Leading Educational Effectiveness and Improvement: Inclusion Reform - Case Study Example

Leading Educational Effectiveness and Improvement “Inclusion Reform” Name Institution Table of Contents 1.Introduction 3 A.History of UAE 3 B.Educational System in the UAE 3 C.The Educational System in Abu Dhabi City 5 2.Al Nassr Kindergarten 7 3.Change to Improve 9 3.1 The Change Improvement Plan 10 4.Conclusion 14 5.References 16 1. Introduction A. History of UAE The United Arab Emirates (UAE) experienced economic growth after the discovery and exploration of oil in the 1970s (Raven, 2011). The oil boom helped the country to transform itself from a developing economy that depended on subsistence agriculture, trade, fishing and nomadic husbandry to a wealthy and industrialized economy. During this growth, the country’s population was ill equipped to cope with the labour demands. The UAE imported labour and introduced vocational education to help the local population gain relevant skills and exploit job opportunities in the country (Raven, 2011). Today, few individuals have remained in the agriculture, fishing and nomadic husbandry industries. Most have shifted to the tourism and the housing industry. Majority of Emirati nationals operate in service-oriented and oil-based industries. Eighty-nine percent of the population in the UAE are expatriates (United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization [UNESCO], 2011). B. Educational System in the UAE The education system has undergone significant changes in the past 40 years. In the 1970s, the UAE government established a four-tier education system to match the industrial growth caused by the oil boom (Raven, 2011). Free education was provided through government schools to Emiratis. The education system also accommodated private schools and supported scholarship opportunities to overseas institutions. However, a study by Raven (2011) claims that the challenge for this education system was the gap between educational qualifications and the requirements of the labour market. According to the author, there was a mismatch between the training and education qualifications for nationals and the labour requirements from employers. This mismatch meant that Emiratis often lacked the expertise and the qualifications needed to compete in the private and public sector. As a result, the Ministry of Education embarked on an evaluation of the education system to help Emirati youth add value to their employers and adopt critical thinking skills rather than memorize knowledge for tests (Ministry of Education, 2010; Raven, 2011). The Ministry of Education and Youth observed that there was a need to involve Emiratis in the learning and teaching process. Pedagogical concerns were also raised on the deficiency of the education system and the employment of teachers using outdated methods (Raven, 2011). For example, most public schools employed expatriates from Middle Eastern states to work as teachers. These teachers were selected due their accessibility and proximity of their cultural distance to the Emirati society (Raven, 2011). In recent years, the county’s culture of learning has been under pressure. Educators have challenged the use of teaching methodologies, curricula and support systems as well as their relevance. English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instructors have attributed their student’s underachievement, memorization, lack of motivation and illiteracy with the use of outdated methodologies, lack of support systems and unqualified teaching population (Raven, 2011). The Ministry of Education and Youth (2010) developed the Vision 2020 plan to radicalize and reform the education system. The plan is centred on reforming schools to improve the effectiveness of teaching, enhance the appropriateness of methodologies and introduce rigorous evaluation process. The plan promotes learner-centred teaching as an effective alternative to the traditional rote-learning method used by teachers (Raven, 2011). This approach requires significant retraining for educators who are used to the teacher-centred approach. The learner-centred approach also requires a change in cultural beliefs and attitudes. This cultural consideration is especially important as education reforms promote inclusion and individualized teaching for students with special needs (Raven, 2011). C. The Educational System in Abu Dhabi City The education system comprises of early-childhood (nursery) programs, kindergarten, cycle 1 school, cycle 2 school, cycle 3 school, TAPE/foundation and undergraduate program, master’s degree program, doctor’s degree or professional degree program and then the post-doctoral program (UNESCO, 2011). Pre-school education is free for nationals and accepts children who are four years old and above (Abu Dhabi.ae, 2011). This education runs for two years and may include day care, crèche and kindergarten facilities. The education ministry in Abu Dhabi has not enforced compulsory education for pre-school children (Ministry of Education, 2010). Recent education reforms changed primary education to the first cycle of education. This cycle starts at age 6 and covers grade 1 to grade 5 (UNESCO, 2011). Cycle two refers to general secondary education from grade 6 to grade 9. This second cycle takes three years and comprises of compulsory core subjects and/or technical education such as agriculture. On completion of the general examination at this stage, a student receives a technical secondary diploma or school-leaving certificate (UNESCO, 2011). In the government education system, all children between six years and 12 years have to attend school (UNESCO, 2011). This schooling is free for Emiratis up to the university level (Ministry of Education, 2010). Non-nationals are required to pay a fee for their children’s entry to government school. The city is very committed to the education of all its children. As a result, Abu Dhabi government directs 25 percent of its expenditure towards education (ADEC, 2010). All Abu Dhabi schools are segregated by gender (UNESCO, 2011). This means that teachers have to provide individual instruction to girls and boys. Expat students can attend private international schools to cater to their needs and cultures such as British, French, American, German and Canadian schools. The Ministry of Education and Youth supervises all private schools in the city and issues licenses for education programs that have been accredited (UNESCO, 2011). To receive a license, a private school should offer the following core subjects: social studies, Islamic studies and Arabic language (ADEC, 2010). The city has several universities that are run by the State government and supervised by the Ministry. The National Admissions and Placement Office offers placements to colleges and universities at Abu Dhabi and the larger UAE (UNESCO, 2011). UAE nationals attend public universities while expatriate students attend private universities. These private universities are open to any type of student and are licensed by Commission of Academic Accreditation (UNESCO, 2011). In both public and private universities, Arabic is the language of instruction followed by the English language (ADEC, 2010). Abu Dhabi has undergone several educational reforms in the past years. Older reforms include the introduction of a national curriculum for intermediate and elementary levels in 1977, evaluation of the curricula in 1988, adoption of English language curriculum in 1992 and the incorporation of computer science subjects in secondary school (UNESCO, 2011). These changes were influenced by national economic growth, new technologies and the society’s openness to foreign cultures (ADEC, 2010). The New School Model was also introduced to enhance student outcomes. The Model introduces new instruction methodologies and curriculum, and encourages the development of well-rounded students who are confident, creative and healthy (UNESCO, 2011). The most recent reform is the improvement of the nationals’ English language proficiencies and the adoption of new technologies in learning and teaching (UNESCO, 2011). During the implementation of this reform, the city introduced new programs in science and mathematics subjects. The adoption of these subjects was influenced by the foreign English-language system. In Abu Dhabi, the English language system has influenced learning in New York University, Zayed University and UAE University (Abu Dhabi.ae, 2011). These universities use English as the primary instruction language but do not provide additional Arabic or English language programs to help students adjust and keep up with their lectures and course (ADEC, 2010; UNESCO, 2011). Overall, the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) guides and implements education reforms in the city. ADEC is an independent body responsible for developing and adopting educational programs and policies to enhance education in Abu Dhabi (UNESCO, 2011). It is also responsible for implementing Ministerial directives such as Decree 1/244 of 2009 that instructed the transfer of teachers and administrators in the city to ADEC. ADEC also monitors the city’s three education zones in terms of staffing, financial affairs and administration (ADEC, 2010). 2. Al Nassr Kindergarten Al Nassr Kindergarten is located in Al Nahda under the Abu Dhabi Regional Office Zone (Office of Strategic Affairs, 2012). The kindergarten is a government school that provides pre-primary education from grades KG1 to KG2. The principal, Raya Ibrahim Saif Al Aamri is the school principal while Fatima Hamed Mohammed Al Safi works as the vice principal (Office of Strategic Affairs, 2012). Al Nassr has four main classes of 23 students each. There are two KG1 classes and two KG2 classes. Boys and girls are separated in different classes at each level. Each class has three sections (Office of Strategic Affairs, 2012). The kindergarten caters to Emirati nationals and expat students. The school has a total population of 275 students. Fifteen students are expats while 260 students are nationals (Office of Strategic Affairs, 2012). In the male KG1 class, there are 59 nationals and 5 expat students while in the girls KG1 class, there are 70 nationals and 4 expat students. At KG2 level, there are 70 nationals and 4 expat students in the boys class, and 61 nationals and 2 expat students in the girls class. Overall, the ration of national students to expat students is 94 percent to 6 percent (Office of Strategic Affairs, 2012). Al Nassr has recruited national and expat teachers. Thirty-one percent of the kindergarten teachers are Emirati nationals while 69 percent of the teachers are expats. The expat teachers are sourced from Canada (3 teachers), Egypt (6 teachers), UAE (8 teachers) and United States (9 teachers) (Office of Strategic Affairs, 2012). Majority of the school’s teachers have Bachelor’s education. Twenty-four of the kindergarten teachers hold an undergraduate degree while 2 teachers have acquired a Master’s degree (Office of Strategic Affairs, 2012). The load distribution for the teachers is largely between 17 hours and 25 hours. Seven teachers work for less than 15 hours while one teacher each works for 17 hours and 17 hours respectively (Office of Strategic Affairs, 2012). Six teachers work for 21 hours followed by 2 teachers who work for 23 hours. Four teachers work for 25 hours respectively and only one teacher works for 30 hours every week (Office of Strategic Affairs, 2012). Most teachers teach kindergarten units while only one teacher each is responsible for teaching the arts and physical education subjects respectively. For the kindergarten teachers, their distribution of teaching periods varies according to subject (Office of Strategic Affairs, 2012). Mathematics has the highest number of teaching periods (77 teaching periods) followed by Arabic language (66 periods) and Science (44 teaching periods). Lastly, physical education, music, Islamic studies and art have an average of 22 teaching periods respectively (Office of Strategic Affairs, 2012). 3. Change to Improve The Emirate of Abu Dhabi has adopted the Ministry of Education’s Strategy for all education levels. At kindergarten level, the Emirate is expected to ensure that the children’s growth aligns with their Muslim religion; children acquire conceptual and behavioural principals matching their age; the enrichment of vocabulary; and ensure the child’s intellectual and social development (Ministry of Education, 2010). Government and private kindergartens use this strategy to educate 124,173 children enrolled in their schools (UNESCO, 2011). The UAE government has taken several measures to prevent and eliminate discrimination against people with special needs. Initially, the government provided education to special needs children through special education schools. These special education schools were supervised by the Ministry of Social Affairs (UNESCO, 2011). Presently, the Ministry of Education and Youth supervises a special department established to protect the rights to education for individuals with special needs, adults, youth and women (Bataineh & Alsagheer, 2012). The special department is responsible for providing and protecting the welfare of special needs children. This duty is governed by federal protections on the rights of children with special needs (Dukmark, 2013). Kindergartens such as Al Nassr kindergarten are required to adhere to the Federal law number 29 on the rights of individuals with special needs. The Federal Law protects these rights and requires that individuals with special needs are treated equally as other members of the society in legislative, social development and economic matters (UNESCO, 2011). In addition, the kindergarten is obliged to meet the Ministry’s goal on the instruction and inclusion of children with special needs in the mainstream schools. 3.1 The Change Improvement Plan The change improvement plan seeks to address the factors influencing the successful implementation of the inclusion reform at Al Nassr Kindergarten. Various theories can be used to implement the change management plan including the theory of reasoned action, social cognitive theory, Lippitt’s change theory and Lewin’s change theory (Kritsonis, 2004; Mitchell, 2013). Lippitt’s change theory is most appropriate for this case because it focuses on the role of the change agents instead of the change (Kritsonis, 2004). The theory will focus on the people responsible for implementing inclusion reform instead of the actual reform. This focus is particularly important because the school principal at Al Nassr will be the change agent who will drive the inclusion reform and encourage the kindergarten teachers to accept disabled children in their classrooms. The first step of Lippitt’s change theory is to diagnose the problem. The problem is that the successful implementation of the inclusion reform in the kindergarten is hampered by cultural, human and organizational factors. Cultural factors have complicated the implementation of the inclusion reform (Weber, 2012). Pre-Islamic customs shame and ridicule disability. It is commonplace for Emiratis to use derogatory names to identify disabled people, segregate disabled people and violate their social rights (Weber, 2012). Human factors hindering the successful implementation of the inclusion reform are inadequate training, lack of adequate male teachers and inadequate special education instructors and specialists to provide supportive services (Anati & Ain, 2012). Few mainstream teachers possess the expertise and skills to manage disabled students it their classrooms. Fifty percent of teachers in a study by Gaad and Khan (2007, p.99) were concerned that they did not have the skills or knowledge to teach students with special needs. Majority of mainstream teachers are concerned about their workload, their inexperience in managing disabled students in their classrooms, (Anati & Ain 2012). Lack of male teachers also creates a shortage in the boys’ KG1 and KG2 classes while the lack of special education instructors means that there is limited support for the mainstream kindergarten teachers to provide supplementary services to their disabled students. Lastly, organizational factors affecting the successful implementation of the inclusion reform at the kindergarten are ineffective school culture, inadequate facilities and equipment for special needs children, lack of administrative support, limited funding and large class size (Gaad & Khan, 2007; Nisreen, 2013). These limitations would prevent the kindergarten teachers from adopting modern pedagogical methods, adjusting their teaching methodologies and developing individualized education programs (Dukmark, 2013). The second step is to evaluate the motivation and change capacity. Mainstream teachers are interested in teaching and receiving special education training (Gaad & Khan, 2007). In addition, most UAE mainstream teachers have a positive attitude towards inclusion. This implies that the Al Nassr’s teachers would be motivated to adopt inclusion practices in their teaching methodologies and strategies. The kindergarten has the capacity to: modify instructional strategies; adopt modern communication technologies; adjust the class requirements; and change the methods for evaluating the progress of the pre-school students. The third step is to assess the availability and access to resources, and the change agent’s commitment to the change. The challenge for the kindergarten is that it would have to increase the teacher to student ratio to accommodate an increase in class size. The kindergarten would also have to invest significant funds in the purchase of tools and technologies to help disabled students learn better such as special laptops, portable magnifiers, talking calculators and Braille printers (Anati & Ain, 2012). The fourth step is to select the objective for the progressive change (Mitchell, 2013). The objective of the progressive change is to incorporate pre-school children with special needs in the mainstream kindergarten classes seamlessly in six months. The fifth step is to select the change agent’s role as to lead the inclusion reform in the kindergarten, motivate teachers to accept the change, and inform pre-school students of the enrolment of students with disabilities. In addition, the role of the change agent is to draft an internal policy articulating the rights of the special needs pre-school children, the education needs of these children, teacher training requirements, access to supplementary services, and the types of administrative support services available for the children and teachers. The sixth step is change maintenance (Mitchell, 2013). The change agent (school principal) will maintain the inclusion practice by maintaining open communication with teachers, parents and pre-school children; seeking feedback from teachers and non-disabled students; and coordinate the efforts of special education instructors and specialists (such as speech therapists) with the kindergarten teachers. The final step is the gradual withdrawal of the change agent (Kritsonis, 2004). The change agent will withdraw his/her role as the inclusion reform is incorporated in the school culture. The change agent could combine Lippitt’s theory and democratic leadership style to produce an effective combination to lead the change process. A democratic leadership approach to the inclusion reform would be ideal because this leadership style encourages and focuses on co-ordination and co-operation among stakeholders (Ibrahim & Al-Taneiji, 2013). Furthermore, democratic leadership is more economic, allows bi-directional communication, participative decision-making and the use of constructive criticism (Elmore, 2004). Overall, the school principal plays an important leadership role in this reform change. The principal would need to use his/her leadership to influence parents, teachers and other students to accept the enrolment of student with special needs into the school. The principal is also responsible for clarifying the goal of the inclusion change, demonstrating the administration’s commitment to the change, and promoting positive behaviour among teachers and the pre-school students (Mitchell, 2013). Another aspect that needs to be addressed during the change process is the resistance to change. The school principal can use the force-field analysis framework to support the planned change and to identify restraining and driving forces towards inclusion reform (Mitchell, 2013). The principal would need to address restraining forces such as resistance from teachers, time in training teachers on special education and funds required to acquire supplementary equipment and services. Similarly, the principal will need to promote and strengthen driving forces such as the teachers’ job satisfaction, close working relationships among the teachers, an appropriate workload, teacher autonomy, and opportunities for training and professional development. As the change agent, the principal will be responsible for reducing the impact of these restraining forces and strengthening the driving forces (Elmore, 2004). The school’s leadership influences educational effectiveness. Louis, Dretzke and Wahlstrom (2010) propose that a school principal should understand the requirements for quality instruction, have adequate knowledge of the content in the curriculum, and provide constructive feedback to improve the quality of teaching. The school principal of Al Nassr Kindergarten needs to ensure he has proper knowledge of the school curriculum for KG1 and KG2 students as well as students with special needs. In addition, the school principal could adopt the concept of shared leadership to encourage teachers to take up leadership roles in the inclusion reform. Shared leadership is proposed because it promotes trust among teachers and school leaders, increases work commitment, promotes shared inclusion practice, and reduces teacher isolation (Louis, Dretzke & Wahlstrom, 2010). This trust and shared practice would help the principal to change the teachers’ attitudes from ridiculing disability to accepting and treating disabled students like their nondisabled students. Lastly, the school principal’s democratic leadership style would promote educational effectiveness by changing the school culture towards disability. The learner-centred approach proposed for teaching disabled students requires a change in cultural beliefs and attitudes. 4. Conclusion The inclusion reform is a complex process. The school principal can adopt various heories and models to support the reform’s adoption Al Nassr Kindergarten. The principal leadership is critical to the effectiveness of the reform policy and the adoption of Lippitt’s change theory and force-field analysis. Lippitt’s change theory is most appropriate for this case because it focuses on the people responsible for implementing inclusion reform (such as the principal) instead of the actual reform. This focus is particularly important because the school principal at Al Nassr will be the change agent who will drive the inclusion reform and encourage the kindergarten teachers to accept disabled children in their classrooms. A force-field analysis of the school shows that the restraining forces are cultural, human and organizational factors. It is important that the school principal reduces the impact of these forces and strengthens the forces that strive towards the inclusion reform such as interest and support from teachers, government support and access to supplementary services from the Ministry of Education and Youth. 5. References 1. Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC). (2010). Education first: 2010 Statistical factbook, Emirate of Abu Dhabi- Primary and secondary education. Abu Dhabi, UAE. 2. Abu Dhabi.ae. (2011). Abu Dhabi education system. Retrieved from http://www.abudhabi.ae/egovPoolPortal_WAR/appmanager/ADeGP/Citizen?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=p19654&lang=en 3. Anati, N., & Ain, A. (2012). Including students with disabilities in UAE schools: A descriptive study. International Journal of Special Education, 27(2), 75-85. 4. Bataineh, O., & Alsagheer, A. (2012). An investigation of social support and burnout among special education teachers in the United Arab Emirates. International Journal of Special Education, 27(2), 5-13. 5. Dukmak, S. (2013). Regular classroom teachers’ attitudes towards including students with disabilities in the regular classroom in the United Arab Emirates. The Journal of Human Resources and Adult Learning, 9(1), 26-39. 6. Elmore, R. (2004). School reform from the inside out: Policy, practice and performance. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. 7. Ibrahim, A., & Al-Taneiji, S. (2013). Principal leadership style, school performance and principal effectiveness in Dubai schools. International Journal of Research Studies in Education, 2(1), 41-54. 8. Kritsonis, A. (2004). Comparison of change theories. International Journal of Scholarly Academic Intellectual Diversity, 8(1), 1-7. 9. Louis, K., Dretzke, B., & Wahlstrom, K. (2010). How does leadership affect students achievement? Results from a national US survey. School effectiveness and school improvement: An international journal of research, policy and practice, 21(3), 315-336. 10. Ministry of Education. (2010). Ministry of Education strategy 2010-2010. Abu Dhabi, UAE. 11. Mitchell, G. (2013). Selecting the best theory to implement planned change. Nursing Management, 20(1), 32-37. 12. Nisreen, A. (2013). The pros and cons of inclusive education from the perceptions of teachers in the United Arab Emirates. International Journal of Research Studies in Education, 2(1), 55-66. 13. Office of Strategic Affairs. (2012). Al Nassr Kindergarten: School report. Retrieved from https://maps.adec.ac.ae/iADECreports/Bakup/111100.pdf 14. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). (2011, August). World data on education: 2010-2011. Retrieved from http://www.ibe.unesco.org/ fileadmin/user_upload/Publications/WDE/2010/pdf-versions/United_Arab_Emirates.pdf 15. Weber, A.S. (2012). Inclusive education in the Gulf Cooperation Council. Journal of Educational and Instructional Studies, 2(2), 85-97. Read More