Date of Award

Summer 2025

Document Type

Open Access Dissertation

Department

Educational Studies

First Advisor

Dr. Suzy Hardie

Abstract

Professional growth as a teacher is fundamental for teacher retention and an overall determinant of favorable student outcomes. Academic research underscores professional development as an indicator of success for a school’s success as well. Expatriate teachers in Kuwait, who comprise a significant portion of the workforce, come from various backgrounds and levels of readiness for teaching in a contextually and culturally unfamiliar setting. Due to how teachers are hired and approved for teaching without induction, an implementation for continuous professional development has yet to be materialized for teachers in the private sector. This qualitative study leverages Improvement Science to diagnose the problem and explore change ideas properly. The change idea of peer mentoring was explored after problem exploration and a root cause analysis. Using two Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles to quickly test change ideas, the study explored the utility of peer observations as a form of professional development. Data was collected through interviews, focus groups, and field notes. The findings suggested that teachers acquired pedagogical skills through reflection during the program. Recommendations for future iterations of the change idea include moving the program launch to the beginning of the academic year and adjusting schedules for program participants through slightly reduced teaching loads. This study contributes to the limited research on expatriate teachers, professional development for expatriate teachers, and the potential of peer mentoring as a contextually relevant change idea.

Rights

© 2025, Taji Abdul-Raheem

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