Responding to change: How was school leadership distributed during and after the COVID-19 pandemic? School leader perspectives in Kuwait

Abstract

This study employed distributed leadership (DL) theory as a conceptual framework to investigate leaders' practices during and after the COVID-19 pandemic in Kuwait's public schools. It also examined the concomitant challenges the school leaders faced. Data were gathered through interviews with 16 school principals and assistant principals during the first semester after reopening of schools following the pandemic. The findings showed that the data showed that DL was adopted by school leaders to facilitate smooth transitions and manage school and community needs during the change process. Additionally, DL took various forms, including allocation leadership, delegation, networking, department leadership, and volunteering initiatives. However, school leaders faced challenges like limited autonomy, unsustainable political decisions, and a shortage of teachers.