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Issue 1, January, 2017 MoRCE-Net ELT Newscombines teaching not only language skills, but also cultural and lifeskills that belong to a totally different target community about whichstudents may know very little. Good reflective practitioners allowlearners to discover and learn foreign languages, cultures, behaviors andskills in ways that do not impair but instead improve theirunderstanding of their own languages and cultures. Essential skills andprocedures that have the potential of improving teachers’ quality asreflective practitioners are extremely solicited.The value of reflectionReflective practice is valuable for the benefits it bestows on teachers’professional development. It requires teachers to question their ownpractices through encouraging them to adopt a reflective attitudetowards their classroom behaviors, choices, activities and attitudes. Italso invites them to be innovative since they will be constantlysearching for alternative practices that would supplement or replace theones they find ineffective. Researchers (Bubb, 2005; Gun, 2015;Williams, 2007) agree that effective teaching and learning requiresteachers to move beyond impressionistic assessments of their ownpractices to a more systematic method of reflection that enables themto acquire useful, accurate, systematic, and contextual insights intothe overall nature of their teaching. In fact, reflective teaching canimprove the quality of learning outcome and foster professionaldevelopment through encouraging teachers to continuously improvetheir teaching methods, techniques and materials in accordance withwhat they discover during the process of reflective teaching. Inaddition, reflecting on one’s practices promotes lifelong learning sinceteachers will always engage in constructive self-criticism as long as theyare aspiring for perfection and development.Improving the quality of teachers’ classroom practices necessitates achange in how reflection is generally conducted. One of the everydaytasks of Moroccan high school English language teachers is to devote agreat deal of their time to form a general idea about what to teach andhow to teach it. This task has been such a requirement of the teaching 51

Issue 1, January, 2017 MoRCE-Net ELT Newsprofession that it has become a mechanical routine devoid of itsmeaningfulness. As teachers grow experienced, they develop a set ofintuitive strategies that enable them to decide on the quality of theirteaching practices even superficially. According to Scales (2008), thisdecision-making process has become such an ‘unconscious competence’that these teachers hardly question the theoretical principles that oncegoverned their use of such strategies. Thus, a discrepancy arises betweenthe teacher’s actual practices and their own beliefs as they take it forgranted that their intuitive practices are congruent with the theoriesthey once believed in (Williams & Burden, 1997). Accordingly, teachersare accused of getting used to an ineffective approach to theirprofessional practices that relies more on intuition than on factualknowledge. This method of reflective practice is deemed passive sinceteachers do not have clear specific objectives to guide the evaluationprocess which is in itself discontinuous. Also, research maintains that thetraditional process of evaluating teachers’ classroom practices is soteacher-centered that it does not take into consideration to evaluatewhether the intended practices serve the needs and interests of thelearner or whether they improve the quality of learning outcomes.What is more is that none of the findings of this reflective process isactually recorded for further use; in fact, the whole process takes placein the mind of the teachers and all the findings are doomed to obliviononce the lesson ends.From Passive to Active reflectionA radical shift from passive to active reflection is required. First,reflection needs to be conducted systematically within an environmentwhich entices teachers to reflect collaboratively upon their practiceswithin their own classrooms. This reflective, collaborative effort shouldbe directed toward enhancing the quality of the teacher’s instructionand the learners’ learning outcomes. Second, the whole process ofevaluating one’s own practices should be driven by that body of theoryrelated to the plethora of methods and approaches of English languageteaching (Argyris & Schön, 1978). Equally important, the whole processof reflection should be recorded for future use. Seemingly, an active 52

Issue 1, January, 2017 MoRCE-Net ELT Newsreflective practice is capable of promoting teachers’ professionaldevelopment in that it allows teachers to identify and discuss problems,suggest solutions, exchange experiences and learn from each other’ssuccesses and failures, which will undoubtedly bring about somepositive change to their teaching practices.Obviously, being an active reflective practitioner does not call forspecial skills. It is within the reach of every teacher provided that theyhave an up-to-date knowledge of methods and approaches of Englishlanguage teaching. Also, they should be able to relate the theory oflanguage teaching and learning to their actual classroom practices toguarantee sound theoretical foundations of their practices. In addition,the participants should be willing to work collaboratively with othermembers of their learning community and ready to share theirexperiences with them and learn from them. Moreover, they should beready to change their old ineffective practices with new ones that theydeem more effective based on a regular collection of evidence thatsupports the effectiveness of their teaching practices. Overall, thesuccess of one’s participation is measured not only by the amount ofprofessional growth they have accumulated, but also by the impact oftheir feedback on other members of the learning community (Bubb,2005).The reflective practice model explainedAdmittedly, a reflective practice model links theory to action so as toimprove both teachers’ practices and students’ learning outcomes. Themodel that is suggested in this paper relies heavily on the principles ofreflective teaching advocated by Schön (1983). According to the latter,contrary to what is often believed, the process of reflection inprofessional contexts does not start while planning for action; it shouldactually start in the classroom with performing the action, i.e. whileteaching. Accordingly, 'reflection in action' is the first stage of effectiveprofessional reflection where the reflective practitioner monitors theactivity being performed while it is taking place. At this stage, teachersshould be able to think on their feet while they are teaching and collect 53

Issue 1, January, 2017 MoRCE-Net ELT Newsevidence of good and bad learning experiences. When the teachingactivity is complete, teachers should find time where to reflect on therecent activity. At this second stage of 'reflection on action', Schön(1983) suggests that reflective practitioners, in our case teachers, shouldgo back to the recorded data or collected evidence, identify successfuland unsuccessful teaching practices, look for reasons behind the failureof some experiences and search for solutions in the body of theoryrelated to the subject matter. 'Reflection on action' allows the teachersto think about possible practices that could have made their pastexperiences more successful and decide on how to incorporate thesestrategies in their future teaching experiences. The futuristic projectionof present and past findings is best exemplified in the third and laststage of this model which is that of 'reflection for action'. At this laststage, teachers who work as reflective practitioners use the findings ofthe previous two stages to plan future lessons, anticipate possibleproblems that may face them and preconceive preventive strategies ofhow to avoid or solve them.This model will to a great extent improve the outcomes of the teachinglearning process. To start with, teachers will be able to use activesystematic reflection to identify those problems that truly impairstudents’ learning. In addition, they will look for solutions and designalternative practices relying on theory related to methods andapproaches of English language teaching. Furthermore, they will rely oncollecting concrete evidence that proves the success or failure of anyteaching-learning experience. Also, there will always be need for usingthe new findings in planning future lessons and deciding how toovercome any unexpected problem that may otherwise lower thequality of learning outcomes. Of equal importance is the idea that thismodel adopts an iterative, circular process in which reflection neverstops (Gun, 2015). 54

Issue 1, January, 2017 MoRCE-Net ELT NewsFigure 1: Schön’s model of reflective practice (1983) 1. Reflection in action: collect evidence in class 3. Reflection 2. Reflection on for action: use action: study findings while planning for evidence in light future classes of theory after classNevertheless, the model suggested by Schön (1983) is still incomplete.According to Williams (2007), reflection is only productive andeffective when it is a collaborative endeavor because individualreflective practices remain limited in scope and effect. In effect,Williams (2007) suggests that professional reflective practice is betterconducted in collaborative environments where different professionalsmeet and reflect collaboratively upon problematic issues which theyidentified in their classroom practices and that are related to apredetermined specific topic. It is crucial that the discussions focus on aspecific pedagogical area like assessment, classroom management orteaching a specific skill; tackling issues belonging to different areas maycause the discussion and treatment of the problems to be merelysuperficial and ineffective. Williams (2007) considers Teacher LearningCommunities (TLCs) and Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) tobe the most effective platforms that could enhance the productivity ofsuch reflective practice as they provide opportunities for teachers andprofessionals to enrich their experiences through sharing their successesand failures and to exchange formative feedback that has the potentialof gearing the quality of their teaching experiences. The whole processof reflection in a TLC or PLC can be summarized thusly: 55

Issue 1, January, 2017 MoRCE-Net ELT NewsFigure 2: Process of reflection in TLC / PLC Test new Identify practices problems Design new Look for expla- practices based nation in the on feedback theory Share with TLC & get feedbackOne last ingredient is needed to finalize this model: recording findings.The main difference between passive reflective practice and activereflective practice is that the findings of the active process can berecorded, published and shared with a wider community of teachers. Itis observed that teachers throughout Moroccan ELT classrooms sufferapproximately from the same problems; therefore, recording,publishing and sharing the findings of each TLC or PLC can be veryhelpful to other teachers who did not take part in the process and it canalso inspire them to join future TLC or create their own learningcommunities. The findings, including effective practices, successfulexperiences and helpful teaching materials and activities, can all becompiled on CDs, DVDs and booklets as well as published onlinethrough social media and special websites. One of the benefits ofsharing the findings is that they could be tested by a wider communityof teachers in different contexts and their effectiveness can be testedauthentically against various teaching-learning styles and environments. 56

Issue 1, January, 2017 MoRCE-Net ELT NewsIncorporating the model in your lesson planApparently, the best lesson plan design that allows teachers toincorporate this reflective practice model is ECRIF, suggested byKurzweil and Scholl (2005). ECRIF is a five-stage lesson planning designthat provides teachers with the opportunity to become effectivereflective practitioners on a daily basis. Stages of ECRIF are illustrated inthe figure below:Figure 3: Stages of ECRIF (Kurzweil and Scholl, 2005). Fluently Encounter use Internalize Clarify RememberIt has been pointed out by the designers of this framework that thesestages are not consecutive; rather, they are arbitrary. Teachers can freelymove from stage to stage irrespective of their order as they can testwhat scheme better suits not their teaching styles but their students’learning styles. Therefore, the ECRIF framework does not aim todescribe teachers’ behaviors in as much as it helps them learn aboutwhat their students are thinking and doing. In this fashion, ECRIF givesteachers more opportunities where to discover new challenges andproblems which could not be discovered using traditional frameworkssuch as PPP. It allows teacher to identify problems that are related to 57

Issue 1, January, 2017 MoRCE-Net ELT Newsnew language input (Encounter), find meaning and use of new item(Clarify), memorize and associate it with previously learned items(Remember & Internalize) and finally demonstrate that they can use itcommunicatively in different contexts (Fluently use). Instead ofidentifying problems that are encountered only in three stages(Presentation, Practice and Production), teachers can now identify moreproblems and classify them more precisely and accurately.ConclusionThis paper drew our attention to the necessity of moving beyondpassive reflective teaching that affects negatively ELT teachers’ dailyclassroom practices. In so doing, it has unearthed the urgent need for amodel that best suits the characteristics of the Moroccan classroomcontexts. The discussion was informed by the theoretical framework ofthe Standards-Based Approach in light of the ministerial guidelines forteaching English as a foreign language in Morocco. The suggestedmodel, it was argued, has the required potential for gearing bothteachers’ professional development and the quality of their teachingpractices as it is reflective, systematic, theory-driven, collaborative,iterative and recorded. Eventually, it was demonstrated that ECRIF isthe most suitable framework that facilitates teachers’ role as reflectivepractitioners. However, it is highly recommended that the model heresuggested should be tested and evaluated so as to decide on its viabilityand applicability in the Moroccan context. Also, a study should beconducted to investigate the extent to which teachers’ attitudes are infavor of the suggested model. 58

Issue 1, January, 2017 MoRCE-Net ELT NewsReferencesArgyris, C. & Schön, D. (1978). Organizational learning: A theory of action perspective. Reading,Mass: Addison-Wesley.Bubb, S. (2005). Helping teachers develop. London: Paul Chapman PublishingGun, B. (2015). The reflective teaching and learning programme. In S. Borg (ed.), Professionaldevelopment for English language teachers: Perspectives from Higher Education in Turkey (pp. 65-76). Ankara: British CouncilKurzweil, J. & Scholl, M. (2007). Understanding teaching through learning. New York: McGrawHill.Scales, P. (2008). Teaching in the lifelong learning sector. New York: Open University PressSchön, D. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. Temple SmithWilliam, D. (2007). Changing Classroom Practices. Educational Leadership,65(4), 36-42.Williams, M. & Burden R.L. (1997). Psychology for language teachers: A social constructiveapproach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 59

Issue 1, January, 2017 MoRCE-Net ELT News Sidi Sidi Mohamed HAMDANI EFL teacher, Esmara Abstract The purpose of this study is to explore the practice of democratic leadership style in Oued Sakia El-Hamra high school as an example of Moroccan educational institution. The choice of this case is not meant to end debates persisting for ages by simply claiming that democratic leadership remains the only style that fits all educational institutions and all other styles are a waste of time. Otherwise, it is an effort to determine to what extent this style is convincingly approved by the school staff to be the best appropriate for the educational institution under study. The study intends to judge how and if any challenges of democratic leadership are recognized by the school management team and educational personnel involved in the investigation. This study also reconsiders the pros of democratic leadership as a desirable leadership style to numerous contemporary educational institutions. Keywords: Leadership; Education; Democracy; Morocco 60

Issue 1, January, 2017 MoRCE-Net ELT News1. Introduction1.1. Definition and Overview of LeadershipBurns (1978) argue that although the term leadership is well-recognizedin the literature, no universally accepted definition for the word hasappeared. Leadership should encompass shared objectives while thecompetence of leaders should be determined by the extent throughwhich they can make change. Rost (1991) defines leadership as arelationship based on influence among leaders and members of groupswho expect genuine changes that reflect their shared objectives. Fiedler(1967) points out that leadership, in whatever situation, requires theavailability of a number of elements including the authority of theleader, the type of the mission, and the relationship between the leaderand other members of the group. Kevin Barge (1994) describes threedistinct styles of leadership, the autocratic leadership style, the laissez-faire leadership style and the democratic leadership style.The autocratic leadership style refers to the style of leadership in whichthe leader takes decisions and retains power. Large groups often need adomineering leader to adjust the inconsistencies of the group. Under anautocratic leader, decisions are taken immediately and thus solutions arereached hurriedly (Williams 1983). The exclusivity of the autocraticleadership style lies in its ability to make not many errors and helpgreater deal of the mission done compared to other approaches inwhich groups devote much time to exhaustive discussions. However,although this style is effective in reaching goals through time-savingtactics, members of autocratic team may express their resentment aboutthe way they are authoritatively led by their leader who is extremelydirective and doesn’t tolerate contribution from team members(Martin, 2006) 61

Issue 1, January, 2017 MoRCE-Net ELT NewsThe laissez-faire leadership style is where freedom of choice is fullygiven for the workers then members don’t need guidance to make theirdecisions. In this way, leaders don’t contribute to decision making andoften let other members of the team decide and take decisions amongthemselves (Wood, 2008). However, Absence of guidance may lead topoor results regarding decisions taken by the non-guided group. In thelaissez-faire leadership style, only highly qualified groups with adequatetraining may succeed in their missions without help from leaders.The democratic leadership style adopts cooperative approach in whichall members of the one team collaborate and take decision togetherthrough discussions and sharing ideas which ensure that all members ofthe group would abide by the outcomes of their decisions. Comparedto the autocratic leadership style, the democratic leadership styledevote too much time to decision making and members of the groupare highly motived and creative which is not the way with autocraticgroup where members are fully dependent on the leader (Hamilton,2010).The relationship between leadership and education has been of focus ofmany works in modern literature. Scholars have emphasized thesignificant role of leadership in reinforcing improvement and change ineducational institutions (Fullan, 2001). Woods (2005) focuses on thesignificance of leadership and education and the necessity to infuse ademocratic spirit in schooling (p.20). Newmann and Wehlage (1995)highlight the importance of shared leadership in promoting learningand organisational competences. 62

Issue 1, January, 2017 MoRCE-Net ELT NewsOne of the main studies that served as pioneer in the field of leadershipstyle researches was accomplished by the University of Iowa by KurtLewin and some of his fellows. Lussier and Achua (2010) emphasises theimportance of Kurt Lewin’s study about the leadership style which is nolonger an authoritarian but rather democratic. Goleman (2000)arguesthat Lewin’s studies are accurate and still holds true in educationalsettings today.1.2. Research question:Inspired by Kurt Lewin’s study about the leadership style, this studyaims to determine where possible Lewin’s ideas about democraticleadership style are applicable to the case of Oued Sakia El-Hamra highschool and particularly whether members of its educational staff andmanagement team are democratically oriented. The importance of thisstudy lies in its endeavour to understand the natural relationship amonggroups consisting of leaders and subordinates. Stressing the practises ofdemocratic leadership style in of Oued Sakia El-Hamra high school as anexample of Moroccan high school emanates from the results of theprimary interviews in this research which indicate that the majority ofthe interviewed workers inOuedSakia El-Hamra high school expresstheir preference either directly or indirectly for a democratic leadershipstyle. The main research question that drives this study is: How isdemocratic leadership style understood and practised by Oued Sakia El-Hamra high school staff?2. MethodologyThe research has sought to address a group of school staff. Out of 60workers, including both the teaching staff and management team, 40people were selected to take part in this study. Data collection was 63

Issue 1, January, 2017 MoRCE-Net ELT Newscompleted through questionnaire and interviews. These methods aren’tseen as so much different but rather complementary (Smith, 2006).Thechoice of the methods is based on a careful review of earlier theoreticaland empirical work conducted on the same issue. Phillips & Schmidt(2012) employed aquestionnaire as a primary date collection methodto boost response rate which can be reduced considerably if all questionare asked at once in face-to-face contacts (p.88). However, this doesn’tdevalue the significance of interviews as an indispensable method ofdata collection. Interviews can secure data which can’t be obtainedthrough written responses or observations (Kvale, 1996). The mainaspects of similarity between the questionnaire and the interviews iscomparatively evident in interviews where differences lay in the factthat the investigation is achieved through face-to-face interaction ratherthan through mails (Sharma, 2006). Compared to a questionnaire, themajor benefit of interview method is its extensive flexibility thatresearcher can inquire more detailed questions which help intervieweesgive precise answers and avoid error arisen from confusing questions(Bailey, 2008). However, a structured questionnaire with open-endedquestions can be appropriate for serving the same objective. It may behelpful to permit free and thoughtfully selected responses from theinterviewees (Kothari, 2004). In this study, mixed methods aredeliberately adopted to offer the investigator a great deal of flexibilitywhile addressing the questions (Hall, 2008). Questionnaires andinterviews are utilized to meet this objective.2.1. Data CollectionThis sphere of research is relatively qualitative. It sets the stage for theuse of qualitative instruments to reach into the practices of leadership ineducational institutions. Well organized and planned qualitativeapproach help the conduct of an in-depth investigation of theleadership practices that affect school development (Darroch 1992). Aqualitative approach involves a number of instruments to collect data. 64

Issue 1, January, 2017 MoRCE-Net ELT NewsThese include direct observation, participant observation, open-endedquestionnaire, in-depth interviews, recorded documents, case studiesand journals (Lal Das 2008). Qualitative inquiry allows themes to arisefrom particular observations and discussions. (Denzin& Lincoln (2000)points out that the researcher uses qualitative tools to describe practicesand phenomena which is not well understood (Denise & Beck 2013). Inthis study, a qualitative research is conducted to explain the outcomesresulting from a survey investigating the phenomenon of leadership andits practises among the personnel of Oued Sakia El-Hamra high school.This study focuses on questionnaire and interviews as primary sourcefor gathering information. Participants are selected for the convenienceof the research as well as their willingness to contribute to theinvestigation (Black 2008). The survey is addressed to 5 members ofmanagement team including the headmaster, dean of Studies, twodeans of students, and bursar in addition to 35 workers from theteaching staff. The respondents are inquired either through aquestionnaire sent to them via emails or through paper and pencilinterview (PAPI), questionnaires or verbal face-to-face interviews in casemore clarification is needed from the participants. During interviews,the investigator allows respondents to extensively describe theirpersonal experiences and views. In this way, the researcher ensures thatall relevant issues are dealt with in detail (Patton 2002)2.2. SettingOued Sakia El-Hamra high school is one of the popular operatingeducational institutions in Es-smara city. It is a public school with 52staff including both management team and educational personnel withan estimated 728 students. Like any Moroccan high school, Oued SakiaEl-Hamra administration is based on the structure of the educationalsystem in Morocco which is hierarchical. Head leaders are appointedofficials and basic educational policies and decisions are taken by centralgovernment. However, local school administrations are allowed 65

Issue 1, January, 2017 MoRCE-Net ELT Newsa number of powers and authorities to help their staff engage in localdecision-making and autonomous initiatives. High schooladministrators are the leaders of the high school. The headmaster is themost high-ranking worker of the high school. He is responsible for dailysupervision and management as well as respect of laws and regulationsof the school. Dean of Studies is committed to the application andmanagement of all parts of the academic programme, including theadministration of the teaching staff and their performance. Deans ofstudents are administrators who are in charge of student discipline.Bursar is responsible for managing the financial affairs of the school. Inaddition to the main management team, another administrativesupport group is available to provide assistance for the main schoolboard in different tasks. The school also consists of educators who areinvolved in providing instruction.The setting for this research consists of a survey conducted amongnumbers of workers in both management and non-managementpositions chosen to serve the goals of this study. Respondents includethe headmaster, dean of Studies, two deans of students, Bursar andother 35 educators. The workers are given a similar set of questions toreply either through a questionnaire or face-to-face interviews. Theirresponses are used to finalize the outcomes of this study. While thechoice of setting serves to determine the relationship between leadersand other staff considering an example of Moroccan public high schoolin general, it also helps understand if democratic leadership style is bestfit for Oued Sakia El-Hamra high school as a case study.3. FindingsThe following part of the research covers the results inferred from theinvestigation of leadership style conducted among both managementteam and the teaching staff working in Oued Sakia El-Hamra high 66

Issue 1, January, 2017 MoRCE-Net ELT Newsschool. The primary purpose of this research is to conclude whetherdemocratic style is generally approved by its staff to be best appropriatefor the educational institution under study. In the earlier stages ofresearch, the investigation has sought to determine the prevailingleadership style favoured by the working staff in the school amongother common styles including autocratic and laissez-faire. Based on anumber of in-depth interviews and structured questions, the results ofthis research indicate that democratic style is the most common used inOued Sakia El-Hamra high school as well as the most preferred byalmost the majority (32) of its staff. The following table presents theratio of preference of staff for leadership style resulting frominvestigation.Table 1.1: Ratio of preference for Democratic Leadership Style inOuedSakia El-Hamra high school Question? Strongly Disagree Not sure Agree Strongly disagree agreeDo you think the leadership style in 0 4 6 22 8Oued Sakia El-Hamra high school is Democratic?Do you think the leadership style 2 5 5 19 9adopted in Oued Sakia El-Hamra high school is the best fit?The interviewed workers are also asked to provide reasons behind theirpreference for Democratic Leadership Style in Oued Sakia El-Hamrahigh school. The interviewers cite some justifications that have led theirchoice of democratic pattern as an effective style of leadership could bechosen to fulfil their objectives. In this context, the investigationresulting from the interviews describes certain key aspects of leaderconduct believed to standardize effective leadership. These include:Democratic leaders show great willingness to listen to others andsympathetically care about their concernsDemocratic leaders need to preserve trust and integrity as a basis forgood governance 67

Issue 1, January, 2017 MoRCE-Net ELT NewsThe interviewed workers are also asked to provide reasons behind theirpreference for Democratic Leadership Style in Oued Sakia El-Hamrahigh school. The interviewers cite some justifications that have led theirchoice of democratic pattern as an effective style of leadership could bechosen to fulfil their objectives. In this context, the investigationresulting from the interviews describes certain key aspects of leaderconduct believed to standardize effective leadership. These include:Democratic leaders show great willingness to listen to others andsympathetically care about their concernsDemocratic leaders need to preserve trust and integrity as a basis forgood governanceEffective leadership involves effective group participationGreat leader should be charismatic, inspiring and influential as well asknowledgeableThe major aspects of effective leadership derived from the outcomes ofthe interviews are, thus, roughly coherent with those originating fromthe literature study. No single aspect is heavily focused by allinterviewees as the only feature that characterise effective democraticleadership style. However, some attributes are repeatedly highlightedby all interviewers as indispensible features that the workers think itshould be associated with an influential leader. This was that a leadershould build a positive rapport with other members of the team as wellas develop collaborative relationship based on trust and respect as anorm.Almost Two thirds of respondents (N28) shared consensus on thedemocratic nature of leadership in Oued Sakia El-Hamra high schoolwhich is associated with democratic involvement of school staff inmaking decisions. 68

Issue 1, January, 2017 MoRCE-Net ELT NewsThe findings also disclose a harmonious relationship between allmembers of the staffOued Sakia El-Hamra high school and almost totalagreement that democratic leadership style fit best their institutionaleducation through which they can reach their shared objectives. In aninterview with the headmaster of Oued Sakia El-Hamra high school, heexplains thatLeaders need to choose the style which they think it suits best their finalgoals. In our school, we preferred to adopt a democratic approachwhere decisions are taken by all members of both management teamand the teaching staff. Rather than taking decision by yourself, youcollaborate with everyone to help make correct decisions based on aconsensus.However, 7 respondents express their dissatisfaction with thedemocratic leadership style which they consider as ineffective due thefollowing reasons:At times, democratic leadership style necessitates huge efforts to build aconsensus regarding decisions making.In democratic leadership, it sometimes takes too much time to come tofinal decisionsDemocratic style is employed by leaders to manipulate (us) and exploit(our) innovative ideas without appreciation or empirical reward.In general, since some members express different views about howeffective leadership should be, it seems that it is not easy to form aunique view regarding the best attributes of effective leader andleadership. However, opinions expressed about appropriate attributesoften stress the necessity for creating an encouraging environment that 69

Issue 1, January, 2017 MoRCE-Net ELT Newsserves the final goals of the group. The majority of Oued Sakia El-Hamra high school workers think this can be facilitated through ademocratic style which suggests that the core of democracy is based onhow people govern themselves as opposed to how people aregoverned by others (Williams, 1963). This result urges the researcher toconduct a further inquiry about the benefits gained from theimplementation of this style in the school. The research has revealed anumber of important findings about the gains that can be brought fromusing democratic style in the school. These findings can be summarisedin the words of the dean of studies in OuedSakia El-Hamra high school:As we all work together for the benefit of our school, democraticleadership is strongly needed to serve this purpose. I have found that allthe staff members in our school respond positivity to this approachthrough which the final decision is shared among all the staff and theyare all responsible about its outcome. Doubtless, Productivity is alwaysobtained through collective decision making.Democratic leadershipstyle can help frontline workers get feedback from other members ofthe group and collaborate in recommending innovative ideas.In view of this, democratic style which emphasises teamwork seems tobe a need to the school in the sense that democratic leadership isrequired in ensuring benefits in terms of considerable managerial andacademic outcomes (Woods 2005). Schools which are filled with ademocratic soul often have strong relationships among their personneland, therefore, build a productive atmosphere in the school. The latteridea is shared by almost most respondents whostress the importance ofadopting democratic leadership style in Oued Sakia El-Hamra highschool and agree that this style is best appropriate to serve the welfareof their school. 70

Issue 1, January, 2017 MoRCE-Net ELT NewsConclusionThe survey provides an insight into the perception that democraticleadership is the best way to describe the approach which OuedSakia El-Hamra high school adopts. This expectation of labelling OuedSakia El-Hamra high school as a democratic leadership style school is supportedby mean of practices, and collaborative relationship between itsworkers. The interrelationship and ease of communication betweenleaders and the other members of the staff must have an impact on theschool. The outcomes indicate that respondents hold positiveexpectations about democratic leadership and their readiness to abideby an insightful democratic leadership style in OuedSakia El-Hamra highschool. Respondents also acknowledge the need for constantdemocratic leadership to enhance the goals of the team. They alsoexpress their preference for particular attributes of democraticleadership style that should be adopted by leaders and facilitated byother members of the staff. On top of these attributes rests participationwhich can be considered as the essence of democracy (Luthar, 1996).This demonstrates the workers’ awareness of the style they want tofollow. Grant and Singh (2009) argue that if an approved practice ofshared leadership was collectively approved, the mechanisms ofhierarchy would be abandoned and collaborative manner of leadershipwould persist. In this regard, as each educational institution has its ownunique style of leadership, transparent and shared leadership practicesshould be encouraged (De Villiers, E., & Pretorius, S.G. 2011). Carl E. H.(2007) argues that deep understanding of the needs of school bringsabout the enhancement of instructional outputs. Certainly, the group’sawareness of theirneeds has helped the staff ofOuedSakia El-Hamrahigh school develop their own perception of leadership needed in theirschool by emphasising the democratic leadership style as primarychoice. 71

Issue 1, January, 2017 MoRCE-Net ELT NewsIn short, one can conclude that democratic leadership style remains thestyle favoured best by the staff of OuedSakia El-Hamra high school. Theworkers seem to be greatly satisfied that democratic leadership style isthe best fit for their school. This conviction complies with a number ofleadership theorists who believe in the effectiveness of democraticleadership style. Lewin (2009) has favoured democratic leadership styleas largely more effective than autocratic leadership style in the sensethat in democratic leadership, team members perform well even in theabsence of a leader (Daft, 2000).ReferencesBailey. K. (2008). Methods of Social Research, 4th Edition. New York: Simon and Schuster.Barge, J. K (1994). Leadership: Communication skills for organizations and groups. New York: St.Martin’s.Black, K. (2008). Business Statistics for Contemporary Decision Making, 5th Edition, John Wiley &Sons: USABurns, J. M. (2003). Transforming leadership: A new pursuit of happiness, NY: Atlantic MonthlyPress.Carl E. H. (2007). A Study of School Teams: Democratically Functioning or Malfunctioning,Norfolk: Lynn Doyle Old Dominion UniversityDaft .R (2014), The Leadership Experience, Boston: Cengage Learning,Daft, R. L. (2000), Management, Chicago, IL: Dryden Press.Darroch.D. (1992). Effective School Leadership Practices Supporting the Alberta Initiative for SchoolImprovement (aisi). Edmonton: University of albertaDe Villiers, E., & Pretorius, S.G. (2011). Democracy in schools: are educators ready for teacherleadership? South African Journal of Education Vol 31:574-589 72

Issue 1, January, 2017 MoRCE-Net ELT NewsDenise, P., & Beck, C. T. (2013). Essentials of Nursing Research: Appraising Evidence for NursingPractice. New York: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.Denzin, N. &Lincoln.Y (2000). Handbook of qualitative research, 2nd Ed.Sage Publications.Thousand Oaks, CaliforniaFiedler, F. E. (1967). A theory of leadership effectiveness, New York: McGraw-Hill.Fullan, M. (2001). Leading in a culture of change, San Francisco: Jossey-BassGoleman, D. (2000). Leadership that gets results. Harvard Business Review, March-April, pp 78-90.Grace, G. (1995). School Leadership: Beyond Education Management. An essay in policy scholarship,London / Washington: Falmer Press.Grant, C. and Singh, H. (2009). ‘Passing the buck: this is not teacher leadership!’ in Perspectives inEducation, kwazulu-natal: University of KwaZulu-NatalHall, R. (2008). Applied Social Research: Planning, Designing and Conducting Real-world Research.Sydney: Macmillan Education AU.Hamilton, C. (2010). Communicating for Results: A Guide for Business and the Professions. Belmont:Cengage Learning.Kothari, C. ( 2004). Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques. New Delhi: New AgeInternational.Kvale, S. (1996). Interviews: an introduction to qualitative research interviewing. New York: SagePublications.Lal Das, D. (, 2008). Doing Social Research: A Source Book For Preparing Dissertation. new delhi:Gyan Publishing House.Lewin, K., Lippitt, R. and White, R. (1939). ‘Patterns of aggressive behaviour in experimentallycreated “social climates”, Journal of Social Psychology 10: 271-99.Lussier, R. N., & Achua, C. F. (2009). Leadership: Theory, application and skill development (4thed.). Mason, OH: SouthWesternLuthar, H. K. (1996, September). Gender differences in evaluation of performance and leadershipability: Autocratic vs. democratic managers. Sex Roles, 35, 337-360.Martin. B. (2006). Outdoor Leadership: Theory and Practice. Illinois: Human Kinetics,Newmann, F. M., &Wehlage, G. G. (1995). Successful school restructuring: A report to the publicand educators. Madison, WI: Center on Organization and Restructuring of Schools.Patton, M 2002, Qualitative interviewing in qualitative evaluation and research methods, 3rdedition, Sage, Newbury Park, C.APhillips, J. J., & Schmidt, L. (2012). The Leadership Scorecard. London: Routledge.Rost, J. (1991). Leadership for the Twenty-First Century. New York: Praeger. 73

Issue 1, January, 2017 MoRCE-Net ELT NewsSharma, S. ( 2006). Ency. Of New Methods Of Educational Research Set. New Delhi: Sarup & Sons.Smith, M. L. (2006). Multiple methods in education research.In J. Green, G. Camilli& P. Elmore (Eds.),Handbook of complementary methods in educational research (pp. 457-475). Mahwah, NJ: LawrenceErlbaum Associates Inc.White, R. K &Lippitt, R. O. (1960). Autocracy and democracy: An experimental inquiry. New York:Harper & Brothers.Williams, S.W. (1983). School Administration: Leadership and Interaction. New York: Ardent MediaWilliams. R. (1963).Culture and Society.Harmondsworth: Penguin.Wood, J. T. (2008). Communication in Our Lives. Boston: Cengage LearningWoods. P. A. (2005). Democratic leadership in education. London: Sage 74

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