Secondary school effectiveness: an empirical study in the country of Bahrain

Abstract

Bahrain is a developed country that faces different economic and political challenges. Economically, Bahrain depends mostly on oil. However, there are some attempts to diversify its economy. Bahrain has established several economic projects to boost its economy including Bahrainization (Nationalization), Tamkeen (Labour fund), the Bahrain Business Incubator center, the banking sector, transport and communication, manufacturing and education. The Ministry of Education has established various educational projects to accommodate Bahrain Vision 2030, which aims to diversify the economy of Bahrain, building strategies of government and encouragement of a partnership between the private and public sector and the provision of an effective education system based on well trained teachers, enhancing the performance of public schools, provision of equal education opportunities for all students and improving and encouraging scientific education. This study investigates the different measures of secondary school effectiveness in Bahrain as a result of the new development of the education system in Bahrain including both teaching and improvement programs. These were initiated by the Ministry of Education in Bahrain and educational specialists. The literature reviews showed that secondary school effectiveness has been examined using specific factors – students’ performance, teachers’ performance, leadership. However, other factors such as leader-member exchange, value congruence, supportive supervisor communication and task performance have not been investigated well in the education sector and at the secondary school level in particular. The aim of this research is to investigate the impact of leader-member exchange, value congruence, supportive supervisor communication and task performance on secondary school effectiveness in Bahrain. Subsequent to this, a linkage was made between leader-member exchange and secondary school effectiveness in relation to the factors of supportive supervisor communication, task performance and value congruence on the one hand and the impact of value congruence on the relationship between leader-member exchange and secondary school effectiveness on the other. The research gap in this research is about the lack of knowledge of how to measure secondary school effectiveness in Bahrain. The conceptual model tested in this study is based on leader-member exchange theory. The study is based on a quantitative approach on reports provided by Quality Assurance Authority for Education and Training; a self-administrated questionnaire was distributed to both teachers and school administration. This was preceded by a pilot study to test the validity and reliability of the measures used in the main survey. The questionnaires were distributed and collected from 1/10/2015 until 31/10/2015. The total number of questionnaires was 1200 divided into two groups: (500) for the supervisors and (700) for the teachers. A total of 940 were returned: 420 from supervisors and 520 from teachers). The total number of questionnaires that were void was 225, 105 for supervisors, and 120 for teachers; due to missing data, the questionnaires eligible for analysis were 715, 315 for supervisors, and 400 for teachers. This empirical study reveals firstly that leader-member exchange and task performance have a significant positive and direct impact on Bahraini secondary schools' effectiveness. Second, supportive supervisor communication has a significant positive and direct impact on task performance. Third, leader-member exchange has a significant positive and direct impact on supportive supervisor communication. Finally, value congruence partially moderates the relationship between leader-member exchange and school effectiveness, leader-member exchange and supportive superior communication, and task performance relationship with supportive supervisor communication. The study also utilized the indicators of schools effectiveness provided by Quality Assurance Authority for Education and Training reports integrated with variables of leader-member exchange, supportive supervisor communication, task performance and age of school. These school indicators include the capacity to improve, students’ academic achievement, students’ progress in their personal development, the quality and effectiveness of teaching and learning, the quality of the curriculum delivery, the quality of guidance and support for students and the quality and effectiveness of leadership and management which have a significant relationship with leader-member exchange, supportive supervisor communication, task performance, age, talented and creative students, physical disabilities, special needs and physical difficulties students. It was found that talented and creative, physical disabilities and special needs and physical difficulties students have a significant effect on the school’s capacity to improve, students’ academic achievement, students’ progress in their personal development, the quality and effectiveness of teaching and learning, the quality of the curriculum delivery, the quality of guidance and support for students and the quality and effectiveness of leadership and management. On the other hand, leader-member exchange, supportive supervisor communication, task performance and school’s age have no significant effect. The research findings contribute to the theory in widening the understanding of the different measures of secondary school effectiveness in secondary schools in Bahrain and integrate them with indicators of effectiveness provided by Quality Assurance Authority for Education and Training reports. Finally, the report studies effectiveness of schools from both teachers’ and supervisors’ perspective, which provides deep understanding of the education system in Bahrain and helps in the continuous improvement process implemented by the Ministry of Education.