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M Ed on Educational Leadership and School Improvement (ELSI): ELSI8: Leading Whole School Improvement

Course Description

 

This course supports educational leaders in developing up-to-date theory, researchinformed knowledge, and practical competence in leading critical and strategic areas of school improvement, such as establishing and embedding student-centered pedagogic practices, curriculum progression and assessment, creating and communicating a shared vision, and building effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders. Drawing on the National Educators’ Competency Framework, the course supports school leaders’ growth in cultivating ethical and culturally grounded leadership practices that are inclusive, sustainable, and aligned with UAE educational priorities. Emphasis is given to school improvement planning, school self-evaluation, communication strategies, problem-solving, conflict resolution, team-building, and fostering collaborative relationships with diverse stakeholders. Students develop a critical understanding of current debates and approaches to school improvement, with focused attention on the integration of inclusive education, environmental and social sustainability, and Emirati cultural values in leadership practices. They examine the role of leadership in building school capacity to embed research-informed practices, including the strategic and ethical use of AI to enhance teaching and leadership, along with strategic improvement planning, organizational learning, and communities of practice that reflect ethical leadership and national priorities.The course assists educational leaders’ competency growth as reflective and ethical practitioners through the critical analysis of real-life moral dilemmas encountered in their schools and communities. Leaders are encouraged to make principled, forward-thinking decisions that embrace innovation while honoring the cultural and contextual fabric of the UAE.

Books

Course Resources

 

Week 1

 

Course Orientation and Foundations of School Success 

  • Introduction to ELSI8, course narrative, and assessment expectations •

  • Understanding the Stages of School Development as a guiding thread across the course •

  • Case discussion: What makes a school successful? Exploring inclusive, high-performing schools in diverse contexts •

  • Reflection activity: How does school vision shape leadership practice? •

  • Exploring how Emirati cultural values (e.g. community, respect, heritage) inform leadership vision

  • Introducing NECF as a reflection tool for leadership competencies and values

Required Reading

Recommended Reading

 

 

Week 2

 

Inclusive and Participatory School Self-Evaluation 

  • Revisiting school development stages to frame evaluation readiness 
  • Transformational Leadership Framework (TLF): Understanding the Four Steps of Planning as a flexible framework 
  • Introducing 360-degree feedback and root-cause analysis as interpretive, collaborative evaluation strategies 
  • Case-based dialogue: Designing inclusive school self-evaluation processes using multiple voices Introducing action research as a responsive approach to deepen school self-evaluation findings through inquiry cycles.

Activities: 

  • Brief demonstration: Using AI-supported tools for organizing evidence 
  • Guided reflection: How Emirati values and inclusive leadership shape school priorities Required Readin

Required Reading

Recommended Reading

 

 

 

Week 3

 

 

Collaborative Methods for Inclusive School Self-Evaluation 

  • Introduction to collaborative sense-making: using focus groups, peer observations, story dialogue, mini “learning walks”, and reflective staff discussion 

Activity:

  • Small-group simulation using sample school data and diverse stakeholder input 
  • Practice with protocols: tuning protocol, critical friends, and student voice circles 
  • Discussion: How inclusive sense-making deepens reflection and informs school improvement planning Framing collaborative methods (e.g. story dialogue, learning walks) as qualitative data collection strategies used in action research. 
  • Brief bridging discussion: What patterns point to teaching and learning priorities? (to be explored fully in Week 4

Required Reading

Recommended Reading

 

 

 

 

Week 4

Teacher leadership and school improvement

  • Definition and dimensions of teacher leadership
  • Teacher leadership and student achievement
  • Building collective capacity and a culture of wellbeing through teacher leadership

Required Reading

Recommended Reading

 

Week 5

 

Transforming School Culture for Inclusive and Sustainable Improvement

  • Transformational Leadership Framework: Overview of the three levers of culture (vision, relationships, and engagement) 

  • AI-guided drafting task: Develop inclusive school behavior expectations aligned with Emirati values and SEL principles (Lever 1)

  • Group design challenge: Create a culturally responsive advisory structure that fosters relationships, student voice, and inclusion (Lever 2)

  • Simulation and dialogue: Plan a family engagement initiative that builds sustainable community-school partnerships while promoting ethical leadership (Lever 3)

  • Exploring how leaders can use action research to monitor and adapt school culture initiatives (e.g. SEL programs, advisory redesign, inclusive behavior policies)

Required Reading

Recommended Reading

 

 

Week 6

 

Strategic Talent Management for Inclusive School Improvement 

  • Transformational Leadership Framework (TLF): Importance of talent management in sustaining school improvement 
  • Inclusive recruitment and onboarding strategies aligned with Emirati values (Lever 1) 
  • Structuring instructional leadership teams and promoting teacher leadership (Lever 2) 
  • Aligning performance expectations with equitable instructional practices (Lever 3) 
  • Designing professional learning opportunities and collaborative teacher teams (Lever 4) 
  • Discussing how instructional leadership teams can use action research frameworks to support teacher-led inquiry and continuous growth. 
  • Exploring how AI can support professional growth planning and data-informed staff development

Required Reading

Recommended Reading

 


Week 7

 

 

Strategic Planning and Operational Alignment for School 

  • Transformational Leadership Framework (TLF): Designing inclusive school improvement goals and aligning them with long-term vision and values
  • Prioritizing instructional time through intentional calendar design and effective daily scheduling 
  • Allocating financial resources to support equity, learning priorities, and environmentally responsible practices 
  • Reviewing how school facilities and classroom spaces can be adapted to promote access, wellbeing, and belonging 
  • Strengthening relationships with service providers and community organizations to extend school impact 
  • Considering how to embed cycles of inquiry into annual planning documents or professional development plans. 
  • Integrating ethical and purposeful use of AI to support planning, forecasting, and resource decisions

Required Reading

Recommended Reading

 

 

 

Week 8

 

Bringing the Pillars Together: Reflective Leadership and Coherent Improvement 

  • Recap and synthesis: Connecting the Stages of School Development with the four leadership pillars to explore how effective school leadership interrelates and evolves in real school contexts 

  • Reflecting on how stakeholder feedback tools (e.g., 360° surveys) support inclusive and evidence-based school selfevaluation 

  • Coaching as a bridge: How instructional coaching supports culture, talent, and improvement planning 

  • Schools as social and relational systems: Exploring how values, relationships, and structures interact to sustain change 

  • Ethical leadership dilemmas: Linking inclusion, equity, and decision-making across the four pillars 

Activities: Reflection dialogue:

  • a. How have these pillars shaped your thinking about leading school improvement in the UAE? What type of leader am I becoming, and how will I evaluate school success?

  • b. How might action research deepen our leadership practice across culture, teaching, planning, and talent management?

Required Reading

Recommended Reading

 

 

 

 

Week 10

Improving schools through action research

Required Reading

Recommended Reading

 

 

 

Week 11

 

Transforming schools into professional learning communities

Topics 

  • Characteristics and structures of effective Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) 
  • Supporting teacher growth and collective inquiry within schools 
  • Embedding sustainability mindsets in school-wide professional development 
  • Cultivating Emirati cultural values of collaboration, community, and continuous learning within PLCs 
  • Aligning PLC practices with the National Educators’ Competency Framework (NECF) 
  • Reflecting on how PLCs can support inclusive, ethical, and AI-informed school improvement

Required Reading

Recommended Reading