Obstacles to School Reform: Understanding School Improvement in a UAE International School
This research paper reports on data from an International School in Abu Dhabi that has been engaged in the initial stages of school improvement. Using a constructivist grounded theory design, qualitative and quantitative data were employed to investigate the school’s climate and its capacity for change. Applying Schiemann’s ‘People Equity’ framework (2009), data were collected about the level of staff’s Alignment, Capability and Engagement (ACE). The Principal was interviewed about his understandings and expectations for school reform and teacher development, and site-based data about staff and student outcomes was drawn from the school.
