Leadership and Teachers’ Perceptions of Moral Education: The Case of Implementing Moral Education as Curriculum Innovation

The UAE’s Moral Education (ME) curriculum is under continuous review and has been introduced in some schools as part of curriculum innovation. The current case study aims to describe and understand the implementation of ME in one of the American curriculum schools in the UAE. The study is designed to comprehend the process of implementing the ME curriculum in one Dubai school by exploring teachers’ perceptions and school leaders’ beliefs in the implementation of ME and how it is viewed as curriculum innovation. A qualitative descriptive case study approach is adapted to explore and then explain the implementation of ME. Data were collected from school document analysis and interviews with the leadership team and teachers. Study findings concluded that both leadership and teachers exhibit a positive attitude toward teaching ME, while professional development and resources are identified as the main challenges in implementation.