Volume 5, Issue 3 (SEPTEMBER ISSUE 2024)                   johepal 2024, 5(3): 24-43 | Back to browse issues page


XML Print


Download citation:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:

Alotaibi I S, Alzaidi F A. (2024). Role of Academic Leadership in Supporting Students with Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic. johepal. 5(3), 24-43. doi:10.61186/johepal.5.3.24
URL: http://johepal.com/article-1-843-en.html
Abstract:   (43 Views)
This exploratory study examines the experiences of academic leaders in Saudi universities during the COVID-19 pandemic. It employed semi-structured interviews to gather data on the schools shutting down and transitioning to online education concerning their role in supporting students with disabilities and the challenges faced by academic leaders during this time. Three main themes emerged from the interviews. The first theme was “shifting to remote learning”, which highlighted the efforts made to adapt to modern technologies and maintain educational continuity during the closures. The second theme, “ensuring equitable access", enlightened the unpredictable and ever-changing nature of the pandemic. The interviews reveal the constant need for academic leaders to adapt their leadership strategies and decision-making processes as current information and guidelines emerge. The third theme, “supporting faculty, students and their families,” focuses on the concerns and challenges faced by principals regarding teachers and students with special needs and their families. The study concludes by exploring how the transformative experiences of the pandemic may shape future academic leaders in crises. It provides valuable insights into the academic leadership in Saudi Arabian universities during the COVID-19 pandemic along with important implications, limitations and future research direction.
Full-Text [PDF 1727 kb]   (27 Downloads)    
Type of Study: Research | Subject: Special
Received: 2024/05/5 | Accepted: 2024/09/16 | Published: 2024/09/30

References
1. Aagaard, E. M., & Earnest, M. (2021). Educational leadership in the time of a pandemic: Lessons from two institutions. FASEB BioAdvances, 3(3), 182-188. [DOI]
2. Ahmed, F., Zviedrite, N., & Uzicanin, A. (2018). Effectiveness of workplace social distancing measures in reducing influenza transmission: A systematic review. BMC Public Health, 18, 518. [DOI]
3. Aishworiya, R., & Kang, Y. Q. (2021). Including children with developmental disabilities in the equation during this COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 51(6), 2155-2158. [DOI]
4. Amka, A., & Dalle, J. (2022). The satisfaction of the special need' students with e-learning experience during COVID-19 pandemic: A case of educational institutions in Indonesia. Contemporary Educational Technology, 14(1), ep334. [DOI]
5. Araten-Bergman, T., & Shpigelman, C. N. (2021). Staying connected during COVID-19: Family engagement with adults with developmental disabilities in supported accommodation. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 108, 103812. [DOI]
6. Bailey, K., & Breslin, D. (2021). The covid‐19 pandemic: What can we learn from past research in organizations and management?. International Journal of Management Reviews, 23(1), 3-6. [DOI]
7. Barnett, C. K., & Tichy, N. M. (2000). How new leaders learn to take charge: Rapid-cycle CEO development. Organizational Dynamics, 29(1), 16-32. [DOI]
8. Berdrow, I. (2010). King among kings: Understanding the role and responsibilities of the department chair in higher education. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 38(4), 499-514. [DOI]
9. Berjaoui, R. R., & Karami-Akkary, R. (2020). Distributed leadership as a path to organizational commitment: The case of a Lebanese school. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 19(4), 610-624. [DOI]
10. Bradley, V. J. (2020). How COVID-19 may change the world of services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 58(5), 355-360. [DOI]
11. Brandenburg, J. E., Holman, L. K., Apkon, S. D., Houtrow, A. J., Rinaldi, R., & Sholas, M. G. (2020). School reopening during COVID-19 pandemic: Considering students with disabilities. Journal of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, 13(3), 425-431. [DOI]
12. Cameron, D. L., Matre, M. E., & Canrinus, E. T. (2022). Accommodating students with special educational needs during school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Norway: Perceptions of teachers and students. Frontiers in education, 7. [DOI]
13. Chalasani, P. (2021). Supporting students with learning difficulties during COVID-19 online learning. [Article]
14. Chamberlain, L., Lacina, J., Bintz, W. P., Jimerson, J. B., Payne, K., & Zingale, R. (2020). Literacy in lockdown: Learning and teaching during COVID‐19 school closures. The Reading Teacher, 74(3), 243-253. [DOI]
15. Clarke, A. L., & Done, E. J. (2021). Balancing pressures for SENCos as managers, leaders and advocates in the emerging context of the Covid-19 pandemic. British Journal of Special Education, 48(2), 157-174. [DOI]
16. Cowen, S. (2020, March 16). How to lead in a crisis: Disaster advice from my time as president of Tulane University during Hurricane Katrina. The Chronicle of Higher Education. [Article]
17. Crane, L., Adu, F., Arocas, F., Carli, R., Eccles, S., Harris, S., Jardine, J., Phillips, C., Piper, S., Santi, L., Sartin, M., Shepherd, C., Sternstein, K., Taylor, G., & Wright, A. (2021). Vulnerable and forgotten: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on autism special schools in England. Frontiers in education, 6. [DOI]
18. Dopson, S., Ferlie, E., McGivern, G., Fischer, M. D., Mitra, M., Ledger, J., & Behrens, S. (2019). Leadership development in Higher Education: A literature review and implications for programme redesign. Higher Education Quarterly, 73(2), 218-234. [DOI]
19. Ervay, S. (2006). Academic leadership in America’s public schools. NASSP Bulletin, 90(2), 77–86. [DOI]
20. Fernandez, A. A., & Shaw, G. P. (2020). Academic leadership in a time of crisis: The Coronavirus and COVID‐19. Journal of leadership Studies, 14(1), 39-45. [DOI]
21. Field, K. (2020, March 26). 5 lessons from campuses that closed after natural disasters. The Chronicle of Higher Education. [Article]
22. Frad, H., & Jedidi, A. (2022). Online education during Covid-19 pandemic in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In A. Hamdan, A. E. Hassanien, T. Mescon, & B. Alareeni (Eds.), Technologies, artificial intelligence and the future of learning post-COVID-19: The crucial role international accreditation (pp. 145-161). Springer. [DOI]
23. Gmelch, W. H., Roberts, D., Ward, K., & Hirsch, S. (2017). A retrospective view of department chairs: Lessons learned. The Department Chair, 28(1), 1-4. [DOI]
24. Hecht, L. A. H. (1999). A brief moment in time: Informal leadership and shared authority among sixteenth century Anabaptist women. Journal of Mennonite Studies, 17, 52-74. [Article]
25. Hoggard, M. V. (2021). The Remote Learning Experience for School Leaders and Special Education Teachers Supporting Students with Disabilities during the Covid-19 Pandemic (Doctoral dissertation, Sage Graduate School)  ProQuest Dissertations & Theses,  2021. 28865473. [Article]
26. James, N. (2016). Using email interviews in qualitative educational research: Creating space to think and time to talk. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 29(2), 150-163. [DOI]
27. Khan, S. N. (2014). Qualitative research method: Grounded theory. International Journal of Business and Management, 9(11), 224-233.‏ [DOI]
28. Kools, M., Stoll, L., George, B., Steijn, B., Bekkers, V., & Gouëdard, P. (2020). The school as a learning organisation: The concept and its measurement. European Journal of Education, 55(1), 24-42. [DOI]
29. Kruse, S. D., Hackmann, D. G., & Lindle, J. C. (2020). Academic leadership during a pandemic: Department heads leading with a focus on equity. Frontiers in Education, 5. [DOI]
30. Kvale, S., & Brinkmann, S. (2009). InterViews: Learning the craft of qualitative research interviewing (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc.
31. Maas, B., Grogan, K. E., Chirango, Y., Harris, N., Liévano-Latorre, L. F., McGuire, K. L., Moore, A. C., Ocampo-Ariza, C., Palta, M. M., Perfecto, I., Primack, R. B., Rowell, K., Sales, L., Santos-Silva, R., Aparecida Silva, R., Sterling, E. J., Vieira, R. R. S., Wyborn, C., & Toomey, A. (2020). Academic leaders must support inclusive scientific communities during COVID-19. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 4(8), 997-998. [DOI]
32. Makuyana, T. (2022). Towards interventions on school dropouts for disabled learners amidst and post-COVID-19 pandemic. African Journal of Disability, 11, a1009. [DOI]
33. MOH (2023). Disabilities. [Article]
34. O’Connell, A., & Clarke, S. (2020). A school in the grip of COVID-19: Musings from the principal’s office. International Studies in Educational Administration, 48(2), 4-11. [Article]
35. Parpala, A., & Niinistö-Sivuranta, S. (2022). Leading teaching during a pandemic in higher education—A case study in a Finnish university. Education Sciences, 12(3), 147. [DOI]
36. Pittman, J., Severino, L., DeCarlo-Tecce, M. J., & Kiosoglous, C. (2021). An action research case study: Digital equity and educational inclusion during an emergent COVID-19 divide. Journal for Multicultural Education, 15(1), 68-84. [DOI]
37. Shakespeare, T., Watson, N., Brunner, R., Cullingworth, J., Hameed, S., Scherer, N., Pearson, C., & Reichenberger, V. (2022). Disabled people in Britain and the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic. Social Policy & Administration, 56(1), 103-117. [DOI]
38. Steed, E. A., Phan, N., Leech, N., & Charlifue-Smith, R. (2022). Remote delivery of services for young children with disabilities during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Journal of Early Intervention, 44(2), 110-129. [DOI]
39. Sundeen, T. H., & Kalos, M. (2022). Rural educational leader perceptions of online learning for students with and without disabilities before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Theory & Practice in Rural Education, 12(2), 105-128. [DOI]
40. Tahat, K. M., Al-Sarayrah, W., Salloum, S. A., Habes, M., & Ali, S. (2022). The influence of YouTube videos on the learning experience of disabled people during the COVID-19 outbreak. In A. -E. Hassanien, S. M. Elghamrawy, I. Zelinka (Eds.), Advances in data science and intelligent data communication technologies for COVID-19: Innovative solutions against Covid-19 (pp. 239-252). Springer. [DOI]
41. Tanveer, M., Bhaumik, A., Hassan, S., & Ul Haq, I. (2020). Covid-19 pandemic, outbreak educational sector and students online learning in Saudi Arabia. Journal of Entrepreneurship Education, 23(3), 1-14. [Article]
42. Taylor, K. L. (2005). Academic development as institutional leadership: An interplay of person, role, strategy, and institution. International Journal for Academic Development, 10(1), 31-46. [DOI]
43. Tremmel, P., Myers, R., Brunow, D. A., & Hott, B. L. (2020). Educating students with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic: Lessons learned from commerce independent school district. Rural Special Education Quarterly, 39(4), 201-210. [DOI]
44. Trowler, P., & Knight, P. (1999). Organizational socialization and induction in universities: Reconceptualizing theory and practice. Higher Education, 37(2), 177-195. [DOI]
45. Varela, D. G., & Fedynich, L. (2020). Leading schools from a social distance: Surveying south Texas school district leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. National Forum of Educational Administration and Supervision Journal, 38(4), 1-10. [Article]
46. Whitley, J., Beauchamp, M. H., & Brown, C. (2021). The impact of COVID-19 on the learning and achievement of vulnerable Canadian children and youth. FACETS, 6, 1693-1713. [DOI]
47. Yokuş, G. (2022). Developing a guiding model of educational leadership in higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic: A grounded theory study. Participatory Educational Research, 9(1), 362-387. [DOI]
48. Zembylas, M., Baildon, M., & Kwek, D. (2022). Responsive education in times of crisis. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 42(sup1), 1-5. [DOI]

Rights and permissions
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

© 2024 CC BY-NC 4.0 | Journal of Higher Education Policy And Leadership Studies

Designed & Developed by : Yektaweb