Developing curriculum leadership in the UAE

Purpose: This paper aims to build a comprehensive picture of teacher experiences as three educational institutions undertook the process of pedagogical strategy reform through professional development thus uncovering important local data to inform policy and the change process in public and private schools in the UAE. This paper compares the outcomes, successes and challenges that impacted each project.

Design/methodology/approach: The three studies were ethnographic case studies using autoethnographic techniques. Data were collected using the following methods: survey, semi‐structured and unstructured interviews, evaluations, observation, document analysis, and reflective journals. The data were analysed using an inductive process of identifying themes.

Findings: The findings indicate that individual and collective learning as a result of developing learning communities contributes to a new, evolving and organic model of professional learning which encourages a focus on long‐term solutions for educational leadership in the UAE. Some of the issues that arose include the role of the project manager, the value of distributed leadership, levels of decision making, work relations and processes, and training versus education.

Originality/value: This paper contributes to the knowledge base on professional learning in several ways including the development of a better understanding and analysis of teacher professional learning; the development and implementation of a new model of teacher professional learning; the identification of a framework that has a potential application in other contexts; and evaluation of an interdisciplinary application of teacher professional learning.