Educational Policy, Reforms, and Change in the Middle East and North Africa: Towards Social Justice, Equity, and Political Inclusion(Educational Policy and Leadership in the Middle East and North Africa)

This timely, international volume presents case studies on the current landscape of educational policy and reform across the diverse and dynamic Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It reflects a broad spectrum of political, socio-economic, cultural, and governance contexts, shedding light on both shared trends and region-specific divergences. MENA region contributors provide insights on how educational leaders and administrators address sociopolitical challenges while upholding a commitment to principles of social justice, equity, and political inclusion. The chapters explore the influence of recent political upheavals on local educational leadership and governance, presenting lessons learned in relation to geographic and culturally specific policymaking, reform strategies, and systemic transformation. This book also examines how political and socio-economic conditions affect educational reforms at national and subnational levels, recognizing how school leaders, parents, communities, and policymakers collectively shape innovation and meaningful change initiatives. This book will be of particular interest to academics, postgraduate students, and researchers in the fields of educational leadership, administration, policy, and reform. It will also serve as a valuable resource for policymakers and education professionals engaged in leading and managing change in complex educational environments.

Table of Contents:
Contents About the Editors List of contributors Acknowledgements 1. Educational Policy, Reforms, and Change in the Middle East and North Africa / Editorial Introduction Part I: In Search of Equity and Quality in Education 2. Implementing and Improving Inclusive Strategies for Equity in Education: Politics as Praxis in Turkish Educational Environment 3. Inclusive Education Policies in the Southwest Asia/North African Region: Toward Decolonizing the Concept 4. Digitalization of Education in Morocco: Teachers’ Perspective 5. Recontextualizing Global Educational Policies into Tunisian Curricular Reforms: Tensions, Contradictions and Outcomes 6. School Turnaround in Centralized Systems of Education: A Case Study of a Bahrain Public School 7. Leading Homeschooling in the Gulf Region: Insights and Suggested Model 8. Barriers to Effective School Leadership Policies: Insights from Selected Arab Countries Part II: Chaos, Conflict and Educational Policy 9. Developing Higher Education Policies in the Jordanian and Saudi Universities: Supporting the Shift towards Entrepreneurial Education 10. Proposed Policies to Promote Higher Education in Yemen and the Troubled Regions in the Middle East and North Africa: Challenges and Prospects 11. The Path to a Knowledge-Based Economy through Reforming Public K-12 Education: Educational Policies and Educator Professional Development in Saudi Arabia 12. Educational Policies in Wars, Conflict and Emergencies: Cases from the MENA Region 13. A Critical Political Economy Analysis of Education Policy and Leadership in the Kurdistan Region in Iraq: The Intersection of Class, Capital, and Identity 14. Private and International School Policies in Arab Countries: Rethinking Educational Equity and Cultural Identity 15. The 100-Year Journey of Gender Equality in Educational Policymaking in Türkiye (1923-2023): Advancements in Turkish Women’s Education Part III: Results and Conclusions 16. Educational Policy, Reforms, and Change in the Middle East and North Africa: Takeaways and Prospects

About the Author :
Khalid Arar is Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy at the College of Education, Texas State University, USA. Selahattin Turan is Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy at the College of Education, Bursa Uludağ University, Türkiye. Mohammed Elmeski is a Senior Education Policy Advisor at the Office of the Prime Minister, Morocco. Seher İşcan is Assistant Professor of Educational Administration and Policy at Pamukkale University, Türkiye.