Investigating Kindergarten Teachers' Attitudes, Knowledge, and Reported Practices Regarding Teacher Leadership in the State of Kuwait

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 13
  In Roundtable Session: Investigating Teacher Leadership

Abstract

This study investigated the attitudes, knowledge, and practices of Kuwaiti kindergarten-teachers regarding their perceived leadership roles in classrooms and schools. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed. The findings suggest that the concept of teacher leadership was ambiguous among kindergarten teacher participants who believe that their roles as leaders were restricted by the 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. There were no statistically significant correlations among teachers’ beliefs and practices regarding teacher leadership and school location, whether urban or rural. There were significant correlations statistically between teacher leadership and the years of experience of teachers, and school climate.

Authors

• Bashayer Aleisa, College of Basic Education - Kuwait

• Ira E. Bogotch, Florida Atlantic University

• Maysaa Y. Barakat, Florida Atlantic University

• Patricia Maslin-Ostrowski, Florida Atlantic University