Globally, the significant role of women in educational leadership is gaining recognition, driven by the progress of contemporary societies and a heightened focus on social justice concerns (Qin et al., 2019). Instructional leaders are positioned as a significant resource for teachers who aspire to develop their teaching strategies to enhance student achievement. This study employs the social empowerment theory (Huis et al., 2017) to explore the collective impact of gender, instructional leadership (IL), and socio-cultural dynamics in improving student outcomes within public schools in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It provides insights into the barriers and affordances that female school leaders encounter considering the local demands for effective and exceptional school leadership. Over time, related research has progressed from an initial concentration on the impediments to women’s access to leadership positions and their conspicuous underrepresentation to a nuanced examination of the distinctive attributes and leadership styles that female leaders may exhibit and the consequent effects on school management and organizational dynamics. The UAE has robust social and cultural attributes that have sustained the country’s traditional values. Further, the UAE is generally open to the material advantages of globalization but intentionally shields itself from its negative impacts on social life and ideology. This approach has resulted in a unique blend and Emirati women are expected to respect these values as they are embedded within the UAE’s constitutional framework. By examining the perspectives and practices of Emirati female school leaders towards IL and its association with students’ achievement, this study identifies the nuances, challenges, and possibilities of implementing IL in primary public schools to offer new insights that would inform future educational leadership policy development and practices in the UAE’s K-12 system. As such, this study addressed two main research questions: 1) How do Emirati female school leaders in schools conceptualize IL and relate their practices? 2) What are the challenges (if any) and affordances that these leaders encounter as they adopt the IL approach?

Empowerment grants women the authority to manage and derive advantages from resources, assets, and incomes. It signifies women’s capacity to make strategic life decisions that were previously restricted. Therefore, this study draws from Huis et al.’s (2017) “Three-Dimensional Model of Women’s Empowerment,” which is further grounded in the Ecological Theory (ET). Women’s empowerment manifests across three distinct dimensions: (1) personal empowerment, encompassing individual personal beliefs and actions, where personal empowerment is evident; (2) relational empowerment, involving beliefs and actions in connection with relevant others; and (3) societal empowerment, involving outcomes within the broader societal context. The present study distinguishes among the three dimensions of women’s empowerment, with a specific focus on societal empowerment. This approach aims to enhance our comprehension of women’s empowerment and present a more nuanced depiction of women across diverse cultures. Therefore, examining the leadership style of Emirati female school leaders from the societal empowerment lens is appropriate.

A qualitative case study was adopted using semi-structured interviews to provide an in-depth understanding of the case, namely the adoption of IL practices among Emirati female school leaders in UAE’s primary public schools, particularly in the Emirate of Fujairah. Yin (2014) highlights that a qualitative case study uses a variety of data sources and analytical approaches to investigate a complex phenomenon, such as a person, group, process, or event. The study involved a random selection of ten public primary schools in the Emirate of Fujairah, where its economy is based on fishing and agriculture. Public schools are government schools that are free for Emirati students and open to expatriates for a fee. The emirate under study has a number of public and private schools, where the majority of Emirati teachers and principals are employed in the public school system. Turner (2020) believes that random sampling ensures that the results are equivalent to those which would have been achieved if the total population has been selected. The study participants’ selection followed a purposeful sampling technique to gather rich and in-depth information about the research topic (Yin, 2014). Participants’ criteria included holding the position of school principal, vice principal, or head of department with a minimum of 10 years of teaching and administrative experience combined. Out of the 10 schools that responded, there were 17 school leaders who met the inclusion criteria. However, two school leaders declined their participation later due to unavailability. The remaining 15 participants (five principals, five vice principals, and five heads of departments) who responded opted for a one-on-one Microsoft Teams online interview. Each interview lasted up to 60 minutes. The interviews included questions that addressed participants’ academic and professional background, their roles and responsibilities, their overall understanding of IL in education, how they define student achievement, and how they use data to make informed decisions to enhance academic performance among students and teachers. The data collected underwent iterative examination and interpretation, leading to the development of codes and themes. Subsequently, the responses from each interviewee were systematically organized in a tabular format, comprising the interviewee’s code name, key themes, codes representing the interviewee’s perceptions, and corresponding quotes. This data was then analyzed using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2022) to identify recurring themes and patterns in participants’ perceptions, experiences, and practices concerning the comprehension and execution of IL.

Our results showed that the success of the leadership approach adopted by the study participants is attributed to several crucial support factors, with socio-cultural dynamics playing a pivotal role. Demonstrated through Islamic Work Ethics (IWE), the socio-cultural diversity inherent in the UAE, and the unwavering support of the UAE National Government and national leaders have strategically leveraged these elements to create an inclusive and motivating working and learning environment. Through their adept integration of cultural values, Islamic principles, and governmental backing, Emirati female school leaders played a crucial role in shaping a schooling environment conducive to academic excellence and holistic student development. As a matter of fact, literature ascertains that the nation’s swift progression toward becoming a prosperous, multicultural, and globalized society has given rise to a younger generation that is notably forward-thinking and future-oriented (Goby, 2023). Emirati female school leaders in this study proved capable in determining specific areas in which students may be grappling by conducting a comprehensive data analysis of student performance. Such analysis enabled them to create targeted interventions to address students’ problems associated with their learning experiences. Consequently, the use of data allowed these leaders to combine their leadership techniques with their institution’s strategic plan to further develop students’ learning capacities and outcomes. Hence, schools situated in similar contexts may rethink their academic strategies, responsibilities, and the professional training that teachers and leaders may require (Kraft & Gilmour, 2016). Arguably, a data-driven approach to IL would, firstly, validate decision making processes, and secondly, enhance the ability of teacher to deliver quality education that is promising and supportive of students’ academic achievement. This study integrated various factors at organizational, individual, and social level into a single model, demonstrating that the combined effect of distributed IL and social empowerment is indirectly associated with enhanced student outcomes.

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