Manal Ahmed Alghamdi
Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Administration and Planning, Faculty of Education, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
Volume: 18| Issue: 1| Pages: 80-97| March 2026 | https://doi.org/10.54940/ep74755851| PDF
Received: 19/11/2025 | Received: 01/01/2026 | Accepted: 20/01/2026
Corresponding Author: maaghamdi@uqu.edu.sa
Abstract
The study aimed to examine the current state of school accreditation, analyze its practices, and extrapolate requirements for future development based on the perceptions of school principals. A qualitative approach was employed, using a hybrid content analysis method, Data were collected through interviews conducted with a purposive sample of 24 principals from government secondary schools in Makkah Al-Mukarramah. The findings revealed a clear gap between principals’ responsibilities and their actual authority, alongside a preference for school-based professional development. Inconsistencies in teaching and learning practices were evident, particularly in the imbalance between measuring implementation efforts and evaluating their impact on student learning which explains the low learning outcomes and actual outputs. The school environment was identified as a direct barrier to educational quality, while principals’ limited control over support services resulted in accountability for indicators beyond their authority, further reinforcing the responsibility–authority gap. The study recommends restructuring school principals’ empowerment to enable a genuine shift from nominal to actual empowerment; activating professional learning communities within schools as a national approach to professional development; streamlining accreditation procedures; and focusing on evaluating the impact of practices on improving learning outcomes, in addition to establishing national standards to reduce classroom density and enhance the quality of supportive services.
Keywords
School accreditation, School administration, Teaching and learning, Learning outcomes, School environment.
How to Cite
Alghamdi, M. (2026). Analyzing the Current Status of school accreditation and the Requirements for Its Future Development in view of School Principals’ perceptions. Journal of Umm Al-Qura University for Educational and Psychological Sciences, Vol18 (1), pp80-97. https://doi.org/10.54940/ep74755851
License
1658-8177/© 2026-by the Authors. Published by-J. Umm Al-Qura Univ. for Edu. and Psychological Sci.-This is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/-