Exploring the nexus between female school leaders' perceptions of distributed instructional leadership, socio-cultural dynamics, and student achievement in the Arab world

Abstract

This study employs the social empowerment theory to explore the collective impact of gender, instructional leadership, and socio-cultural dynamics in improving student outcomes within public schools in the Arab world. It provides insights into the barriers and affordances that school leaders encounter considering the local demands for effective and exceptional school leadership. An inductive-qualitative research methodology was utilized, followed by applying thematic analysis to data obtained from Emirati senior female school leaders, in one of the northern emirates in the United Arab Emirates. Results indicate that Emirati female school leaders have effectively embraced and implemented a distributed instructional leadership style, thereby transforming their schools’ climate into learning organizations. This approach cultivates a learning-focused environment, ultimately contributing to positive student outcomes. The emphasis on data-informed decision making and the promotion of students’ social and emotional wellbeing were found to be significant leadership practices that elevates students’ academic achievement. Key implications and recommendations emanate at the practical and theoretical level. The reported findings that combine female school leaders, distributed instructional leadership, learning-oriented organizational school climate, and student achievement, that considers the socio-cultural context within the purview of a single framework are new. Hence, this study is the first to explore these relations within the context of the Arab world.