A Critical Assessment of Recent Senior School Leadership Development Initiatives in Makkah, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

This research aims to evaluate Saudi Arabia’s Tatweer school leadership development programmes (TSLD), a headteacher training initiative developed as part of the Education Development Project (Tatweer). TSLD programmes seek to facilitate educational reform through the implementation of decentralised and distributed approaches. To fulfil its aims, this study adopts a qualitative-dominant, mixed-methods sequential design (quan → QUAL), aligning with its predominantly interpretivist epistemological stance. The study is primarily qualitative, with some quantitative elements incorporated to answer the research questions. The evaluation tools were designed by adapting Kirkpatrick’s (1998) evaluation model, which assesses four aspects: Reaction, Learning, Implementation, Impact (Professional Practice). These dimensions were investigated to evaluate the TSLD programmes provided by the Tatweer Unit in Makkah District from the headteachers’ perspectives and the perspectives of school stakeholders, namely senior teachers and teachers, who are well placed to see any changes in school leadership practice. A survey questionnaire was distributed to all 54 Tatweer school headteachers in Makkah district to form a broad picture of the perceptions of headteachers, receiving 52 responses. Following this, three Tatweer secondary schools were purposefully selected to be the subject of case studies in which semi-structured interviews with members of two of departments in each school and the relevant school headteachers were conducted to facilitate an in-depth investigation into leadership practices at each school. The findings show that Tatweer TSLD programmes have indeed impacted school leadership practices, moving them towards decentralisation and distributed approaches, demonstrated by the schools’ adoption of three practices: Collaboration, Professional Learning Communities, and Shared Decision-Making. Most of the participants reported that such approaches gave them a sense of inclusion and motivation, while exemplifying normative isomorphism. However, concerns were raised in connection to the delivery and contents of the TSLD programmes and their leadership practices, including excessive workloads, restricted autonomy, resource constraints, and cultural transition. Thus, Saudi’s TSLD programmes were found to support headteachers in bringing about school reform through the application of decentralised and distributed leadership (DL) approaches and practices, while taking into account the limited decentralisation (decentralised centralism) possible within the Saudi context. However, significant challenges remain, and improvements can therefore be made. This study contributes to broader discussions on educational leadership, leadership development and policy adaptation, and can be useful to scholars and practitioners in informing their efforts to develop leadership frameworks that effectively balance national directives with localised autonomy.