Learning Practice and Leadership Capacity at Hail University School of Education - Case Study Example

Reflective learning Practice and Leadership Capa A case study at Ha’il School of Education Insert (s) Course Code Date of Submission Reflective Learning Practice and Leadership Capacity: A Case Study at Ha’il University School of Education Chapter 2: The Context of Hail University Introduction This Chapter discusses the key features of the context of Ha’il University School of Education which affect the current study. The University of Hail (UoH) is one of the most innovative and fastest growing academic institutions in Saudi Arabia. Located in the city of Ha’il, North-central Saudi Arabia, the university has lived up to its vision of becoming the first corporate institution of higher learning in the Middle Eastern region, where cutting edge technology and innovation are blended with academics administrative research in order to sustain development. The mission of the University is to link education to the socio-economic development of the Ha’il Region and the greater community. Generally, the key strategic objectives of Ha’il University School of Education include recruiting and retaining highly qualified faculty and staff, providing an excellent learning environment and education to the students. The history of the Ha’il University dates back to 1998 when the academic institution was started as a community college, then known as H’ail Community College. Beginning by offering three year associate degree programs, the college soon expanded to include Bachelor degree programs in a number of areas including Business administration, applied electrical engineering, management information systems and computer science. In June 2005, University of Hail consisting of five colleges (including the College of Medicine, College of Science, College of Pharmacy, Community college and the College of Computer Science & Computer engineering) was officially launched by a Royal Decree. In 2007, the University was joined by two pre-existing colleges namely, the Girls College of Education and the Men’s Ha’il Teachers College (the Current College of Education). The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Situated between the Red Sea to the west and the Arabian Gulf to the east, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia cover approximately 868,730 square miles(2, 250,000 square kilometers. The country shares its borders with Iraq, Kuwait and Jordan to the north, Bahrain and Qatar to the east and Oman and Yemen to the south. With nearly four fifth of the greater Arabian Peninsula under its territory, Saudi Arabia is considered to the largest country in the Middle east (Mohe.gov 2014). Geographically, nearly 95 % of the country is characterized by desert and semi-desert condition. However, the Red sea coastline of Saudi Arabia has greener areas with forests and mountains towards its south western corner. Allah’s last and greatest prophet, Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him) was born in Arabia in the year A.D. 570 and it is from this place that Islam spread from to the rest parts of the world. Millions of pilgrims usually visit the holy cities of Medinah and Makkah (Mecca and Medina) every year as part of the Islamic religious observance. According to Higher Education summary Report 1428 AH, Islam if the foundation of the Saudi Arabian culture. Saudi Arabia has always played a critical role in international trade for several centuries due to its strategic location and close proximity to major sea trade routes which were normally used to transport goods between Europe and the Orientals (China and India). The MOHE Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (2011) asserts that a flourishing trade in spices, incense and myrrh (used in cosmetic balms and medicine) also a major economic activity among the ancient inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula including Phoenicians and Egyptians). The modern way Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded by King Abdulaziz Al Saud, who successfully united the country into a Kingdom by 1932. His legacy lives on in his direct descendants who rule still Saudi Arabia to date. Experts concur that the country has made tremendous progress under the leadership of the Royal family. Saudis economy is largely dependent on oil. The countrys oil wealth wasfirst discovered in Saudi Arabia in 1936. By 1950 the country had become a major oil producer. Currently, Saudi Arabia at least 25% of the worlds oil reserves and is regarded as the undisputed leader of the international oil industry. Generally, the oil revenues have been used by the country reclaiming land from the desert; diversify its economy as well as establishing the infrastructure including learning institutions, roads, telephone systems, modern cities, hospitals, power stations among others needed for further development. Finally, the Kingdom ha sbeen increasingly opening its economy to the outside world as was seen when it recently became the 149th member of the World Trade Organization (MOHE Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 2011). Education in Saudi Arabia The post-secondary education system currently in use in Saudi Arabia is to some extent similar to that of the United States. However, according to Mohe.gov (2014), the procedures and patterns of the Saudi system have largely been adopted in accordance with the Islamic traditions and systems and customs. In 1975, the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Education was split and one entity exclusively focused on dealing with matters of higher education and was consequently renamed the Ministry of Higher Education. The key responsibilities of the Ministry of Education include: Making proposals regarding the establishment of institutions of higher learning and authorizing them to provide special programs in accordance with the national or regional needs Establishment and administration of universities and colleges in Saudi Arabia. Enhancing the level of communication and coordination between the various institutions of higher learning as well as coordinating with other governmental ministries or agencies with regard to their needs and interests in higher education(MOHE Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 2011) Representing the Saudi government abroad in all matters related to educational and cultural affairs, through the numerous cultural and educational offices that are currently distributed in more than 32 countries. The Higher Education Council serves as the supreme authority for the affairs of post-secondary education with a particular responsibility of supervising and coordinating its institutions, except military education. Some of the major responsibilities of the Council include directing university education according to the government policy, coordinating among universities particularly in the areas of scientific departments and degrees, supervising the development higher learning education in all sectors, encouraging research as well as formulating rules and regulations for compliance by all institutions of higher learning(Higher Education Council, 1997). The Higher Education Council serves as the supreme authority for the affairs of post-secondary education with a particular responsibility of supervising and coordinating its institutions, except military education. Some of the major responsibilities of the Council include directing university education according to the government policy, coordinating among universities particularly in the areas of scientific departments and degrees, supervising the development higher learning education in all sectors, encouraging research as well as formulating rules and regulations for compliance by all institutions of higher learning(Higher Education Council, 1997). Higher education in Saudi Arabia has undergone a tremendous growth over the last five decades. The higher education system, which is based on diversification has expanded to include : 28 Government Universities 18 Primary Teachers Colleges for men 80 Primary Teachers Colleges for women 37 Colleges and Institutes for health 12 Technical Colleges About Government Universities The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Higher Education was established in 1395H (1975G) to undertake a number of responsibilities some of which include supervision, planning and coordination of the institutions of higher learning with the objective of preparing a national cadre specialized in administrative as well as scientific fields in order to enhance the achievement of the national development agenda (Higher Education Council, 1997). Generally, The higher education has, successfully, developed in most of the scientific fields. There are, currently 28 universities, geographically distributed across Saudi Arabia. Although all the universities are linked to the Ministry of Higher Education, they enjoy significant level of independence both in academic and administrative scopes (Mohe.gov 2014) Higher Education in Saudi Arabia According to Ministry of Higher Education in Saudi Arabia (2013): "Comprehensive development works are taking place across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in all fields, and higher education is no exception; it is a pillar of the successful development in any country. A royal decree numbered 1/236 in 8/5/1395 AH (1975 AD) stipulated establishing Ministry of Higher Education to foresee executing the national higher education policy. The Minister of higher education is responsible for the execution of the government policy for university education. University education received generous support that made available new universities, colleges of science and applied fields and huge budget allocations. The twenty-five government universities of Saudi Arabia, ten private universities and sixteen private colleges, all of them host a plethora of disciplines that are not merely academic. Ministry of Higher Education is adopting contemporary trends in scientific research and strategic planning. (p, 1). Organizational Structure According to Marshall (2012, p.522), Organizational structures have a significant influence on the decision-making processes as well as the power systems of an organization. The University of Hail has an organizational structure involving the Ministry of Higher Education at the top. The Ministry of Higher Education is an important governmental department that is largely responsible for the execution of all the governmental policies for all the Universities and other institutions of higher learning across the Kingdom. In addition, the department is also responsible for the allocation of funding to all the universities while at the same time acting as. In addition, the Ministry of Higher Education providing supervisory role to the universities to ensure compliance (Hail University 2014). Hail University, the focus of this case study research is one of the 28 universities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The University consists of more than 14 different schools and faculties, each with its own dean. In Saudi Arabia, the position of a dean is the highest level in the school and all deans usually have more than one assistant. Below the deans and their assistant are the departmental heads for each of the academic departments. Generally, the heads of department are largely responsible for the management of a departments activities and are normally selected by the dean of the college, based on the recommendations from the members of the department and faculty. Generally, the position for the Head of a Department is a two-year term but can be renewed or extended. With regard to the section of a head of the department, each of the members of the faculty are to serve in the position as Head of Department at least once for their two-year term. The faculty of the department may include Assistant Professors, Associate Professors as well as Professors. In most cases, the faculty members normally fulfill their role as the Head of Department, when they have attained the levels of Assistant Professors or Associate Professors. Once a faculty member has become a Professor they normally become eligible for higher positions such as President or Dean. The current research primarily focused on the leadership reflective learning practice of these heads of department in Hail University school of education (Hail University 2014). Bolman and Deal (2008) particularly describes this type of organizational structure as a simple hierarchy where by a middle manager reports to the boss and is at the same time responsible for supervision as well as communication with other employees. In the case of Hail University the middle managers may be considered to be the departmental heads. Achievements and Aspirations in Educational School at Ha’il University Leadership plays a critical role in the academic institutions of higher learning particularly with regard to the achievement of an institutions organizational visions and goals. However, many academic institutions in Saudi Arabia are still faced with a number of leadership practice challenges some of which include insufficient leadership, poor leadership curriculum development, slow pace of technology adoption, lack of well trained teachers among others. Many experts concur that the level of most graduates from the Saudi Arabian institutions of higher learning are still below the leadership requirement level of the labor market (Hail University, 2014). In view of these facts, the university of Ha’il has increasingly focused on aligning the schools academic curricular with the regional as well as the national needs while at the same time reinforcing a corporate culture image as is reflected in the University’s strategic vision. In addition, the University has also been focused on strengthening the partnership between the institution and the High commission for development of the region of H’ail and is currently recruiting highly qualified faculty and staff to ensure that it is able to provide an excellent learning environment. Educational School’s Departments Visions Hail University is currently one of the most recognized governmental institutions of higher learning universities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. However, despite the numerous achievements of the institution, the major challenge facing the university is the current inability of leaders and faculty members to achieve the school’s visions and goals. Generally, many organizational targets and visions set by the University’s school of educational have remained unmet. For example, the adoption of technology has been particularly slow over the years. This may be considered to be a big management challenge when many of the departments are experiencing challenges in the technology adoption process. According to Mohe.gov (2014, the University’s school of education comprises of a number of departments including the departments of Educational leadership, department of Special needs, department of Psychology, department of Curriculum and Teaching Methods, the department Educational Technologies, Art Education, Physical Education, as well as the department of Early classrooms. Generally, each departmental curriculum is largely based on strict adherence of both Islamic and human laws. Although almost all the departments at the school of education have well structured strategic visions that are designed to guide the faculty members as well as the department heads, there have been a number of cases whereby the department leaders, or the higher education leadership are unable to achieve the visions and set targets because they do not possess the necessary leadership training, sufficient education or experience that effectively enable them to advance their teaching and leadership skills (Mohe.gov 2014). A remarkable example is the fact that few teachers in Saudi Arabia currently have the expertise of applying technology in their teaching practice. According to experts, educational leaderships vision is an important factor when it comes to empowerment of individuals as it enables them to effectively prepare and train educational leaders professionally and scientifically in order to achieve maximum aspirations of the educational process (Hail University website 2014). Accordingly, the department of Special needs vision is to achieve the aims of educational excellence for giving supports to people who have special needs in accordance with the Islamic rules, human values and the needs of Saudi society which is harmony with the international quality standards (Hail University website 2014).Moreover, the department of psychologys vision is to become one of the most important departments in the world which prepare specialists in psychology, psychological counseling, educational scientific studies and community service (Hail University website 2014).The department of Curriculum and teaching methods vision is to apply teaching methods and curriculum to provide quality and excellent education across Saudi Arabia (MOHE Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 2011). One of the common challenges in this department is the adoption of ineffective syllabus that is not based on improving quality and teaching methods. The issue of curriculum is a common problem in Saudi Arabia and it is also affecting Ha’il University. Lack of proper teaching methods has been the main cause of unproductive teachers who lack necessary training skills, which will be critical in changing the lives of many pupils (MOHE Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 2011). The department of educational technologies seeks to use this approach to achieve global quality standards in software design and development (Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 2005). However, this vision is not achieved since the use of technology in education has not been realized in Ha’il University and other Saudi higher educations. For instance, this department seeks to champion the use of IT in education both on the domestic and international level, but this has not been fully realized. Study shows that although this department seeks to embrace the use of technology there are some policies that are limiting full awareness and application of technologies (Hussein 2011). For instance, ministry of higher education often conducts requirements of the education faculty and sometimes technology adoption is difficult due to the scarcity of trained human resource persons to implement the technology (Higher Education Council, 1997). Lack of basic training in teaching methods, means that the lecturers do not have basic pedagogy skills, which will be helpful in classroom. Thus, this is a challenge in professional development in how teachers can effectively embed technology application in the broader education context. Additionally, this department struggles from the negative attitude of education in the classroom context since most lecturers do not want to apply technology (Al-Maini 2011). Department of Physical Education’s vision is to lead in scientific knowledge related to science movement globally and physical education. However, this vision is encountering massive challenges in providing quality since some professors may not have a culture of promoting quality education and enhancing awareness on the importance of quality (Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 2005). For instance, this department is in charge of rehabilitating teachers, professional researchers and educational leaders in physical education who will contribute in expanding education with sports in various bodies (Hussein 2011). Another major challenge facing the school of education in the department of art education is the inability to equip teachers with high efficiency to allow them participates in the community effectively (Hussein 2011). The lack of proper preparation means that teachers will not be in a position to achieve their objective, and this will be a crisis in the School of education at large (Mohe.gov 2014). The department of early classrooms vision is to achieve excellence in the preparation of teachers for early classrooms in primary school and rehabilitation in accordance with best international practices in the field of preparing teachers for early classrooms (Hail University website 2014). However, the department has equally not been able to achieve its vision as required. Consequently, higher education leaders face a challenge in leadership capacities such as students demand, use of technology and some challenges which are related to quality assurance and quality enhancement (Ginsburg 1997). Since education quality is one of the core purposes of higher learning, leadership should ensure that business imperatives do not in any way, undermine the unique position of higher education as they extend learning and knowledge. Perhaps, the best way of ensuring quality is to-regularly-assess the kind of education provided in most HE institutes. Drew (2010) adds that that the challenge to preserve the quality of educational internationally while abiding by government laws and policies changes with the vibrate literature field. Higher education leaders must understand that lack of education quality will result poor outcomes of any educational high institution. References Al-Maini, Y 2011, Using technology in EFL in Saudi Arabia. Literacy Information and Computer Education Journal (LICEJ), Vol. 2 (Iss. 3) Drew, Glenys M. 2010, Issues and challenges in higher education leadership: engaging for change.Australian Educational Researcher, 37(3), pp. 57-76. Ginsburg, M.A 1997, ‘Organization, budgeting, and staffing’, in Dietz, L.H., and Triponey, V.L., eds, Serving Students at Metropolitan Universities: the Unique Opportunities and Challenges, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA, pp 27–37 Mohe.gov 2014, University of Ha’il. Retrieved from: http://www.mohe.gov.sa/en/studyinside/Government-Universities/Pages/HU.aspx [accessed 8/4/2014] Ministry of Higher Education in Saudi Arabia.(2013). Educational statistics in the kingdom ofSaudi Arabia. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 2011, About Government Universities. Retrieved from http://www.mohe.gov.sa/en/studyinside/Government- Universities/Pages/default.aspx[accessed 9/4/2014] Introduction by His Excellency Minister of Higher Education Dr. Khalid bin Mohammad Al-Anqari quoted from (Higher Education in Saudi Arabia, Summary Report 1428 AH) Higher Education Council, Kindgom of Saudi Arabia. 1997. Regulations for Non-Saudi recruitment in universities. Reolution No 3/4/1417H, Fourth Session held on 7/2/1417H ,1, 1-8. Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 2005, National Communications and IT Plan (NCITP). Marshall, S. (2012). Educational Middle Change Leadership in New Zealand: The Meat in theSandwich. International Journal Of Educational Management, 26(6), 502-528. Hussein, H. 2011. Attitudes of Saudi Universities faculty members towards using learning management system (JUSUR). The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology , 10 (1-2), 43-53. Ha’ilUniversity Website. 2014. Retrieved from http://www.uoh.edu.sa/sites/en/Pages/default.aspx [accessed 12/4/2014] Chapter 4: Developing Leadership Capacity in a Saudi Higher Education Introduction Developing leadership capacity in higher institutions is critically important as it gives the academic institutions the much needed knowledge to invest in the future generation of academic leaders. Although leadership in academics is currently one of the least studied management positions, the increasing demands for accountability as well as the current complexities of higher education have all resulted in a rising demand for effective leadership capacity developments in higher institutions of learning not only in Saudi Arabia but also in other various parts of the world. According to Gmelch and Buller (2015, p.46), higher education currently represents one of the most viable means of developing human resources and improving strategic investment for any country through increased skilled labor force and enhanced ability to manage the knowledge economy. Saudi Arabia is currently witnessing a massive development in the country’s higher education sector. This is particularly in line with a plan to achieve the goals recently outlined by the Saudi Arabia’s ministry of higher education. According to Ministry of Higher Education in Saudi Arabia (2013), “compressive works of development are currently being undertaken in the Kingdom in nearly all the critical sectors and higher education is should be exception, as it is considered to be the main pillar to successful development in any country” (p.1). This chapter critically discusses the key issues involved in the development of leadership capacity in the Saudi Arabia higher education context. Leadership practices and years of experience A number of previous studies have attempted to discuss the intricate relationship between leadership practices and the years of experience (Almengash 2007; Aldosari 2012; AL-fuhidy 2009; Alqahtani 2012; Al-Omari, et. al 2008; Alsumih A.M 2009). For example, Aldosari (2012) conducted a comprehensive review of the leadership practices in Saudi Arabia in order to highlight the prevailing leadership styles. The researcher employed a descriptive research methodology to review the leadership styles of the 159 heads of departments and members of the staff at the University of Abdul Aziz in Al-Kharj. The results indicated no statistically significant differences (0.05=a) for the leadership styles under study (democratic, autocratic). It was concluded that there is need to develop leadership practices of the heads of departments at the University of Salman Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Kharj particularly through enhanced leadership practice training. Leadership practices in Saudi Arabia Numerous recent studies (Alqahtani (2012) , Almengash (2007), Al-Omar (2010), Alsumih (2009) and Aldosari (2012) have particularly focused on the leadership practices in Saudi Arabia due to the strategic importance of leadership in the contemporary society. For example, Almengash (2007), used Fiedlers Least Preferred Co-Worker Scale to investigate the leadership style with 34 male and 34 female with total 68 heads of departments. The findings of the research study included: (1) gender has a significant effect on leadership styles; (2) females shown the use of power over other oworkers while men showed power with co-workers; and (3) academic specialization, work experience, and faculty rank did not have any significant effect on leadership style. This study primarily focused on the leadership perceptions from the point of view of heads of departments. The researcher concluded that there was significant effect of gender on the leadership style of males and females (Almengash, 2007, p 25). In yet another research study that focused on the perceptions of superintendents regarding their leadership, Alqahtani (2012) conducted an empirical study on the Saudi Arabian school superintendents and their perceptions and opinions regarding leadership practices within their school districts. The researcher particularly employed the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) as the primary instrument to gather the perceptual data. The survey questions were then distributed to all male and female superintendents in Saudi Arabia. The results of the survey indicated female superintendents rated themselves higher in inspiring a shared vision as compared to their male counterparts. Alqahtani (2012) concluded that “It would be important to research the perception of the administrators’ leadership behaviors in Saudi universities (p. 90)”, On the other hand, in an attempt to critically investigate how leadership types may be potentially related to the participation of academic staff in decision-making, Alsumih (2009) carried out a research on the transformational and transactional leadership types among the chair departments in Al-Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University and the potential correlation between the leadership styles and the participation of academic staff in decision-making. The researcher used a study sample of 210 male participants from the faculty at Al-Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University. The results indicated that the chairs of departments at the University practiced transformational and transactional leadership style. In addition, the researcher found out that the chairmen of the departments always shared their decision-making with the faculty taking into consideration their differences in age and academic experience. In contrast, a study done by MahaAldosari (2012), focused on leadership among female faculty in Saudi Arabia. The researcher particularly focused on detecting the type of leadership styles used by female heads of departments in the University as well as identifying the degree of satisfaction of the faculty members regarding the heads of departments and their leadership styles. The study sample was composed of (159) female faculty members at the University of Salman bin Abdul Aziz in Al-Kharj city in Saudi Arabia. This was primarily assessed based on the variables of Academic degree and years of experience. Based on the findings, the researcher noted that the prevailing leadership style of heads of departments at the University of Salman Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Kharj was largely mixed among democratic messy and autocratic styles. In addition, there were no statistically significant differences at the level of 0.05. The researcher concluded that there is a need to develop the leadership practices of the departmental heads at the University. Conclusion In summary, the key issues involved in the development pf leadership capacity in the Saudi Higher Education include improved leadership training and experience in the high education institutions among others. References Asaari M. H, Dwivedi. A, Lawton.A, Karia.N (2013). Academic Leadership and Work-Related Attitude: Genders, Ethnics and Academic Ranks of Faculty Members in Malaysian Public Universities. Cambridge Business & Economics Conference. Cambridge, UK Almengash, S. A (2007) Power Over and Power With: The Difference Between the Leadership Style of Males and Females at King Saud University in Riyadh. Alqahtani, A. S. (2012). Superintendent leadership behaviors in saudiarabian school districts. (Ph.D. 3539514), Saint Louis University, United States -- Missouri. Al-Omar, A. S (2010) Characteristics of transformational leadership of the heads of departments and their relationship to the morale of the faculty at Al-Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University in Saudi Arabia. Alsumih, A.M (2009) Transformational and transactional leadership type amongst chair departments in Al-Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University and its relationship toward the participation of academic staff in decision-making. Aldosari, M. N (2012) Leadership styles of heads of departments in the University of Salman Bin Abdul Aziz in Al-Kharj as members of the teaching staff see. Darling-Hammond, L., LaPointe, M., Meyerson, D., & Orr, M. (2007).Preparing school leadersfor a changing world: Executive summary. Stanford, CA: Stanford EducationalLeadership Institute. Gmelch W. H., Buller, J.L 2015. Building Academic Leadership Capacity: A Guide to Best Practices. New York: Jossey-Bass. Joachim, P., & Klotz, J. (2000). Interviewing practicing administrators: An underutilized field based instructional strategy. Retrieved from ERIC database. Fiedler, F. (1972). The Effects of Leadership Training and Experience: A Contingency Model Interpretation. Administrative Science Quarterly, 17(4), 453-470 Jones, C and Pound, L 2008 Leadership and management in the early years – from principles to practice. McGraw Hil Chandler, Mary; Chan, Tak Cheung; Jiang, Binbin – International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 2013 Read More