Rethinking Design-Based Approaches for School-Based Improvement: The Experience of the TAMAM Project

Abstract

The School Based Reform in Arab Countries (TAMAM) project aims to build leadership capacity for school-based reform. This paper asks: (a) To what extent can a design-based approach frame the design of school improvement projects such as TAMAM? (b) What characteristics of design-based approaches are most relevant to guide the design of school-based improvement projects? Results of the qualitative analysis demonstrate that a design-based approach can be used to describe TAMAM and highlight the most important elements. This study proposes that design-based approaches be used for designing and describing comparable school-based improvement initiatives, especially in contexts similar to the Arab region. Keywords design-based research, design-based implementation research, school improvement, Arab countries There is widespread evidence that educational systems in Arab countries need to be improved. The United Nations Development Program's (UNDP) (2002) Arab Human Development Report argues that quality of education in the Arab region has deteriorated, implying a decline in knowledge acquisition and analytic and creative skills. The World Bank (2007) and Hoel (2014) echo the conclusions of the UNDP report by suggesting