Towards an Effective School Improvement Model for a Middle Eastern Context: Capacity Building for Sustainable Improvement

Abstract

This case-study of school improvement considers the experience of four government schools in the Kingdom of Bahrain, using a variety of evidence to evaluate its effectiveness. Motivated by the need to enhance graduate outcomes, Bahrain's government implemented comprehensive education and labour market reforms to support economic diversification and growth in the face of declining oil reserves. These reforms included the implementation of a school improvement model, supported by Ministry of Education personnel, and the establishment of a new National Qualifications and Quality Assurance Authority (QQA).
As a QQA Lead Reviewer prior to joining the School Improvement Project (SIP), the researcher’s insider information added an additional level of meaning to the analysis of data collected by different methods and from many sources. Over the duration of the study it became apparent that the school improvement model could be enhanced for a more effective school transformation process. A revised model is presented as a major outcome of this study. Time is needed to effect sustainable change, a finding congruent with international literature. The role of leadership in sustaining change initiatives was confirmed. However, the most significant finding was that effective school improvement needs to put the learner and learning at the centre and involve all stakeholders in planning for school improvement, utilising both a bottom up and top-down approach.