| Summary: | This study aimed to investigate the attitudes, knowledge, and practices of Kuwaiti
kindergarten teachers regarding their leadership roles in the classroom and schools within
the State of Kuwait. This study was conducted using a mixed methods research design
whereby both quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed
simultaneously. The qualitative sample included 56 kindergarten teachers and twelve
heads of departments selected from 12 kindergarten schools from all six school districts
in the State of Kuwait. The quantitative sample included 560 volunteer participants who
completed a survey that measures teachers’ values, practices, and their perspectives on
school culture regarding teacher leadership. ANOVA was used to analyze the differences
among school district location, years of teaching experience, and teacher’s education
level.
The findings suggested that there were no statistically significant correlations
among teachers’ beliefs regarding teacher leadership and school location, years of
experience, and education level. Also, there were no statistically significant correlations between teacher leadership practices and school location, years of experience, and
education level. There were significant correlations between school climate conducive to
teacher leadership and years of experience, without school location and education level.
Moreover, the concept of teacher leadership was ambiguous in Kuwaiti
kindergarten schools. There were some indications of opportunity for teacher leadership
roles, but those roles were not considered effective by participants. Teacher participants
believe that their roles are restricted, and this perspective was supported in part by the
heads of department. Teachers enumerated some hindrances to teacher leadership, such
as instability of ministry supervisors’ decisions; top-down, unilateral decision-making;
and school administrations’ tight control of teachers’ roles to the level of organizing and
running classrooms. Broader implementation of Kuwaiti school restructuring efforts
employing a distributed leadership model among formal and informal leadership roles
and positions is recommended to help improve quality of education, the teaching
profession, and school reform. In the end, the most significant benefit would be gained
by students. === Includes bibliography. === Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2018. === FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
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