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This study explored teacher leadership functions during and post-school disruption, due to COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were recruited from three primary government schools in Qatar, and included 12 teachers, three vice-principals (assistant principals) and three principals. A phenomenological research design was employed using semi-structured interviews for data collection. Findings suggest nine teacher leadership functions during school closure, two of which only were sustained post-school reopening. The study argues that the regression in teacher leadership functions relates to the failure in the internalization of teacher leadership cultural norms and values. The study offers recommendations for policy and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored department heads’ professional agency as perceived by heads of departments (HoDs) themselves as well as their Deans following a vignette-based inquiry approach. Data were collected through interviews with one dean and two to three HoDs in six colleges of one university in Beirut, Lebanon. Data was analyzed using theme-based analysis. The findings suggest a dichotomy between the perceptions of HoDs and Deans regarding professional agency within the higher education context. However, a deep analysis of findings suggest a justification for this divide. In fact, while HoDs expressed a bleak perspective pertaining to their autonomy, describing their professional agency to be restricted by Deans’ micro-management, chaos, passiveness, barrier-creation, and decision-dancing; Deans thought they were engaging and supporting HoDs, provided that they remained compliant with university rules and regulations imposed on them. In conclusion, the capacity for HoDs to exercise agency appeared to be impeded by the policies and regulations of the university, with Deans acting as intermediaries and enforcers of these institutional limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the significance of webinars as tools for supporting teachers’ professional development and growth beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, as perceived by the teachers themselves. The study employs a mixed methods approach, involving 394 teachers registered on a popular virtual community of practice (vCoP) who completed a survey, with twenty of them participating in focus group interviews. Quantitative data from the survey were statistically analysed using SPSS 25.0, while qualitative data from the focus group interviews underwent theme-based analysis. The findings suggest that teachers highly regard webinars as effective tools for professional development and believe that webinars should be an integral part of future teacher development programmes within the framework of blended learning models. The key strengths and weaknesses of webinars as tools for supporting teacher professional development are thoroughly addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]