Exploring Perceptions of Education Experts Regarding “Creative School” and Its Leadership Role in Public Education

Creative school is an integrative system that secures a school environment that encourages creativity and inventiveness. It also highly depends on modern technology in all its educational and administration processes, in addition to means of communication with students and parents. The current study aims at exploring the perceptions of education experts regarding the concept of creative school and requirements of its leadership. The study adopted the qualitative method in which a sample of 21 experts were selected from those concerned with the field of study; 13 of them were staff members in Saudi Universities and 8 leaders of Saudi public schools throughout the academic year 2018–2019. The findings revealed that the creative school carried several names: intelligent school, creativity-developing school, and active teaching school. All experts agree that such schools secure a propitious environment for creativity and inventiveness and provide various advanced skills and programs subjected to balanced international criteria, which are conscious of international awareness with global issues, and environment programs. The findings also revealed that the foremost supports of creative schools are financing and social backup. It also unveiled that there are several abnormal roles for creative school leaders that suit nature and objectives of the school, in addition to requirements for creative school leadership as manifested in openness to organizational flexible structures along with a cooperative leadership that institutes technology. The study specified the foremost challenges facing leaders of the creative school, which is variety of skills needed for school leadership.


Introduction
The world undergoes drastic, accelerating and consecutive changes that affected educational system that eventually influenced development of school and its leadership. The school, as an educational social institution, aims to achieve an integrated development of student's personality. The role of the school is not to inculcate knowledge and information to students, but to go beyond that and develop the different aspects of individual's personality. The school is one of the educational institutions that incorporates and educational, cultural, and social system that correlates to direct and indirect social factors (Abu Naser, 2012). Modern school environment includes factors needed to stimulate students' latent creative and inventive powers which make inventiveness a type of behavior (Kamal, Shelden, & Al-Ajez, 2010). Many school principals and teachers see that it is necessary to apply creative teaching in education environments (Harris & de Bruin, 2018). The modern school focuses on the learner which won't be achieved except through an orchestrated effort that includes: teacher, syllabus, school principals, and local society.

1) Creative School
The Gulf States Bureau of Education (GSBE) defined school of the future as "an educational project that aspires to build a multi-level modern school that derives its message from the belief that the society's ability to advance and achieve a comprehensive development depends on the quality of building its educational structure. Such a school utilizes modern technology via electronic schools, hypothetical teaching, and smart classes (Gulf States Bureau of Education, 2005). The creative school includes the extant ones, which cope with modern inventions through reengineering the educational process and integrating technology with teaching in addition to disseminating the culture of mutual interactive teaching. It also cares for securing school environment that renovates creativity and inventiveness, besides developing the teaching process by using modern and developed training programs that were formerly analyzed, integrating parents with this system and applying international standards (Robinson & Aronica, 2015).
Creative school is that one which highly utilizes modern technology in all aspects of the educational process and communicates with students and their parents. It is one form of educational renewal that copes with the givens of the age of information. In this school, teaching processes are conducted through modern technologies adopted for the entire teaching process (Al-Saedi, 2005). The creative school tries to develop all components of school administration starting with the administration to apply creative management, design strategic school plans, and introduce technology to managerial, organizational, and financial affairs. It also cares for the creative teacher who is the basic foundation of the teaching process, secures school needs through a sponsoring community, the final beneficiary of the whole process (Khalil, 2014).
These schools also focus on numerous aspects including intelligence diversity, which empowers students in all fields, and assess their learning achievements (Robinson & Aronica, 2015, p. 83).
The creative school is distinguished by certain characteristics that make the teaching process a success: it provides the society with outcomes that are able to play a role in the development of the society through: securing competent teachers, teaching aids, equipment and labs, and human interaction, which respect student's potentials and ensure discovering their talents (Abu Jadu, 2004). Bemark (2002) attempted to draw a picture of future school; while the study of Tracy (2005) aimed to investigate the probabilities of future learning in four fields: financing, and school shareholding that constitute one of the significant dimensions of creative school. In general, the creative school plays a significant role in students' interests, developing their skills, triggering their creative energies, teaching creative thinking, adaptability to the local and international surroundings, and in confronting future challenges.
Other studies pointed out creative school should show a great interest in teaching skills of 21st century such as those of cognition, experiences and numerous cultures that students should perfect to achieve success in study, work, and life. This is a blend of basic learning skills in reading, writing, and math, in order to be developed at an earlier stage. The 21st century skills that students need are: life and profession skills, media and technology skills, learning and inventiveness skills (4Cs) represented by critical and creative thinking, problem solving communication and cooperation, in addition to leadership and responsibility (Griffin, McGaw, & Care, 2011).

2) Developing institutions and school leaderships
The term development implies a set of changes that influence an educational system to make it more active and more responsive (Mustafa, 2005). This requires learning certain skills and introducing new methods to work. To achieve a qualitative change in the performance of educational system, King Abdula Bin Abdul Aziz project to develop public education (Tatweer) has started since 2009 to design development strategies in compliance with certain accredited steering a principle to reach the international level of creative schools. The program also made of school self-autonomous educational institutions capable of development, enjoying a sufficient level of independence, planning, design, evaluation, and leaders of development processes (Saudi Ministry of Education, 2019). The comprehensive project aims at improving school environment to reinforce learning and to utilize information technology to improve education.
The study of Shublaq (2006) confirmed that there is deficiency with school leaders regarding strategic planning. The study of Al-Rayyes (2014) also ascertained the need for developing performance of leaderships.
Regarding the role of the society, Abu Abed (2007) assured that there should be a strong relation between the school and local community to secure developing school leaderships.
Al-Sulaiman and Al-Habeeb (2017) pointed out that: clarity of objectives for the educational institution, participation of all employees, regular revision of such objectives, and financial support are essential for the development process.
The study of Sreenivas et al. (2014) pointed out that certain requirements are needed to improve the quality of schools among which are: disseminating quality awareness, team work, and developing strategies to augment cooperation between groups.

3) Significance of school leader in creative schools
The school leader is regarded the springboard, central pillar and essential supporter of employees. (Abu Naser, 2012) assures that the school leader must enjoy qualities that cope with the roles he plays from which social administration efficiency is one. The leader is the one responsible for securing a propitious educational ies.ccsenet.org International Education Studies Vol. 13, No. 5; environment (Al-Hayyah, 2015). He is also the boss of all employees. Due to the significance of school leadership, the title "school principal" has been changed to school leader after the Saudi minister of education in decree no. (137504) 6/5/2015 which also includes leadership selection control in accordance with future requirements (Al-Sulaiman & Al-Habeeb, 2017). Toppin (2002) sees that school leaders from modern perspective have to possess new competencies such as: developing the institution through initiatives, inventiveness, problem solution, decision making, ability to build up local teams and to activate strategic thinking. Ucus and Acar (2019) ascertains that school management needs to secure propitious school environment including suitable methods whose objective is to totally and deeply change the educational behavior of students to better activate their potentials and invest them creatively to the maximum possible degree.

Problem of the Study
Many educational studies point to the importance of creativity in stimulating educational processes (Wyse & Ferrari, 2015), and in providing a stimulating school environment where the availability of creative school helps in the discovery and development of talent. Other studies called for the adoption of the concept of "creative school" as a new concept that refers to schools that have followed a creative way in organizing the elements of educational processes and its material and human requirements and the school environment (Robinson & Aronica, 2015).
This study is conducted through a period in which the Saudi educational system adopts programs and models of development like the creative school. Hence, the problem of the study lies in answering the following questions: What are the perceptions of experts of education on the identity the creative school and the needs of its leadership?
This question is divided into the following two sub-questions: What are the proposed perceptions regarding the creative school from the perspective of experts?
What are the proposed perceptions regarding needs of creative school leadership from the perspective of experts?

Objectives of the Study
The study aims to bridge the gap regarding the awareness and understanding of education experts on the concept of the creative school and the needs of leaderships of such schools. In addition, it aims to analyze the major factors of school system.

Significance of the Study
The significance lies in the expected findings, which hopefully will benefit those concerned with education development in addition to the Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia. The results might be adopted to develop public education. The study is also an attempt to analyze the major elements of the creative school. The results might also be used in training cadres of school leaders. Theoretically, the current study will add up an important aspect of knowledge to researchers and those concerned with the field of education

Limitations of the Study
The study used one source for collecting data manifested in an interview for a group of 21 education experts in Saudi Arabia during the academic year 2018/2019.

Study Terminology
The study adopts the following concepts and terms: The proposed perception: It is a general mental framework adopted by a group of researchers or educators in the form of basic assumptions, values, concepts, or interests linked to man, universe, life, and controversial relations based on topics that make researchers prefer patterns or curricula that get along with their constituents.
Creative school: This study defines the creative school to be an educational institution whose mission takes into consideration an ambitious project of education that depends on technology to build up an integrated homogeneous community of teachers and learners. It exploits learning strategies founded on creativity and inventiveness in an environment open to the society and other cultures.

Literature Review
Ucus and Acar (2019) attempted in their study to unveil the perception of Turkish teachers regarding the creative ies.ccsenet.org International Vol. 13, No. 5; school at the early childhood stage. The teachers described the school to be an area for active participation through which children's queries can be answered via activities based on play. It is the school in which children can participate, have freedom to express themselves, and is designed to correlate community with nature.
The study of Harris and de Bruin (2018) recommended applying creative teaching in special learning environments of secondary schools. The study presented teachers' perceptions in the USA, Canada, and Australia regarding creative teaching that reinforces creativity. The study unveiled a number of educational practices that consolidate creativity among which are: critical thinking, school creative environment, school practices that reinforce learning and thinking "outside the box". It also revealed discrepancy of teachers' perceptions in this respect.
The study of Sabbah (2017) aimed to identify the role of education leadership in developing the creative school in Palestine. The study was applied to a small sample of 116 of school male and female leaders.
Findings of the study revealed that developing the creative school requires interaction of several things whose significance lies in the following order: role of leadership, securing a motivating school environment, and teachers' role.
The study of Briska and Kalēja-Gasparoviča (2017) analyzed obstacles the culture of creative school in Baltic States in addition to chances of teachers, school principals, and society members to originate creativity in schools. The study comprised a number of teachers, school administration, student representatives, and parents from (Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania). Those were divided into eight concentrated groups. The findings revealed the foremost barriers that prevented students' creativity in schools and the responsibility shouldered by each party. Some of these obstacles were in-class factors such as students' activities, teaching methods, textbooks content, and communication in school. Others were linked to factors outside class such as: (school management, financing, society correlation, and teachers' cooperation). The study also revealed the most important obstacles in the way of developing students' creativity in schools specifying some like: culture, teachers' stance toward traditions, inventions as values, and teachers' potentials.
The study of Kallapadee, Tesaputa, and Somprach (2017) tackled the role of transformational creative leadership in primary schools in New Zealand. The study assured that creative leadership utilized mental and cognitive skills throughout duty implementation. It also revealed that the creative leadership is distinguished because its roles go beyond supervising and guiding teachers for it reinforces partnership between individuals and leadership. It proves into the need of the school as an institution of education for development. It sees that self-teaching is important for everyone; it might be gained through interaction with school system to build up self-knowledge. The study also assured the need to train transformational creative leaders in the fields of: vision, motivation and creativity through initiatives, concentration on work, and flexibility by working in several dimensions. From the findings of previous studies, it was noticed that creative schools focused on environment that encourages creativity materially or morally. They also focused on abnormal duties and skills of school leadership, teachers and administrators in the light of openness, positive and constructive interaction with society as that secures support for both of them.

Methodology
This study adopted the qualitative method that relies on a specific and detailed case or cases (Lichtman, 2012). This method allows to verify ideas, perceptions, and experiences of members of the study sample from education experts regarding the creative school, and to put that perception in a framework.

Population and Sample of the Study
The samples of the study comprise 21 education experts working in Saudi universities and public education in the academic year 2018/2019. They were purposively chosen regarding experience, and qualification (Table 1).  Vol. 13, No. 5; The table shows that 17 of education experts were Ph.D. degree holders in education; 4 holders of MA degree in education. 8 of the education experts were school leaders and 13 were teaching staff members in Saudi Universities Experts of the teaching staff members were distributed at five state universities. Their academic ranks were as follows: 2 professors, 5 associate professors and 10 assistant professors. The experience of school leaders ranged between (15 -17) years in leadership. In general, participants were (32-54) years old.

Instrument of the Study
The regular interview (Appendix A) was used. The researcher in that interview addressed questions prepared in advance. The instrument comprised 12 specific questions in addition to an open one. The questions were addressed to all members of the sample in same way and same order. 17 of the participants were directly interviewed and 4 were interviewed by phone. All interviews were recorded with the consent of participants to secure keeping the entire data for text citation throughout analysis. Interviews were conducted individually within the framework of a guided discussion.

Reliability and Validity
To ensure reliability of the instrument, the researcher selected a group of 13 experienced judges from Saudi Universities who were specialized in the fields of education management, education, psychology, measurement and evaluation, and special education. The purpose was to benefit from their opinions regarding suitability of the study instrument and accuracy of language. In the light of the judges' remarks, certain parts of the pattern were rewritten in addition to the guided paragraphs of the interview; standards of validity for qualitative researches were taken into consideration.
The standards that Schwandt et al. (2007) sees are four: 1) Credibility: via triangulation which was applied in this study through interviewing more than one person of the same experience or situation, participants opinions and directives.
2) Transferability: the awareness that study results couldn't be generalized, but could be benefited from in similar situations or programs.
3) Dependability: accurate description of study procedures so that research practices can be conducted and used in the future. 4) Confirmability: via triangulation and awareness whose results should be the outcome of participants responses without directives from the researcher who conducted the interview

Statistical Methods
Percentages and repetitions were used. Results of interviews content relevant to the creative school were analyzed from the perspective of certain concepts depending on answers and meanings stated in the interview. The methodology proposed by (Prasad, 2008) was used in order to deal with the content including the choice of unit analysis, group developing, verifying reliability, and ending up with coding that explains viewpoints of participants.

Results and Discussion
The current study endeavored to explore the perceptions of education experts in Saudi Arabia regarding creative schools and the needs of their leaders, besides answers to questions of the study. The study came up to the following: Result correlates to the first question: What are the perceptions of experts of education on the identity the creative school and the needs of its leadership?
By analyzing the content of the interview, the study identified a number of symbols and key areas as follows Philosophy of the Creative School: Through analyzing the content of the interview relevant to this part, six points related to perceptions of study samples on creative schools were specified. These might be outlined in the following: creative school is a smart one (16%), it caters for developing creativity (22%), it is the school of the elite (12%), a school of active learning (21%), a school of technological progress (15%), a highly renewed school (14%). From experts' responses, we notice that the concept of the creative school is not one for each of them who views it from a different perspective in accordance with the expert's background and experience. In the context of perceptions, the result is normal, due to concept overlapping among experts with regard to new terminology of education. The study of (Anne & Leon, 2018) revealed school leaders feel that, creative teaching should be introduced to schools despite differences in understanding the nature of creativity and how to reinforce it in such schools.
ies.ccsenet.org Vol. 13, No. 5; The Second Result: Equipping the creative school: As for what the creative school should have, experts pointed out that they are: most updated programs, technology, and labs (19%), well-prepared programs (15%), integrating traditional school with a smart one (14%), advanced communication systems (17%), facilities and technology in building (20%). The preceding results show that the equipment the creative schools need, as experts see, are two-sided: traditional facilities which include buildings and labs, and technology whether in curricula or administrative systems.
Third Result: Learning culture dominating the creative school: Five things linked to learning culture should exist in the creative school. These are represented by: learning culture should be participatory (20%), culture based on multi-specializations (21%), culture that takes risk into consideration, experimentation, and error (18%), learning culture to be based on inventiveness (24%), and learning culture that is based on learners' self-motivation and earnestness (17%),. From the preceding, we notice that learning culture from the perception of experts is divided between inventiveness, and participation.
Fourth Result: Programs offered by the school In accordance with the perceptions of creative school experts, the following seven programs were noted: advanced programs subject to international standards (23%), entrepreneurship programs (11%), traditional and advanced programs (95), global awareness programs (7%), integration of numerous specializations (12%), well-balanced programs (20%), and programs of interface science (18%). Thus, the perceptions of experts refer to a group of several advanced programs characterized by being balanced and conscious of international issues and interface programs. In general, these perceptions agree with skills of 21 st century which educational institutions try to adopt for their teaching programs. Al-Ajami (2011) mentioned several studies that focused on engineering the educational system through the direct practitioner (teacher) and the use of technology-centered approaches In general, these perceptions are an update vision of advanced comprehensive curricula that focus on national and international dimensions. For many experts the curriculum of the creative school to succeed should directly correlate to teacher and learner. Many studies confirmed that teacher of 21 st c. should: practice creative thinking, freedom of speech and life management skills (Khayo, 2013), in addition to research technological skills, and social responsibility (Suto, 2013) in order to be able to present the curriculum in a suitable manner which requires catering for the teacher who is the essential component of school system. Developing creativity in the schools necessitates a large-scale knowledge and reflexive practices that help teacher motivate creativity and critical thinking (Dooly & Vilanueva, 2006).
The previous skills reflect comprehensiveness on the social and group levels. It is also noted that 21 st c. skills got the highest percentage reflecting their significance. The study of Blewi and Al-Zuboun (2017) stressed the need to provide an open atmosphere for school employees which allows them to concentrate on future skills correlating them with teaching skills of 21st century (life and profession skills, technology skills…. etc.) (Griffin, McGaw, & Care, 2011).

Seventh Result: The foremost pillars of creative schools
Experts focus on three sides that help creative schools be a success: suitable funding (38%), government subsidy (20%), and society support 42 which ranked first. One expert noted the following text: "The success of the creative school with its pioneering idea depends first and foremost on the will of society, whatever its economic status." This confirms the positive and important role of the community in the success of the school providing its mission and the success of any development of schools.
The result correlates to the second question: What are the proposed perceptions regarding the creative school from the perspective of experts? ies.ccsenet.org International Vol. 13, No. 5; By analyzing the content of the interview, the study identified a number of symbols and key areas as follows

First: Role of School Leaders
The study highlighted twelve points in this respect seen as follows: building up a community of students, teachers, parents, and local society got (12%), preparing the school for creative thinking, experience, and active learning (11%), positive interaction with the society (10%), reinforcing supportive learning (students, parents, and local community) 10%, change of culture, dominating traditions, and adaptability to change (8%), sustainable development of tradition (8%), sustainable development of tradition (8%), supporting curriculum based on thinking (8%), enabling students maintain their sources of power (7%), emphasizing the significance of comprehensive cooperation (7%), qualifying teachers and administrators (12%), creating opportunities for school employees (7%). The results present roles of creative schools leaders propitious with the nature and objectives of the school to openness and to institute the creative person by preparing opportunities for creativity and inventiveness (Al-Sulaiman & Al-Habeeb, 2017).
Second: The most important fields' leaders of creative school's deal with.
From the perceptions of experts, the most important fields leaders of creative schools dealt with were: concentration on an integrative curriculum to improve students' performance got (32%), cooperative leadership (28%), improving school environment (25%), partnership between family and school (15%). Thus, the interactive comprehensive curriculum ranked highest which indicated that field should be given highest priority of concern. One expert pointed out the text "The creative school is based on an integrated and holistic approach that is presented in a stimulating and creative environment in a collaborative and complementary framework between the school and the community".

Third: Leadership needs in creative schools
Experts presented (8), needs for creative school leaders which are: open cultural and cooperative culture which got (18%), running school by a cooperative symmetrical team (17%), instituting information technology (15%), ensuring global standards (14%), flexible organization structure (12%), strategic inventiveness (11%), enriching schools with renewable knowledge (9%), and dealing with important issues (4%). From the perception of the experts factors of success of such schools require structural and organizational openness in addition to cooperation and instituting technology (Ucus & Acar, 2019).
Fourth: Efficiency of creative school leader from the perception of experts regarding the leader of creative school. The rating was as follows: He is the leader of change (21%), plays the role of work guide (11%), a counselor who helps friends and share in decision making (12%), abides by a clear education policy (12%), practices democracy at work (14%) can probe into the future (18%), and enjoys intelligence, and self-confidence (12%). Experts found out that such competencies qualify the leader to be a suitable model to create change and to translate creative teacher's ideas into actuality (Al-Harbi, 2011). The study of Goldring et al. (2006) concluded that school leaders need to be aware of curricula, methods of teaching, and continuous training. Khalil (2014) saw that school leaders should have sufficient technological knowledge. Where the success of applying any proposed model of creative school depends on choosing the appropriate leader who has the ability to face challenges and successfully pass the stage of implementing new processes and practices. In addition, the leader must be: mental openness, design skills, enthusiasm and optimism, and skills to deal with individuals, and has a vision for the future, the ability to communicate, and to be at a high level of personal ethics a high level of mannerism, which is his responsibility for the behavior of his subordinates Fifth: Challenges facing leaders of creative schools Experts see that there are many challenges which face leaders of creative schools and can be outlined in two fields: diversity of skills required from school leadership (82%), and accelerating development of technology (18%). Skill diversity of leaders knowledge is very difficult specially with the accelerating changes in the fields of science which require a leader who accepts the challenge and motivation to achieve the task. Some of such challenges are seen by experts to be "the overwhelming knowledge of technology and management, in addition to the qualified teacher for the school of the future is that of the qualified teacher" Another expert raised this aspect and answered the text "This challenge can be overcome through cooperative leadership and integrated team work". This indicates the possibility of employing leadership strategies and capabilities of the school and community cooperation to overcome any difficulties facing the development processes. ies.ccsenet.

Conclus
The  Vol. 13, No. 5; practiced in compliance with the creative method.
It noted that the proposed perception included classifications such as: human energy linked to the employee's desire and motivation, educational energy linked to the organization's commitment to education, and technological energy related to the implementation of activities that we dreamed of. The school can also be re-modeled as a new way of thinking and radically changing in order to develop and get rid of old ways, and to bring about fundamental changes in the normative and procedural structure of the organization. The proposed perception aims to bring about a comprehensive change in the planning and performance of school leadership operations, selecting the best available material and human resources, increasing productivity by achieving work flow, maximizing revenue by carrying out tasks in innovative non-traditional ways, and making continuous improvements in the educational service and administrative process within the school, and define the shape and future framework of the administrative process within the school educational system.
Whenever leadership requirements, creative milieu, openness to the society, societal support, instituting integrative culture between the community and school, then that will be positively echoed by the school outcomes, thus, achieving the desired societal development.

Finally
To ensure the success of the proposed model, application requirements such as Supporting school leadership, providing informed school leaders, preparing a work team to carry out the re-engineering process, redesigning school jobs, building comprehensive electronic information systems, adopting a new organizational culture, clarity of strategic vision, and re-employing available tools and capabilities. This requires a number of principles, including: focus on results, focus on the student, the optimal use of administrative tools, support training for change processes, and motivate workers to accept innovations through the practice of re-continual change.

Recommendations
The study recommends adopting educational and training programs for school leaders on the creative school as perceptions varied regarding the identity of such school. It also recommends to benefit from successful experiments in the field of school development and to amend them to suit the social and cultural identity of Saudi Arabia. In addition, it recommends adopting the proposed perception on the creative school to be practiced in public ones within the available capabilities. Is there anything you would like to add or any helpful remark you deem necessary relevant to your perception on creative schools and their leaderships?

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