Middle Leaders’ perspectives of leadership in primary school: comparative study between Saudi and England

The definition of a middle leader in the educational context is difficult to define because in some cases the middle leader is a teacher who has taken on a position of authority among his or her peers. In other situations, the middle leader can be a manager, external to the pedagogical component of the educational system but with a strong business acumen. This dissertation examines the perspectives of middle leaders in two contexts: Saudi Arabia and England. This research was undertaken primarily because there was a paucity of research that examined the Arabic context of middle leadership. This, paired with significant changes within the educational context in Saudi Arabia, meant that an opportunity existed to examine how Saudi middle leaders currently perceived their role in an attempt to shape how they could adapt to changes in the future. This research took on an ontological and epistemological view in an attempt to understand the interactional and practical experience of middle leaders. Using a case study design, the researcher used semi-structured interviews, observations, and document analysis to interpret the perceptions of middle leaders within six different primary schools across Saudi Arabia and England. Findings from this study suggested that middle leaders in Saudi Arabia took on a much more administrative position than their English counterparts, though in both cases, there were considerable challenges identified among the participants. These challenges largely related to educational culture and the difficulty of navigating between teachers and senior management. This research has contributed to knowledge by addressing the issues and perceptions of middle leaders, especially in Saudi Arabia, as the King intends to pursue his 2030 Vision, which would have a considerable impact on the middle leader population

Identifying Characteristics of a “Good School” in the British and Saudi Arabian Education Systems

This study aims at establishing whether primary schools in the Saudi education system conform to the characteristics of what are referred to as ‘good schools’ in the British education system. The findings established through this study show that only 43.75% of primary schools in Saudi conform to the characteristics of what are referred to as ‘good schools’ in Britain.  Moreover, it is established that there are more similarities than differences in the roles played by headteachers in these two education systems when it comes to fostering effective schools and developing schools as learning organisations. Nevertheless, it is established that there are more headteachers in British primary schools than in Saudi primary schools who take up roles geared towards fostering effective schools and developing schools as learning organisations. This disparity has been attributed to the fact that in the Saudi education system the role of headteachers is highly regulated and constrained due to the bureaucratic and centralised nature of the country’s education system whereas in the British education system headteachers have more autonomy and control over school management. Generally, this study provides invaluable insights that can be used to improve the professional practice of educators. It illuminates different characteristics and roles that can contribute to the realisation of effective schools and schools as learning organisations. It also provides an explicit outlook towards school leadership in the global context. As the world is increasingly becoming globalised, it is crucial for educators to acquaint themselves with how different systems of education function