Instructional leaders encourage student-centered approach within new teachers in Abu Dhabi schools
Table of Contents
- Abstract
- Introduction
- Research Problem.
- Literature Review.
- Methodology
- Philosophical Framework
- Research Design
- Study Context
- Data Collection and Validity
- Data Analysis and Presentation
- Ethical Concerns
- Conclusion
- References
Abstract
This research proposal suggests exploring the problem of instructional leadership and its application towards promotion of student-centered approach in Abu Dhabi schools. It is hypothesized that due to the relevantly new educational system and the educational reform governed by ADEC it is wise to evaluate teaching methods of Abu Dhabi schools more objectively, thus supporting both institutional and academic fields in the subject. It is suggested that qualitative study would be an appropriate tool for reaching the aforementioned objective, validating the hypothesis of social justice logic of instructional leadership to be the most influential of the student-centered learning promotion.Introduction
Research Problem.
Instructional leaders play an important role to encourage a student-centered approach in teaching. Instructional leaders nowadays, on the most general level, are equalized to principals of teaching facilities as holders of the most influential roles in learning curriculum. Studies in social and organizational theories, however, put an emphasis on differences in conceptualization of instructional leadership forms. More specifically, the role of institutional environment, as well as external environment is considered critical for how principals determine instructional practices in teaching facilities (Rigby, 2014). Instructional leadership employed in a particular facility could be described through strategies that are employed by teachers depending on the learners group, subject and targets, including generating and testing hypotheses, contrasting and comparing problems or cases, group (cooperative) learning or summarizing and notetaking (Tolley, Johnson & Koszalka, 2012). The nature of instructional strategies is to create parallels to how human brain works, thus requiring learners to focus on a particular content for the defined period, like course, semester or exam; engaging learners into decision-making process, like solving applied problems or case studies; or setting performance goals, like suggesting a range of topics for dissertation projects and directing students towards individual or group research on the subject (Tolley et al., 2012). To sum, the nature of instructional leadership is to encourage students to actively participate in their own education through various strategies that conform to the biological nature of the human brain work.Instructional strategies nowadays become more and more focused over transforming learning experiences of students through challenging mental models of learning, seeking for freedom and empowerment in individual learning efforts and thus completely reframing learning process towards self-centered efforts (Rigby, 2014; Haber-Curran & Tillapaugh, 2015). The designated framework of this transformation is student centered-learning – a process where “students learn to be critically reflective …
