School leadership practices focus on managing instructional programs in a learning environment. Inspection of schools involves collecting evaluation trends and state control protocols aimed at auditing performance in education systems

School Leadership and school Inspection: UAE Case Study

The school inspection framework (“UAE School Inspection Framework”, 2020), as the independent variable, indicates how principles and processes are applied when assessing different UAE schools. The framework sets out the statutory basis and features of UAE school inspection defined by school quality assurance indicators. The inspection also covers the evaluation of school leadership, assessing classroom practice, and inspecting teacher academic skills, among other aspects (Ehren & Visscher, 2006) . School leadership practices are the dependent variable that includes content, processes, and activities improved through the inspection process. Embracing new technologies, pedagogy, and shift in teaching practice help schools improve their performance (Ehren & Visscher, 2006).

School inspection is a combination of assessments, evaluations, and measurements that determine appropriate school systems that should be implemented to improve the quality and standard of education provided (Kemethofer, Gustafsson & Altrichter, 2017). The inspection of schools comes from an authoritative style of management to assess teachers (Butler, 2019).  Furthermore, school inspection is a capacity-based practice crucial to teachers’ productivity and their education to foster performance (Bruneforth, Shewbridge & Rouw, 2019).

Due to the global demand for quality education, the common objective is to deliver an education system that meets citizens’ needs. These are to embracing market expectations and improving professionalism. Governments become accountable when there is a national education decline, while schools would have to adopt progressive frameworks and implement them to improve performance. This practice focuses on building commitment among teachers towards educating students and contributing to outstanding school performance (Azeem & Mataruna, 2019).

These concerns illuminate the need for this study to investigate how school leadership practices can influence governmental school inspection outcomes and performance.

Significance of the study

The study’s significance is that it will help determine how school leadership practices influence governmental school inspection outcomes as well as performance in the UAE. Leadership at all levels of learning must have supporting standards that schools should implement to improve their performance. According to Abdallah and Forawi (2017; p. 19), “Various studies have focused on investigating leadership styles and their impact on the success of educational institutions”. This study aims to extend that research by performing a mixed-methods study, specifically in the UAE.

Although the UAE school inspection framework emphasizes a visionary education system that is knowledge-based and drives innovation through research;  It also provides standards to ensure comprehensive performance to achieve quality education (Ministry of Education, 2017). It clearly defines the specific governance systems that should aid schools in implementing the framework. Insight from this study is expected to provide details about new leadership practices that should be developed to help school principals identify teaching skills and offer recommendations on implementing the inspection framework to improve performance.

Statement of the problem

The UAE education inspection must help schools improve and deliver instructions to guide performance among students and teachers. However, implementing this framework is a problem for schools, which should empower the learning environment. This project focuses on how schools implement three of six standards in the UAE inspection framework. These include:

• Standard 3, teaching and assessment based on teaching for effective learning;
• In tandard 5, how protection, care, guidance, and support of students has been implemented
• Lastly, standard 6, leadership, and management.

This illustrates gaps in educational leadership due to differences in the direction, vision, and communication relationships with the rest of the sector. There is a significantly urgent need for the government school leadership to improve their educational practices.

Wealth created by an oil boom allowed families to afford raising more children. A practice culturally valued in the Middle East. However, the educational infrastructure was not ready to accommodate a significant boom in the middle- to high-income population.

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