Women’s role in nation building: socialising Saudi female preservice teachers into leadership roles

ABSTRACT This paper is about socialising Saudi female preservice teachers (PSTs) while they are attending university into the role of educational leadership. This leadership role should be broadened to include nation building per the tenets of Saudi Arabia’s national development plan, Vision 2030. After discussing nation building and profiling the Saudi educational context (including educational reform initiatives), and after explaining Islamic understandings of educational leadership (values and traditions), an overview of the intentionally planned professional socialisation process is presented. The paper culminates in ideas around what an aligned curriculum might contain so Saudi female PSTs are exposed to educational leadership for nation building while at university. With intentional socialisation into this role, upon graduation, they should be more inclined to assume a role in nation building by (a) influencing the educational sector, players, and policies to benefit the nation and (b) convincing other sectors of the value of women and the education sector in ensuring an ambitious nation. Insights apply to other nations engaged in nation building including Arab nations.