The Roles of Head Teachers in Saudi Arabian and Britain - Research Paper Example

Methodology Introduction The key aim of this research study is to critically compare the roles of head teachers in the Saudi Arabian and British education systems. This study also examines what characteristics define a “good school” in the Saudi Arabian and British education systems and establishes whether schools in Saudi Arabia conform to the characteristics of what are referred to as ‘good schools’ in Britain. In essence this study focuses on examining the similarities and differences of head teacher’s role in the Saudi Arabian and British education systems within the context of effective schools and schools as learning organisations. This section discusses in-depth the methods or approaches that were used to conduct the proposed research study. Firstly, this section describes design of the study in relation to the type of research method or approach used and its suitability in realising the key objectives of the study. Secondly, it describes the settings or the context of the study and the participants involved in this study. Moreover, it describes the procedures and methods used in data collection and provide justification on why these methods are suitable. It will also highlight some of the limitations of using these methods. Lastly, this section describes how the data collected will be analysed and the suitability of the analytical methods that will be used. Research Design Basically, the research design for this study is quantitative in nature. This study employs a positivism quantitative approach. According to Muijs (2010), quantitative research is a systematic empirical inquiry of a particular research issue that involves the use of numerical data. In quantitative research data is collected in numerical form for quantitative analysis. Aliaga and Gunderson (2000) note that quantitative research involves investigating a phenomenon by collecting numerical data which are later on analysed using mathematical or statistical methods. Similarly, Newman & Benz (1998) note that, quantitative research mainly focuses on proof and measurement. This research approach incorporates a scientific approach. It is largely based on the premise that a phenomenon is meaningful when it can be quantified or counted. Hence it deals with numerical data that allow mathematical or statistical analysis. Hopkins (2000) observes that quantitative research is mainly used for quantifying relationships between two or more variables. For instance, this study uses a quantitative research design mainly because it explores or compares the relationship between two variables i.e head teacher’s role in the Saudi Arabian and British education systems. Hopkins further notes that quantitative research measures on particular sample of subjects and subsequently reflects the relationship between variables using impact statistics such as relative frequencies, differences and correlations (Hopkins 2000). Typically, most quantitative research studies tend to be aligned within the positivism paradigm. Basically, the positivism paradigm accentuates that information sources either social or scientific based on empirical studies and mathematical treatment exclusively provides authoritative or factual knowledge. Positivists generally assume that scientific knowledge is the only valid knowledge. Furthermore, positivists hold that reality is objective, it is separate from the researcher and can be seen (Wimmer & Dominick 2011; Muijs 2004). Wimmer & Dominick (2011), note that, the positivism paradigm mainly incorporates concepts like objectives, hypotheses and quantification. The use of a positivism paradigm requires researchers to be completely objective and aim at generating general findings and explore various phenomena across different settings. In essence, positivism paradigm is more centered on examining research issues in breadth rather than depth (Wimmer & Dominick 2011). Given that this study involves the use of a positivism quantitative approach, the design of the study was pre-determined prior to the actual research study. This study was designed in such a way that it mainly focused on obtaining, quantifying and analysing numerical data. Moreover, the data collection and analysis processes were handled objectively, biases and values were eliminated as much as possible (Marlow 2010). A positivism quantitative research approach was used in this study due to its suitability in addressing the set research questions or objectives. According to Hopkins (2000), a positivism quantitative research approach is suitable for comparing and quantifying relationships between two or more variables. Given that this study mainly focuses on comparing two variables or showing the relationship between two variables, (i.e the role played by headteachers in Saudi Arabian education systems and the role played by headteachers in British education systems) it is plausible to conclude that a positivism quantitative research approach is suitable for this study. One of the advantages of using a positivism quantitative research is that, this approach follows well-defined procedure, structure and involves the use of objective scientific and mathematical tools. This in turn enhances the validity and accuracy of a study. In this study, pre-defined and systematic procedures have been used to collect data. Moreover, this study incorporates the use of objective scientific and mathematical techniques. Consequently, it is expected that the results established through this study will be valid and accurate (Marlow 2010; Wimmer & Dominick 2011). Another advantage of using positivism quantitative research approach is that this research design is rather flexible and allows the researchers to explore more than one research issue. A positivism quantitative approach is extensive and provides almost unlimited chance of investigating a number of phenomena at the same time (Muijs 2004). Although the main aim of this study is to critically compare the roles of head teachers in the Saudi Arabian and British education systems, this study also focuses on examining what characteristics define a “good school” in the Saudi Arabian and British education systems and whether schools in Saudi Arabia conform to the characteristics of what are referred to as ‘good schools’ in Britain. Thus the use of positivism quantitative approach enabled this study two explores two research issues at the same time (Marlow 2010; Wimmer & Dominick 2011). Nevertheless, one of the key limitations of employing this type research design is that, it is fails to explore issues in-depth since it mainly focuses on exploring issues in breadth. Furthermore, this research design fails to effectively examine the cause-effect relationship (Muijs 2004). For instance, one of the key limitations of this study is that it although it focuses on comparing the roles played by head teachers in the Saudi Arabian and British education systems, it fails to explore critically and in-depth the underlying factors that contribute to the similarities or differences in these roles. Research settings and participants This study investigates the role of head teachers in Saudi Arabian and British education systems. Therefore, the context or the settings of this study is in Saudi Arabia and Britain. In Saudi Arabia, this study focuses on both public and private secondary schools based in Medina, a city in the North West region of Saudi Arabia. Medina is extremely urbanised and populous city. Based on data from the ministry of education, it is estimated the city has a student population of approximately 1.5 million. The city contains over 100 secondary schools (Ministry of Education 2009). Medina provided a good base or provide for conducting this study mainly due to the accessibility and availability of a significant number of secondary schools. This study involved 10 secondary schools in Medina. In Britain, this study focuses on both public and private secondary schools based in Birmingham, a city based in the West Midlands of England. Birmingham is very populous and comprises of at least 77 public secondary schools. Birmingham also provided a good base for conducting this study mainly due to the accessibility and availability of a significant number of secondary schools (BCC 2012). This study involved 10 secondary schools in Birmingham. It is worth noting that, the schools that were selected for this study are those that significantly exemplified concepts such as school effectiveness and organisational learning. The main participants of this study included teachers and head teachers from 10 secondary schools in Medina, Saudi Arabia and 10 secondary schools in Birmingham. This study involved 10 teachers and 20 head teachers in secondary schools in both Saudi Arabia and Britain. Data Collection Method Questionnaire structure and design This study primarily involved the use of survey questionnaires as the main quantitative data collection method. A survey questionnaire is a basically a data collection research instrument that incorporates a series of questions or prompts for the purpose of gathering responses from respondents regarding a particular research issue (Ader & Hand 2008; Newman & Benz 1998). Typically, questionnaires comprise of several questions in a set format that could either be open-ended or closed –ended. Open-ended question formats require respondents to formulate their own answers whereas close-ended question formats require respondents to select their responses from a list of provided options. In close-ended questionnaires, the listed response options are expected to be exclusive and exhaustive so as to effectively capture the literal response of the respondent (Ader & Hand 2008). The questionnaires used in this study incorporated a close-ended question format mainly because it provides respondents with an easier and simpler task when responding to the listed questions thus enabling them to answer as many questions as possible. Moreover, this study incorporated a close-ended question format mainly because the responses provided are easy to analyse (McQueen & Knussen 2002; Burns 2000). The close-ended questionnaire format used in this study adopted Likert five point scale, which provides respondents with response options such as ‘Strongly Agree’ ,‘Agree’, ‘Undecided’, ‘Disagree’ and ‘Strongly Disagree’ to show the respondents’ agreement concerning a particular research question. Secondly, Likert five point scale provides respondents with response options such as; ‘Very Frequently’, ‘Frequently’, ‘Occasionally’, ‘Rarely’ and ‘Never’ to show the respondents’ frequency of undertaking a particular action or task. Moreover, this scale provides respondents with response options such as; ‘Very Important’, ‘Important’, ‘Moderately Important’, ‘Of Little Importance’ and ‘Unimportant’ to show the respondent regard or view of importance for a particular task or issue. Lastly, the Likert five point scale provides respondents with response options such as; ‘Almost Always True’, ‘Usually True’, ‘Occasionally True’, ‘Usually Not True’ and ‘ Almost Never True’ to show the likelihood of a particular issue or task (Mcleod 2008). Questionnaire content In this study, survey questionnaires were carefully constructed and administered to 10 teachers and 20 head teachers in secondary schools in Birmingham and Medina. The questionnaires comprised of 20 questions which seek to establish the similarities and differences between the role of head teachers in the Saudi Arabian and British education systems particularly within the context of effective schools and schools as learning organisations. It also sought to establish what characteristics define a “good school” in the Saudi Arabian and British education systems and whether schools in Saudi Arabia conform to the characteristics of what are referred to as ‘good schools’ in Britain. In essence, the questions incorporated in the questionnaire were mainly based on the identified objectives of this study and the key concepts depicted in the literature review. The questionnaires were divided into three main parts i.e Sections A, B and C. Section A incorporated questions that focused on identifying which aspects of school effectiveness and organisational learning are entrenched in the schools in Saudi Arabia and Britain. This section focused on establishing what characteristics define a “good school” in the Saudi Arabian and British education systems and whether schools in Saudi Arabia conform to the characteristics of what are referred to as ‘good schools’ in Britain. Some of the questions incorporated in this section touch on areas such as; (See Appendix 1). Alignment of the school’s organisational structure to its mission and goals Effectiveness and integration of the school’s management processes such strategy development, resource allocation, budgeting, planning and performance evaluation. Effectiveness and value of school facilities/utilities and services Effectiveness and value of human resource processes Importance of people development in the school Significance of knowledge sharing in the school Section B incorporated questions that focused on identifying and exploring the role of headteachers within an effective school. The questions incorporated in this section highlighted key aspects of leadership and management roles that headteachers undertake within an effective school. Basically, this section focuses on establishing the similarities and differences of head teacher’s role in the Saudi Arabian and British education systems particularly within the context of effective schools. Some of the headteachers’ role highlighted in Section B in relation to school effectiveness include; (See Appendix 1). Communication of school mission, priorities and goals to the school Involvement in decision making processes relating to development of school curriculum/ program, allocation of resources, training , budgeting etc Motivating and providing support to the school staff and students Involvement in conflict and dispute resolution relating to school issues Lastly, section C focused on identifying and exploring the role of headteachers within the school as a learning organisation. The questions incorporated in this section highlighted key aspects of leadership and management roles that headteachers undertake within a school entrenched in organisational learning. Basically, this section focuses on establishing the similarities and differences of head teacher’s role in the Saudi Arabian and British education systems particularly within the context of schools as learning organisations. Some of the headteachers’ role highlighted in this section include ;( See Appendix 1). Facilitating knowledge development and sharing within the school Initiating and facilitating staff training and development Supervision of staff work roles and duties Allocating adequate time and resources for extra-curricular activities Suitability and Reliability of Using Survey Questionnaires The use of survey questionnaire in this study provided a suitable approach for compiling and organising data in a standardised form from a large sample. Given that this study involved 60 respondents, the use of questionnaires provided an efficient approach for collecting , organising and analysing data. Moreover, the use of questionnaires enabled the study to explore different research issues relating to the role of head teachers in Saudi Arabian and British education systems particularly within the context of school effectiveness and school as learning organisations. Since the questionnaires used incorporated a wide range of questions exploring different phenomenon, it provided an extensive and broad perspective on the role of head teachers in Saudi Arabian and British education systems. When conducting this study, it became evident that one of the advantages of using survey questionnaires is that it is cost effective and easy to administer and analyse data. In this study, questionnaires were administered in written form through online communication platforms as well as on a face to face basis. As compared to other data collection methods such as interviews, the use of this approach is less costly and less time consuming (Ader & Hand 2008; Burns 2000). Furthermore, another advantage associated with the use of questionnaires lies in the fact that it can be easily designed and altered so as to get the desired data. This may also be a disadvantage since it leaves room for the researcher to manipulate questions such that biased data may be obtained (Burns 2000). Moreover, when conducting this study, it became apparent that one of the key limitations of using survey questionnaires especially those that incorporate a close-ended question format is that it is standardised consequently it may produce general and vague data thus failing to effectively provide holistic meaning of a particular research issue. In addition to this, there is likelihood that data obtained through the use of questionnaires may be biased or inaccurate since some respondents may provide superficial answers especially in a case where the questions are unclear and many (Cargan 2007). In order to limit or prevent the likelihood of obtaining biased or inaccurate responses from respondents, simple and clear language was used when constructing the questionnaire. Furthermore, when administering the questionnaires, respondents were urged to answer the questions honestly and accurately (Darzi & Athanasiou 2010). Data Analysis Following the data collection process through the use of survey questionnaires, data collected in this study was subjected to a data analysis process. Basically, data analysis is a process that involves organising and analysing so as to derive useful meaning that answers identified research questions or objectives (Newman & Benz 1998). In this study, data collected was mainly primary data. Newman & Benz (1998) observe that primary data is essentially data that is collected first-hand or directly from the data source. Data analysis process in this study occurred in two phases. The first phase involved an analysis process. In this case, data was analysed using the grounded theory. Analysing data using grounded theory required that the data collected is carefully and critically analysed without taking into account any value or preconceived theory. In essence, using grounded theory accentuates on objectivity when analysis data. Given that this study employs a positivism quantitative research approach, using grounded theory is suitable since it imposes an objective analysis of data (Newman & Benz 1998; Borgatti 2012). Some of the commonly used data analysis techniques that are entrenched within the grounded theory include; open coding, axial coding and selective coding. The data analysis process in this study primarily involved the use of axial coding as a technique of analysing data. Generally, axial coding entails processes of relating properties and categories to each through the use of both deductive and inductive thinking. Using this approach of data analysis, a researcher fits relations between different aspects into a basic frame of general relationships (Borgatti 2012). Using the axial coding technique, data analysis in this study involved taking into account different general aspects and role that headteachers take up within the context of effective schools and learning organisations and relating them with the responses provided by headteachers of schools in Saudi Arabia and Britain. Using this approach, similarities and differences between roles played by headteachers were identified. Moreover, this approach conveyed characteristics that define a “good school” in the Saudi Arabian and British education systems and whether schools in Saudi Arabia conform to the characteristics of what are referred to as ‘good schools’ in Britain. The second phase of data analysis involved organising the collected and analysed data into logical form so as to provide a base for interpretation and understanding the findings of the study. In this case, the collected and analysed data was represented in graphs and charts. References Ader, H. & Hand, D 2008, Advising on research methods: A consultant’s companion, Johannes van Kessel Publishing, The Netherlands. Aliaga, M. & Gunderson, B 2000, Interactive Statistics, Pearson, New Jersey. Borgatti, S 2012, Grounded Theory, viewed on 11 February 2013 Burns, R.B 2000, Introduction to Research Methods, 4th Ed, SAGE Publications, London. Birmingham City Council (BCC) 2012, Primary and Secondary Schools, viewed on 11 February 2013 Cargan, L 2007, Doing social research, Rowman & Littlefield, New York. Darzi, A. & Athanasiou, T 2010, Key topics in surgical research and methodology, Springer New York. Hopkins W.G 2000, “Quantitative Research Design”, Sportscience vol 4, no 1, viewed on 11 February 2013 Marlow, C 2010, Research Methods for Generalist Social Work, Cengage Learning, Belmont, CA. Mcleod, S 2008, Likert Scale, viewed on 11 February 2013 McQueen, R. & Knussen, C.H. 2002, Research methods for Social Science: An Introduction, Prentice Hall, Essex. Ministry of Education 2009, Educational policy in Saudi Arabia, Ministry of Education press, Riyadh. Newman, I. & Benz, C 1998, Qualitative-Quantitative research methodology: exploring the interactive continuum, SIU Press, Illinois. Wimmer, R. & Dominick, J 2011, Mass Media Research: An introduction, Cengage Learning, London. Appendix 1: Questionnaire Sample Section A: School Effectiveness and Organisational Learning 1. Our school’s organisational structure is aligned with our mission and goals A. Strongly Agree B.Agree C. Undecided D.Disagree E.Strongly Disagree 2. In general, the management processes in our school such as strategy development, resource allocation, budgeting, planning and performance evaluation processes are integrated and effective. A. Strongly Agree B.Agree C. Undecided D.Disagree E.Strongly Disagree 3. Our facilities/utilities services organization is effective and adds value to the school A. Strongly Agree B.Agree C. Undecided D.Disagree E.Strongly Disagree 4. Our human resources processes are effective and add value to the school A.Very Frequently B.Frequently C.Occasionally D.Rarely E.Never 5. How important is people development in your school? A.Very Important B. Important C. Moderately Important D. Of Little Importance E.Unimportant 6. Knowledge sharing between the school management, teachers, students , stakeholders and the surrounding community is an integral aspect of our school culture A. Almost Always True B.Usually True C.Occasionally True D.Usually Not True E. Almost Never True 7. Our school provides an inclusive learning environment where each person can express their ideas and engage in constructive debate A. Strongly Agree B.Agree C. Undecided D.Disagree E.Strongly Disagree Section B: The role of head teachers in an effective school 1.Communicate school mission, priorities and goals to the school A.Very Frequently B.Frequently C.Occasionally D.Rarely E.Never 2. Involved in key decision making processes relating to development of school curriculum/ program, allocation of resources, training , budgeting etc A.Very Frequently B.Frequently C.Occasionally D.Rarely E.Never 3. I motivate and support the school staff to play their role and perform effectively A.Very Frequently B.Frequently C.Occasionally D.Rarely E.Never 4. Involved in conflict and dispute resolution relating to school issues A.Very Frequently B.Frequently C.Occasionally D.Rarely E.Never 5. My role involves working closely with students to ensure they are motivated and receive adequate support so as to realise better outcomes. A. Strongly Agree B.Agree C. Undecided D.Disagree E.Strongly Disagree 6. Involved in the management of school facilities, utilities and IT infrastructure. A. Almost Always True B.Usually True C.Occasionally True D.Usually Not True E. Almost Never True 7. My role as a head teacher directly impacts on school performance and overall outcomes A. Strongly Agree B.Agree C. Undecided D.Disagree E.Strongly Disagree Section C: The role of head teachers in organisational learning 1.I focus on facilitating knowledge development and sharing within the school A.Very Frequently B.Frequently C.Occasionally D.Rarely E.Never 2. I initiate and facilitate staff training and development A.Very Frequently B.Frequently C.Occasionally D.Rarely E.Never 3. I find supervision of staff work role and duties to be; A.Very Important B. Important C. Moderately Important D. Of Little Importance E.Unimportant 4. I frequently identify and discuss underlying assumptions that might affect key decisions. A. Almost Always True B.Usually True C.Occasionally True D.Usually Not True E. Almost Never True 5. I never pay attention or take into account different views during staff or school meetings A. Strongly Agree B.Agree C. Undecided D.Disagree E.Strongly Disagree 6. I allocate adequate time and resources for extra-curricular activities such as sports, debates and school trips A. Strongly Agree B.Agree C. Undecided D.Disagree E.Strongly Disagree Read More

 

Read More