Date of Award

5-2015

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Education (MEd)

Department

Educational Leadership

First Advisor

Dr. Ali Ibrahim

Second Advisor

Dr. Ali Al Kaabi

Third Advisor

Dr. Hassan Al Khamiri

Abstract

In 2005, the government of Abu Dhabi started a reform initiative by establishing the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC). ADEC became responsible for efforts to improve the performance of schools and increase students’ achievement in the emirate. One way to do this was by creating the New School Model (NSM). Part of the NSM reform was a shift from the centralized system of managing the schools into a decentralized system that delegates and sometimes devolves decision-making authority to schools themselves. The purpose of this study is to investigate the degree to which School-Based Management (SBM) has been practiced in the New School Model (NSM) schools in Al Ain. The other purpose is to investigate the influence of staff position on the practices of the SBM. The third purpose is to identify the main areas of SBM practices that need improvement based on the perceptions of the participants. A descriptive quantitative research method in the form of a questionnaire was utilized to obtain the perceptions of 351 school staff. The conceptual framework for the SBM practices that guided this study was built from a synthesis of literature related to SBM and the features of NSM. The framework identified six critical areas of SBM practices: (a) effective school leadership, (b) budget allocation, (c) management strategies, (d) staff development, (e) curriculum and instruction, and (f) resources. ADEC grants authority in the areas of management strategies, staff development, curriculum and instruction, and resources. The areas of effective leadership and budget allocation have no or little authority. The results indicate that participation of school staff in SBM practices in areas where staff has more authority was greater than their participation in areas with no or little authority. In addition, the staff desire to participate in decision-making was strong and compatible with their actual participation in both areas. Moreover, the staff desire vii and actual participation was stronger in the areas that have direct relations to teaching than to the administrative tasks. The variable of position played a significant role in determining staff perceptions on practices in the areas of curriculum and instruction, management strategies, and resources. Finally, the study found that all areas of SBM need improvement, except for preparing school development plan, which has acceptable practice.

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