the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) nations while exploring the status of BRICS nations in some of the global university rankings and... more
This paper aims to map the landscape of higher education transformation in the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) nations while exploring the status of BRICS nations in some of the global university rankings and analysing their potential to give new meaning to notions such as excellent and world-class universities. The study provides different theoretical perspectives about global university ranking and about the notion of ‘world-class/excellence’. Based on the literature exploration, the gathered data from some of the global university ranking agencies and the critical reflections from purposefully selected respondents, it is considered that the quest for world-class universities is articulated in several public policy documents of BRICS nations. While some attempts to achieve this quest vary (e.g. from China’s strong effort to India’s least effort), BRICS nations, like many other nations, seem to evolve towards this ambition, as universities have become the cent...
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This study aims to understand the dynamics and impacts of internationalisation on curriculum and instruction in higher education in the UAE. Employing a quantitative questionnaire for students and qualitative questionnaire for staff, the... more
This study aims to understand the dynamics and impacts of internationalisation on curriculum and instruction in higher education in the UAE. Employing a quantitative questionnaire for students and qualitative questionnaire for staff, the research was conducted across selected higher educational institutions situated in DIAC. Quantitative data underwent statistical analysis, while qualitative data was analysed using thematic analysis. The results derived from the quantitative data underscore a robust acknowledgement of the significance of internationalisation among higher education students in the UAE. However, they also reveal noteworthy gaps in awareness of this phenomenon. The results from the qualitative data shed light on potential and practical avenues to enhance the impacts of internationalisation on curriculum and instruction within higher education in the UAE. The study contends that internationalisation has yielded positive effects on curriculum and instruction in higher education in the UAE. These effects could be further optimised through pertinent strategies.
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The research study investigates the impact of teacher leadership on school improvement by exploring the experiences and views of school leaders and teachers in two private schools in Sharjah. And it investigates the strategies adapted by... more
The research study investigates the impact of
teacher leadership on school improvement by
exploring the experiences and views of school
leaders and teachers in two private schools in
Sharjah. And it investigates the strategies
adapted by school leaders to promote teacher
leadership. The study adopted a mixed-method
research approach utilizing two closed-ended
surveys (quantitative data) shared with school
leaders and teachers and a semi-structured
interview with school leaders (qualitative data).
The school leaders’ survey was sent to 21
school leaders, while the teachers’ survey was
sent to 128 teachers. Six school leaders were
interviewed in this study to explore their views
of teacher leaders and investigate the strategies
they applied to promote teacher leadership in
their schools. The study shows that teacher
leadership has a vital impact on school
improvement through collaboration between
teachers and sharing good practices through
professional development sessions and
initiatives. Lead teachers act as a bridge
between teachers and school leaders; they help
communicate teachers’ voices and have them
take a better role in decision-making at school.
Teacher leadership can enhance parents’
involvement in the school by utilizing the
parent-teacher association. The study revealed
some roadblocks to teacher leadership, such as
a lack of resources, time, and some school
policies. At the end of the study, the researcher
highlighted some possible limitations and
recommendations that future researchers can
utilize in planning their study.
Keywords: Teacher Leaders, School
Improvement, Empowerment, Leadership.
teacher leadership on school improvement by
exploring the experiences and views of school
leaders and teachers in two private schools in
Sharjah. And it investigates the strategies
adapted by school leaders to promote teacher
leadership. The study adopted a mixed-method
research approach utilizing two closed-ended
surveys (quantitative data) shared with school
leaders and teachers and a semi-structured
interview with school leaders (qualitative data).
The school leaders’ survey was sent to 21
school leaders, while the teachers’ survey was
sent to 128 teachers. Six school leaders were
interviewed in this study to explore their views
of teacher leaders and investigate the strategies
they applied to promote teacher leadership in
their schools. The study shows that teacher
leadership has a vital impact on school
improvement through collaboration between
teachers and sharing good practices through
professional development sessions and
initiatives. Lead teachers act as a bridge
between teachers and school leaders; they help
communicate teachers’ voices and have them
take a better role in decision-making at school.
Teacher leadership can enhance parents’
involvement in the school by utilizing the
parent-teacher association. The study revealed
some roadblocks to teacher leadership, such as
a lack of resources, time, and some school
policies. At the end of the study, the researcher
highlighted some possible limitations and
recommendations that future researchers can
utilize in planning their study.
Keywords: Teacher Leaders, School
Improvement, Empowerment, Leadership.
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This research sought to examine teachers' attitudes and readiness towards imparting value education at a private school in Sharjah. The research was guided by four questions, investigating the attitudes and readiness of teachers to impart... more
This research sought to examine teachers' attitudes and readiness towards imparting value education at a private school in Sharjah. The research was guided by four questions, investigating the attitudes and readiness of teachers to impart value education, perceptions of teachers' attitudes in recent research, teachers' own attitudes and readiness, and their experiences and views towards imparting value education. The population under study were the employees working in a Private school in Sharjah. The school has a total population of 150 primary teachers in the two schools. The researcher employed purposive sampling, a type of non-probability sampling, to select participants from the community for the quantitative research study from which 107 responses were received. The findings from the quantitative data revealed that the majority of teachers have a positive attitude towards teaching value education and feel comfortable, satisfied, and confident in doing so. These themes included the necessity of collaboration and partnerships, the call for extensive teacher training and professional development, the integration of value education across all subjects, the utilization of technology and resources, the importance of practical examples and real-life contexts, the promotion of moral and ethical standards, and the awareness of mental health. The study's findings provide insights for schools in UAE and beyond, informing strategies to enhance the effective teaching of value education. The findings underline the importance of comprehensive teacher training, collaborative efforts among educators, and the integration of technology and real-life contexts in teaching. It also highlights the need to consider the moral, ethical, and mental health aspects of education.
Keywords: Value Education, Attitude, Readiness, Teachers Experience
Keywords: Value Education, Attitude, Readiness, Teachers Experience
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The constructive feedback provided by school leaders is considered a powerful tool that enhances teachers' motivation, engagement, and performance towards school improvement. This study aims to understand the influence of feedback... more
The constructive feedback provided by school leaders is considered a powerful tool that enhances teachers' motivation, engagement, and performance towards school improvement. This study aims to understand the influence of feedback provided by school leaders on teachers' professional growth and overall performance within the context of school improvement. The research is a single case study allowing an in-depth understanding of the participants' perspectives and experiences. It involved two sets of qualitative questionnaires to collect data from school leaders and subject teachers respectively. The data was then analysed to identify the influence of school leaders' feedback on teachers' performance towards school improvement. The main addressed research question is 'What is the influence of school leaders' feedback in shaping teachers' job towards school improvement?'. The findings of the current study prove that school leaders' feedback improves the quality of teaching instructions, fosters a loyal culture among staff members, develops teachers as leaders in their positions, and enhances school performance through better students' academic achievements. The implications of this study would offer educational leaders' and practitioners' valuable insights for improving feedback practices and promoting continuous professional growth among teachers. The foremost limitation of the current study is the inability to generalize the research outcomes being a single case study with a limited sample size and research time framework. Therefore, for future studies it is recommended that the investigation could be implemented in different settings to compare findings and generalize suggestions. It has been concluded that effective feedback imparted by school leaders upon teachers' observation is a critical factor in school improvement process.
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The fast-paced nature of the world calls for constant change to evolve, especially in education, which leads to the crucial role of educational leadership in identifying aspects that need to be changed and developing concrete plans for... more
The fast-paced nature of the world calls for constant change to evolve, especially in education, which leads to the crucial role of educational leadership in identifying aspects that need to be changed and developing concrete plans for them. This study aims to discover the role and impact of educational leadership and change management to improve the quality of education in a private school in Dubai using qualitative and quantitative data collection methods in addition to analysing six school inspection reports from two authorities. Results showed that educational leadership's role in change management drives outstanding academic performance according to the BSO and DSIB inspection reports, with the need to improve the theoretical aspect, and this role reached a high degree from teachers’ perspectives with no apparent differences in the averages of their responses according to the question variables. Furthermore, leaders’ perspectives on how to overcome change management challenges were effective, and the previous studies used have revealed some success factors for change management and uncovered certain gaps. This study provides theoretical and educational implications by demonstrating the positive impact of employing change management models in schools and specifying the role of educational leadership in change management to improve the quality of education. Furthermore, the research provides a social implication as it demonstrates the effectiveness of teamwork in improving education quality. This study enriches the theoretical growth of change management and its practice by Dubai’s school leaders, serving as a valuable resource for those seeking speedy growth through effective change management, where research in this area is limited. Additionally, this research combines three change management models, including Kotter, Lewin, and the ADKAR models.
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This special issue carries selected papers presented at the virtual conference hosted by the British University in Dubai on 3 rd June, 2023. The conference aimed to explore and take account of the voices of researchers and practitioners... more
This special issue carries selected papers presented at the virtual conference hosted by the British University in Dubai on 3 rd June, 2023. The conference aimed to explore and take account of the voices of researchers and practitioners on 'emerging challenges in educational management and leadership'. The conference was also keen on engaging voices, thoughts, reflections and practices of leaders, policy makers, practitioners and researchers in education.
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Every industry is under pressure to evolve by meeting emerging demands to be future-ready. Education in the particular higher education sector is under such pressure to be futuristic. Being a futuristic university is a two-way process in... more
Every industry is under pressure to evolve by meeting emerging demands to be future-ready. Education in the particular higher education sector is under such pressure to be futuristic. Being a futuristic university is a two-way process in that education transforms the world and the transformation in the world impacts education. As the world is at the threshold of the fourth industrial revolution, we are on the verge of Education 4.0, which is expecting the educational sector to comply with the economic, social, and technological changes that the world goes through. Such macroeconomic and social change demands universities to be future-ready. A future university is future-ready, offering a forward learning curriculum, enabling instructors and learners to meet the needs of tomorrow, embracing innovation, disruption, and being empowered to deal with uncertainties. While acknowledging several other factors the following are seemingly the top ten indications of a future university.
https://www.highereducationdigest.com/top-ten-indications-of-a-future-university/
https://www.highereducationdigest.com/top-ten-indications-of-a-future-university/
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The higher education sector in the UAE has expanded exponentially with due attention to quality assurance supported by CAA. Internationalisation dynamics has added to quality enhancement efforts in the country. This study explores the... more
The higher education sector in the UAE has expanded exponentially with due attention to quality assurance supported by CAA. Internationalisation dynamics has added to quality enhancement efforts in the country. This study explores the impacts of internationalisation for quality assurance in higher education and it particularly accounts institutional best practices for quality assurance in a research university. The study used literature review, case study and document analysis as research methods. The research relied on relevant literature and documents from the case studied. Standard protocols of systematic literature review, and document analysis were followed in the study. Metaanalysis and meta-synthesis helped to achieve in summarising, analysing, interpreting the findings. The findings indicate that the role of institutional quality assurance department is pivotal to enhance quality. Research universities are expected to uphold higher order quality assurance protocols. The best practices highlighted in this study may offer unique lessons for young and new research universities.
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The aim of this study is to analyse the impacts of citizenship education (CE) in enhancing positive behaviours among students. The study particularly explored the perceptions of students on this in a private school in Dubai. Theory of... more
The aim of this study is to analyse the impacts of citizenship education (CE) in enhancing positive behaviours among students. The study particularly explored the perceptions of students on this in a private school in Dubai. Theory of global citizenship and social theory of global citizenship were influential in this study to form necessary theoretical understanding. A questionnaire with quantitative and qualitative questions were distributed among high school students to measure the impact of citizenship education in nurturing students' positive behaviours. The findings of the research indicate that CE helps learners improve their interpersonal capabilities and their positive behaviours. The study contents that citizenship education enhances positive learning experience among students. As this is a single case study focusing on one institution it is difficult to generalize the findings. The study claims that CE is an important element that can enhance learners' achievement. It is concluded that CE increases learning, making important decisions, and improving personal learning.
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Policy science and practice around the world, including educational policies, are dominated by popular, extreme approaches such as market-orientated approaches at one end and critical argumentative approaches at the other end. This study... more
Policy science and practice around the world, including educational policies, are dominated by popular, extreme approaches such as market-orientated approaches at one end and critical argumentative approaches at the other end. This study therefore aims to manoeuvre a middle way to propose a dialogical and progressive educational policy framework and explores the research question: ‘how could a middle way (a dialogical and progressive framework) be manoeuvred among the polarised policy constructs?’ The study embraces Lynham’s five phases of theory building as the basis for this research, which includes conceptual development, operationalisation, confirmation/disconfirmation, application, and continuous refinement. The study explores some of the known existing policy frameworks for conceptual mapping, investigates the underlying dynamics and discourses to operationalise, uses diverse arguments in the literature to confirm/disconfirm and proposes to mark the emerging patterns, trends, ...
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The purpose of this paper is twofold. Firstly, to analyse the impact of the newly applied instructional delivery modalities on teachers’ job satisfaction. Secondly, to navigate the role of school leaders to help teachers to cope with... more
The purpose of this paper is twofold. Firstly, to analyse the impact of the newly applied instructional delivery modalities on teachers’ job satisfaction. Secondly, to navigate the role of school leaders to help teachers to cope with these models. The teaching modalities that are of research interest are the face-to-face, online, and hybrid models. The study adopted the mixed-methods approach. Around 151 teachers from 3 private schools in Abu Dhabi shared their response in a quantitative survey. To compare the teachers’ job satisfaction, the following mediating variables were considered: job security, workload, in-class effort, work-life balance, remuneration, leadership support, students’ behaviour, and relationship with co-workers. On the other hand, semi-structured interviews with 20 staff from the 3 schools were conducted to explore the best practices that school leaders can apply to meet the teachers’ job satisfaction. The findings of the study confirmed that there is a signifi...
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This paper explores the top ten issues and ideas for the future of teaching and learning in the post-pandemic world. The study uses the researcher's informed reflection as a method. The informed reflector role allows the researcher to... more
This paper explores the top ten issues and ideas for the future of teaching and learning in the post-pandemic world. The study uses the researcher's informed reflection as a method. The informed reflector role allows the researcher to explore realities from multiple dimensions by scanning existing teaching and learning scholarship. The subjective accounting, the lack of external verification of the thinking, overshadows limitations. The researcher devises phenomenological bracketing to reduce the researcher to a reflector. The researcher acknowledges that there could be other critical issues and ideas than those in this study. Nevertheless, the reflections shared in this study may contribute to the existing stock of all other contemplations, discussions, and debates
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Internationalisation in the field of education has promulgated as a fundamental notion for many educational organisations worldwide. This is reflected in the vast literatures that emphasise the significance of curriculum... more
Internationalisation in the field of education has promulgated as a fundamental notion for many educational organisations worldwide. This is reflected in the vast literatures that emphasise the significance of curriculum internationalisation and its impact on learning and society. The main focal points of this paper are based on the investigation of substantive forms, processes and approaches that help endeavour medical curriculum internationalisation. A series of literatures were analysed and the concepts presented are according to an array of reflections on practice. The study critically analysed two schools within one medical university campus, the school of nursing and the school of medicine, to ensure accuracy in curriculum comprehension and development. Furthermore, a medical terminology course was adapted and integrated in order to achieve internationalisation of curriculum formally and operationally. A number of models were investigated in order to adapt a suitable process m...
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It is viewed that globalisation particularly economic globalisation (EG) has severely influenced Higher Education (HEd). And curriculum restructuring in HEd is one of the important implications of EG (EG is one of the key factors). The... more
It is viewed that globalisation particularly economic globalisation (EG) has severely influenced Higher Education (HEd). And curriculum restructuring in HEd is one of the important implications of EG (EG is one of the key factors). The research and literature gap in this area triggered our research interest to study the implications of EG to HEd curriculum restructuring. We particularly explore and compare the trends (as a result of EG) in HEd curriculum restructuring in the states Kerala and Tamil Nadu of India and at the six selected HEd institutions (HEdIs) from the two states. The decline of public fund to HEd (as a result of EG) has paved ways for the development of self financed HEdIs and self financed courses at public and at state supported private HEdIs. As a result cost of HEd has increased and the vulnerable (economically poor, rural and girl students) are further marginalized for access to HEd. The utilitarian goal is stronger in HEd curriculum planning and revision. Dis...
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School leaders play pivotal role for school improvement. Research and practice indicate significant impacts of school leaders for the improvement of the schools. School leaders are responsible to create good vision, mission, and... more
School leaders play pivotal role for school improvement. Research and practice indicate significant impacts of school leaders for the improvement of the schools. School leaders are responsible to create good vision, mission, and strategies for schools. They provide necessary resources, guidance, support to staff and students to ensure the quality of provision is at the required level. They act as a front face to relate with internal and external stakeholders to optimise teaching and learning. They ensure that the school delivers relevant support to the needs of the local community, for nation building and to develop active and responsible global citizens. A good school leader motivates, develops, and enhances the confidence and performance of staff and students. Successful school leaders continuously develop themselves to help their staff and students to deliver their best.
Despite the potential positive role of school leaders in school improvement, school leadership is a significantly complex process that continuously increase in complexity due to the emergence of new and complex challenges. Research evidence shows that the demands on school principals is becoming more diverse in recent times and likely to encounter more complex demands as practise contexts encounter new realities. Whilst the role of school leaders remains vital in ensuring school improvement, major factors that facility the effectiveness of this include leaders’ critical understanding of practice contexts and initiating strategies that are feasible and responsive to the needs and expectations. Other important factors include the continuous evaluation of their practice, the contextual dynamics and professional development to ensure that strategies are on track.
This book attempts to highlight selected studies on the role of school leaders for school improvement. The authors were students who attended the module ‘leadership for school improvement’ taught by the editors. The chapters are some of the best research papers that were submitted by the authors as the final assignment in the module. The authors followed systematic literature review as a common methodology to explore relevant topics within the area of leadership for school improvement. The authors explored on school leaders’ support to effective teaching / learning, staff / students’ development / well-being, student’s achievement, effective curriculum implementation, technology integration, and support to students of special needs. The chapters contribute to the ongoing reflections and debates on the role of school leaders for school improvement, which may help researchers, educators, and policy makers.
Despite the potential positive role of school leaders in school improvement, school leadership is a significantly complex process that continuously increase in complexity due to the emergence of new and complex challenges. Research evidence shows that the demands on school principals is becoming more diverse in recent times and likely to encounter more complex demands as practise contexts encounter new realities. Whilst the role of school leaders remains vital in ensuring school improvement, major factors that facility the effectiveness of this include leaders’ critical understanding of practice contexts and initiating strategies that are feasible and responsive to the needs and expectations. Other important factors include the continuous evaluation of their practice, the contextual dynamics and professional development to ensure that strategies are on track.
This book attempts to highlight selected studies on the role of school leaders for school improvement. The authors were students who attended the module ‘leadership for school improvement’ taught by the editors. The chapters are some of the best research papers that were submitted by the authors as the final assignment in the module. The authors followed systematic literature review as a common methodology to explore relevant topics within the area of leadership for school improvement. The authors explored on school leaders’ support to effective teaching / learning, staff / students’ development / well-being, student’s achievement, effective curriculum implementation, technology integration, and support to students of special needs. The chapters contribute to the ongoing reflections and debates on the role of school leaders for school improvement, which may help researchers, educators, and policy makers.
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Conference proceedings of the doctoral training conference 2022 hosted by the British University in Dubai
Research Interests:
This paper explores the top ten issues and ideas for the future of teaching and learning in the post-pandemic world. The study uses the researcher's informed reflection as a method. The informed reflector role allows the researcher to... more
This paper explores the top ten issues and ideas for the future of teaching and learning in the post-pandemic world. The study uses the researcher's informed reflection as a method. The informed reflector role allows the researcher to explore realities from multiple dimensions by scanning existing teaching and learning scholarship. The subjective accounting, the lack of external verification of the thinking, overshadows limitations. The researcher devises phenomenological bracketing to reduce the researcher to a reflector. The researcher acknowledges that there could be other critical issues and ideas than those in this study. Nevertheless, the reflections shared in this study may contribute to the existing stock of all other contemplations, discussions, and debates.
Research Interests:
This study aimed to explore the impact of continuous professional development on teachers’ performance. In particular, it explored teacher’s experiences in a private school in Dubai. Social development theory and organizational... more
This study aimed to explore the impact of continuous professional development on teachers’ performance. In particular, it explored teacher’s experiences in a private school in Dubai. Social development theory and organizational development theory were supportive to form relevant understanding needed to develop the study. Supportive related studies were explored that are well situated in the topic explored. The data was collected using a survey questionnaire among 150 teachers in a private school in Dubai. The participants in the study were selected using random sampling technique. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics along with correlation and regression analysis. The findings indicated significant impacts of continuous professional development and increase in teachers’ performance. Based on findings, it is recommended to widely implement continuous professional development that will enhance teachers’ performance. It is also recommended to enrich the professional development programs by setting lofty standards. The case study is the limitations of the study as it only offered insights on the case studied, which may or may not be similar in other cases. Therefore, it is suggested to consider multiple cases in future.
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The aim of this study is to analyse the impacts of citizenship education (CE) in enhancing positive behaviours among students. The study particularly explored the perceptions of students on this in a private school in Dubai. Theory of... more
The aim of this study is to analyse the impacts of citizenship education (CE) in enhancing positive behaviours among students. The study particularly explored the perceptions of students on this in a private school in Dubai. Theory of global citizenship and social theory of global citizenship were influential in this study to form necessary theoretical understanding. A questionnaire with quantitative and qualitative questions were distributed among high school students to measure the impact of citizenship education in nurturing students' positive behaviours. The findings of the research indicate that CE helps learners improve their interpersonal capabilities and their positive behaviours. The study contents that citizenship education enhances positive learning experience among students. As this is a single case study focusing on one institution it is difficult to generalize the findings. The study claims that CE is an important element that can enhance learners' achievement. It is concluded that CE increases learning, making important decisions, and improving personal learning.
Research Interests:
The purpose of this paper is twofold. Firstly, to analyse the impact of the newly applied instructional delivery modalities on teachers' job satisfaction. Secondly, to navigate the role of school leaders to help teachers to cope with... more
The purpose of this paper is twofold. Firstly, to analyse the impact of the newly applied instructional delivery modalities on teachers' job satisfaction. Secondly, to navigate the role of school leaders to help teachers to cope with these models. The teaching modalities that are of research interest are the face-toface, online, and hybrid models. The study adopted the mixed-methods approach. Around 151 teachers from three private schools in Abu Dhabi shared their response in a quantitative survey. To compare the teachers' job satisfaction, the following mediating variables were considered: job security, workload, inclass effort, work-life balance, remuneration, leadership support, students' behaviour, and relationship with co-workers. On the other hand, semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty staff from the three schools to explore the best practices that school leaders can apply to meet the teachers' job satisfaction. The findings of the study confirmed that there is a significant association between teaching modality and teachers' job satisfaction. The traditional teaching modality meets the highest level of satisfaction, then the distance learning, and lastly is the hybrid one. Whereas the interviews recommended that school leaders are asked to build active communication channels with their teachers, share the decision-making process, decrease the workload, raise the teachers' autonomy, and establish a remuneration system. The study concludes that teachers' job satisfaction in all instructional delivery models should be a priority for every successful school leader.
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The study aims to identify the barriers and provide remedies for effective curriculum implementation. The identified barriers from the literature review are divided into three categories: students, teachers, and management. An online... more
The study aims to identify the barriers and provide remedies for effective curriculum implementation. The identified barriers from the literature review are divided into three categories: students, teachers, and management. An online survey was executed with 150 teachers at the same school to gain their insight on the subject. Besides, 15 heads were interviewed to see the similarities and dissimilarities in their opinions of teachers. For this reason, the study has adopted the mixed-method framework to trace the convergence and divergence in the findings. The online survey has helped gather quantitative data, which was further analysed by statistical methods. In addition, Qualitative data was collected through interviews, and thematic analysis was executed to interpret their responses. Finally, the join display chart format is employed to check the similarity and dissimilarity in their opinions. The finding indicates that heads are giving substantial significance to the teachers' curriculum knowledge and need for professional development. Also, they want higher management to think in this line. In contrast, teachers have shown inconsistency in their responses for both constructs and highlighted the issue of workload. To this end, the study suggests that higher-level management develop concrete and meaningful policies to overcome the barriers.
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The higher education sector in the UAE has expanded exponentially with due attention to quality assurance supported by CAA. Internationalisation dynamics has added to quality enhancement efforts in the country. This study explores the... more
The higher education sector in the UAE has expanded exponentially with due attention to quality assurance supported by CAA. Internationalisation dynamics has added to quality enhancement efforts in the country. This study explores the impacts of internationalisation for quality assurance in higher education and it particularly accounts institutional best practices for quality assurance in a research university. The study used literature review, case study and document analysis as research methods. The research relied on relevant literature and documents from the case studied. Standard protocols of systematic literature review, and document analysis were followed in the study. Meta-analysis and meta-synthesis helped to achieve in summarising, analysing, interpreting the findings. The findings indicate that the role of institutional quality assurance department is pivotal to enhance quality. Research universities are expected to uphold higher order quality assurance protocols. The best practices highlighted in this study may offer unique lessons for young and new research universities.
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Access to higher education has been relatively addressed well globally, while student success rate remains a serious concern, given several issues around quality. This study therefore aims to explore the role of epistemic access for... more
Access to higher education has been relatively addressed well globally, while student success rate remains a serious concern, given several issues around quality. This study therefore aims to explore the role of epistemic access for effective teaching and learning in higher education and it is keen to account student's experiences and views on regular and distance programmes. A questionnaire using google form was instrumented to gather both quantitative and qualitative data among students and graduates in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. Statistical analysis was used for quantitative data, while thematic analysis was used for qualitative data. The results confirm the theoretical claim that the pursuit of authentic knowledge is adequate when epistemic access is ensured. The study recommends that higher educational institutions offering both modes must fulfil their epistemic duties by ensuring epistemic access to students. In general, the participants in the study agreed that the regular university programmes are more conducive for epistemic access, while distance education has other advantages such as flexibility and affordability. The study contents that both modes have merits and demerits. It is, therefore, necessary that both are available at good qualities for students to benefit from them.
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Policy science and practice around the world, including educational policies, are dominated by popular, extreme approaches such as market-orientated approaches at one end and critical argumentative approaches at the other end. This study... more
Policy science and practice around the world, including educational policies, are dominated by popular, extreme approaches such as market-orientated approaches at one end and critical argumentative approaches at the other end. This study therefore aims to manoeuvre a middle way to propose a dialogical and progressive educational policy framework and explores the research question: 'how could a middle way (a dialogical and progressive framework) be manoeuvred among the polarised policy constructs?' The study embraces Lynham's five phases of theory building as the basis for this research, which includes conceptual development, operationalisation, confirmation/disconfirmation, application, and continuous refinement. The study explores some of the known existing policy frameworks for conceptual mapping, investigates the underlying dynamics and discourses to operationalise, uses diverse arguments in the literature to confirm/disconfirm and proposes to mark the emerging patterns, trends, and gaps in policy research to apply and refine. The study contends that if it is possible to have a polarised market-oriented and critical argumentative policy frameworks, it is then possible to have a dialogical, progressive middle-way policy framework. The study had to limit to the most important and related theories, and models to focus. Future works could explore a wide range of other relevant theories and models to further investigate this framework. Furthermore, application of the proposed dialogical, progressive educational policy framework in specific context/case may help to refine it. The study contends that the proposed middle way is not a perfect space but a potential space in which a dialogical and progressive educational policy may thrive.
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine teachers’ perspectives on school leaders’ selection and development strategies in order to propose/recommend strategies that are relevant to the context of the United Arab Emirates.... more
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine teachers’ perspectives on school leaders’ selection and development strategies in order to propose/recommend strategies that are relevant to the context of the United Arab Emirates. Design/methodology/approach The study gathered data through group discussion of school teachers who attended the module “leadership for school improvement” taught by the researchers. The teachers who participated in this study include local and expat teachers who are currently working in both public and private schools in the UAE. The reports of the group discussion were used as transcripts and thematic analysis was used to analyse the results. Findings The results indicate that there is a strong aspiration for setting better standards for the selection of the school leaders. There is great interest in engaging experts and instrumenting accredited continued professional development training on developing school leaders. The respondents emphasised on the req...
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There has been a great emphasis on the relationship between teaching strategies and curriculum implementation processes where teachers are the actual implementers of the curriculum. Thus, their choices of the suitable teaching strategies... more
There has been a great emphasis on the relationship between teaching strategies and curriculum implementation processes where teachers are the actual implementers of the curriculum. Thus, their choices of the suitable teaching strategies represent the quality of teaching offered to learners. The purpose of the study is to investigate the predominant teaching strategies used by science, mathematics, and technology (SMT)-teachers in US curriculum schools in UAE and to identify the most effective factors that influence their way to select these SMT-teaching strategies. A mixed method approach is adopted to fulfil the purpose of the study by conducting an online questionnaire for teachers and a face-to-face interview with the schools' academic supervisors. The results revealed that teachers in UAE are recently applying what is called 'engaging lectures' where both traditional and innovative teaching strategies are combined. Additionally, the main factors that drive teachers ...
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PurposeTertiary education has been going through dramatic transformation in recent times. Such transformation is seen in teaching and learning at tertiary education. This study, therefore, aims to understand the transformation of teaching... more
PurposeTertiary education has been going through dramatic transformation in recent times. Such transformation is seen in teaching and learning at tertiary education. This study, therefore, aims to understand the transformation of teaching and learning in tertiary-level education, particularly by accounting the experiences and perspectives of postgraduate learners.Design/methodology/approachThe study narrowed higher education transformation into four key drivers such as expansion, excellence, extension, external and explored their dynamics and impacts for teaching and learning in tertiary education. The data was gathered from 25 doctoral students from three different cohorts, who shared their critical reflection on their experiences and perspectives on the transformation of teaching and learning in a reflective journal. The 25 reflective journals were used as the qualitative transcripts for analysis. Standard required ethical protocols were followed in the research. The results were ...
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Designing, delivering and assessing level appropriate curriculum has been strongly advocated by curriculum theorists and practisers. And many curriculum research emphases on innovative approaches in curriculum designing and dissemination.... more
Designing, delivering and assessing level appropriate curriculum has been strongly advocated by curriculum theorists and practisers. And many curriculum research emphases on innovative approaches in curriculum designing and dissemination. Therefore, this study aims to study perspectives of postgraduate learners on curriculum innovation for postgraduate programmes. The data was gathered among 30 postgraduate students from one university in Dubai, who wrote critical reflection on 15 questions focusing on their desired innovation in curriculum, instructional strategies and assessment in post graduate programmes. The critical reflections of the students were used as transcripts for qualitative analysis. The findings indicate that the postgraduate learners prefer postgraduate curriculum to be challenging, current, offered in a contested mode, career and profession focused. The study strongly believes that accounting postgraduate learners' experience and perspectives support curriculum innovation in postgraduate programmes. The findings offer relevant insights for future research and it could benefit policy makers in higher education.
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Purpose This paper aims to critically examine the quality of professional doctorates (PDs) from the perspective of programme supervisors in terms of how quality assurance provisions have to meet their expectations.... more
Purpose This paper aims to critically examine the quality of professional doctorates (PDs) from the perspective of programme supervisors in terms of how quality assurance provisions have to meet their expectations. Design/methodology/approach The study employed an interpretative approach, using semi-structured interviews and online semi-structured questionnaire to generate data from 25 programme supervisors across universities in the UK. Data analysis and interpretation were carried out using the interactive data analysis approach (Miles and Huberman, 1994), the “bottom–up” approach to data analysis (Creswell, 2012) and the interpretative strategy recommended by Mason (2002). Four themes emerged from the data that encapsulated programme advisors’ perspectives: characteristics of supervisors; opportunities in institutional quality assurance provision; challenges in quality assurance process for PDs; and supervisors’ views on how quality assurance in PD can be enhanced. Findings Quali...
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The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between the ways knowledge converges towards the polarised economic activities. In particular, the paper aims to find the association between the local job market and the academic... more
The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between the ways knowledge converges towards the polarised economic activities. In particular, the paper aims to find the association between the local job market and the academic subjects students choose for their postgraduate studies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Quantitative data were gathered through a questionnaire from 160 students and qualitative data from 40 students from the UAE. The results suggest that tertiary students in the UAE, particularly the UAE nationals choose courses mostly that have good exchange value in the local and regional labour markets, whereas expats choose courses that have value in both local and global labour markets. Finally, the study recommends that economic diversification might expand and diversify the local job market. This may stimulate the tertiary institutions to offer various academic subjects to help students in the UAE to choose from a range of course choices and possibly help build a diverse knowledge base in the country.
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BUiD MLP conference proceeding and schedule 2023
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BUiD-MLP conference proceedings and schedule
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BDRC 2022
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Conference proceedings
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BRDC 2023 Conference Proceedings