Producing Leaders Since 1905 LEADERSHIP PRACTICES OF ISLAMIC SCHOOL PRINCIPALS IN JORDAN by...

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LEADERSHIP PRACTICES OF ISLAMIC SCHOOL

PRINCIPALS IN JORDAN

by Professor Datin Rahimah Haji Ahmad

Ali Jubran Salleh

International Conference on Educational Management, 27 – 29 Nov 2007


By

Professor Datin Dr. Rahimah Haji AhmadDirector, Institute of Principalship Studies,

University of Malaya

&Ali Jubran Salleh

Lecturer, Yarmouk UniversityJordan.



Abstract This paper presents part of the findings of an exploratory study on

leadership practices and creativity of Islamic school principals in Jordan. Leadership practices was studied based on the theoretical framework of Kouzes and Possner (1987). Specifically the study on leadership practices examined whether Islamic school principals in Jordan display leadership behviour categorized as Challenging the Process, Inspiring a Shared Vision, Enabling Others to Act, Modelling the Way, and Encouraging the Heart. In addition, categories depicting the Islamic values system, specifically Building a Positive Islamic Culture, Managing and Leading, Relating with Students, relating with Community, as identified by the researcher were also included. Leadership practices were measured using the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI-Self and LPI – Observer) developed by Kouzes and Possner (1987), and Islamic values system measured by items developed by the researcher. Findings of the study revealed that Islamic school principals in Jordan demonstrated positive leadership behavior in all the dimensions studied.



Introduction• Principal leadership is important for moving

schools towards excellence. "The kind and quality of leadership we have will help determine, for better or worse, the kinds of schools we have" (Elkhaldi, 1994: 3). Abundant literature is found on the importance and the critical role of the principal in ensuring effective schools and schools continue to improve.



• The principal sets the tone, and create the climate and culture that nurtures learning and student success, particularly if the type of leadership is focused on classroom practices and learning. Effective school leadership therefore, is crucial to the school’s success (Blumberg and Greenfield, 1986: 246- 249; Mortimore and associates, 1988: 250; Riches, 1988: 6; Hargreaves and Hopkins, 1991: 109-110; Parkay and Hall, 1992: 2; Ubben and Hughes, 1997; MacBeath, 1998: 147; Gunter, 2001: 33).



• Principal influence is effected through his/her leadership practices and his/her behaviour over time, as well as his/her policies and vision and mission – in short how he/she sets about doing his/her duties that influences the culture of the school in general and the working relationship with the staff and students.



• In Jordan, private Islamic schools are becoming very popular – implying that these schools would provide a better Islamic based education.

• Very little research has been done in Jordan.



Objectives and Significance of the Study• The main objective of the study was to explore the

leadership practices and creativity traits of Islamic school principals in Jordan. More specifically, the study focused on describing the leadership practices and creativity traits of the concerned principals, and further examined the relationship between the leadership practices of principals and their creativity traits.

• It is hoped that findings of the study would throw some light on the leadership of Islamic schools in Jordan, and help us in understanding how such organization may best thrive.



Research Questions

The study was designed to answer the following questions :

• To what extent do principals in Islamic schools in Jordan demonstrate leadership practices as reported by principals and perceived by their teachers?

• To what extent do principals in Islamic schools in Jordan demonstrate creativity traits as reported by principals and perceived by their teachers?

• Is there any relationship between the leadership practices of principals and their creativity traits at the Islamic schools in Jordan as reported by principals themselves and perceived by the teachers?

[This paper reports findings concerned with leadership practices].



Method


Population and Sample

• Jordan has 86 private Islamic schools. 10 schools were selected for pilot study, and of the remaining 76, six were ultimately unable to participate. Hence respondents consisted of 70 principals and a sample of 20 teachers selected randomly from each of the 70 schools.

• They consist of 43 primary schools and 27 secondary schools



Data Collection and Instrumentation Data was collected using the LPI – self and LPI-

observer developed by Kouzes and Possner, and adapted to suit the Islamic situation in schools; which measured five dimensions of – Challenging the Process, – Inspiring a Shared Vision,– Enabling Others to Act, – Modeling the Way and – Encouraging the Heart.



Data Collection and Instrumentation

In addition the researcher developed items to measure another five dimensions deemed to be important to practices depicting Islamic value system in Jordan, viz:– Observing Islamic Value System (10 items), – Building a Positive Islamic Culture (6 items), – Managing and leading (10 items), – Relating with Students (3 items), – Relating with Community (3 items),



Validity of Instrument

All items were:

• reviewed by experts

• tested for validity and yielded Coefficient Alpha between .63 - .89



Findings


Description of respondents

• Principals were mostly female, (72.9%) generally “young” with – 32.9% aged between 35 – 44 years, – 28.6% between 25 – 34 years.– 27.1% aged between 45-54 years, and only– 11.4% were 55 years and older.



• 51.4% were graduates with bachelors degrees,

• 7.2% with masters degrees, and

• 41.4% with Diploma.



15.7% had 11-15 years, while another 22.9

Experience as principal • 45.7 % with 1-5 years; • 24.3% with 6 – 10 years, and another• 24.3% with 11 years and more• 4% had less than a year experience.

Experience in education • There were principals with only 4 – 6 years in

education (28.6%), while those with to 21 years and more comprise 32.9%.



Results

To what extent do Islamic school principals demonstrate the categories as identified by Kouzes and Possner and the Islamic dimensions as identified by the author?



• Principals view themselves as more positively demonstrating all the traits as compared to teachers’ perceptions of them, ranging from 79.6% to 94.2 % either fairly often or often.

• Most positive practices were – Relating with students (94.2%)– Observing the Islamic Value System (93.3%),– Modelling the Way (92.9%)



• Least positive were– Challenging the process (79.6%)– Encouraging the Heart (87.1%)– Relating with Community (87.6%)

• And – Building positive culture (88.6%)– Managing and leading (85.4%– Inspiring shared vision(88.1%)– Enabling others to act (89.5%)


Producing Leaders Since 1905 www.um.edu.my Principal’s LPI Scores Dimension Rarely Once in

a whileSometimes

Fairly often

Very Often

Observing Islamic Values

0.4 0.4 5.9 35.4 57.9

Building positive culture

0.2 0.7 10.5 37.4 51.2

Managing & leading 0.4 2.0 12.1 45.7 39.7

Relating w students 0.5 0.5 4.8 45.2 49.0

Relating w community

1.0 0.0 11.4 48.6 39.0

Challenging process 1.9 1.9 16.7 46.7 32.9

Inspiring shared Vision

0.0 1.4 10.5 32.9 55.2

Enabling others 0.5 0.5 9.5 37.1 52.4

Modelling the way 1.0 1.0 6.7 38.1 54.8

Encouraging the Heart

0.5 2.3 10.0 44.3 42.8


Teachers’ perception

Dimension Rarely Once in

a whileSometimes

Fairly often

Very often

Observing Islamic Values

2.4 2.8 11.9 32.9 49.97

Building positive culture

3.3 4.2 14.7 33.0 44.7

Managing & leading 4.3 4.7 16.6 35.9 38.5

Relating w students 1.4 1.9 12.4 31.3 53.0

Relating w Community

2.1 3.9 15.6 36.7 41.8

Challenging the process

5.5 7.3 19.8 33.1 34.3

Inspiring shared Vision

4.8 4.5 13.5 31.2 46.0

Enabling others 3.1 4.7 16.3 33.2 42.7

Modelling the way 2.3 3.1 13.0 34.0 47.4

Encouraging the heart

4.4 5.0 18.2 35.5 36.9


Teacher perception• Similar to principals’ own rating, the principals were

perceived by teachers as most positive were – Relating with students (84.3%)– Observing Islamic Values (82.87%)– Modelling the way (81.4%)

• Two of the least positive were similar to that of principals’ rating.– Challenging the process (67.4%)– Encouraging the heart (72.4%)


General observations

• It is interesting to note that the behavior depicting practicing in line with Islamic values were positive, including modelling the way, which is closely related to Islamic values of being good examples – leadership by example.

• It is also interesting that “encouraging the heart” is not the most positive – which appears to be contradictory to spirit of caring.

• In general too, it can be inferred that Islamic school principals were also rather low on practices of “ Enabling others to act”, “challenging the process” and “ Inspiring a shared vision”. It appears then that they are less dynamic than superior leaders of the , but more caring, albeit they were not too high on “encouraging the heart”.

• This is not very surprising as Islamic women are less aggressive than their western counterparts. It is also to be noted that many of them were young, and half of them had not more than 5 years experience as principals.

• It may also be because more of them were heading primary schools.



Comparison of Principal Rating & Teacher perception

Dimension Teacher perception

Principal self rating

Difference

Observing Islamic values 82.87 (2) 93.3 (2) 15.6

Building a positive culture 77.7 (5) 88.6 (5) 10.9

Managing and leading 74.4 (8) 85.4(8) 11.0

Relating with students 84.3 (1) 94.2 (1) 10.9

Relating with community 78.5 (4) 87.6 (7) 9.1

Challenging the process 67.4 (10) 79.6 (9) 12.2

Inspiring shared vision 77.2 (6) 88.1(6) 10.9

Enabling others 75.9 (7) 89.5 (4) 8.1

Modelling the way 81.4 (3) 92.9 (3) 11.5

Encouraging the heart 72.4 (9) 87.1 (9) 16.7

Producing Leaders Since 1905 www.um.edu.my Conclusion• Based on this exploratory study it can be concluded that

private Islamic school principals in Jordan do have the positive behaviors / practice, particularly in caring for and relating to students, instilling and putting importance to instilling Islamic values, and being good model figures to their staff.

• However, in today’s complex world of schools and conflicting demands … it is beneficial if they are more exposed to being “ people on the go” – depicted by inspiring a shared vision, and challenging the process.

• Inferring that they are “good” principals – being private schools of choice, principals in Islamic schools can be said to have a slightly different orientation – maybe they are required to be less aggressive.



• Nevertheless it is heartening that the most important ingredient, that the student as the heart of school interest, is very enlightening.

• It is recommended that they be oriented to being more focussed and determined in their approach…while at the same time, have more passion in undertaking their responsibilities.

• Having said that, it is pertinent to note that in all aspects, they rated themselves and perceived to be by teachers as having displaying positive bevaviours.



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