Distributed leadership in higher education curriculum reforms: A case study of an undergraduate program in Cambodia

The evolving dynamics of globalization and fast-changing demands in higher education (HE) have significantly impacted the implementation of Distributed Leadership (DL) in Curriculum Reforms (CR). This effect is particularly noticeable in developing countries like Cambodia, where reforming curriculum is essential for producing graduates who can compete in an increasingly complex labor market and contribute to national aspirations of attaining upper-middle-income status by 2030 and high-income status by 2050. Asian educational institutions may also have cultural expectations around authority and harmony that could add complexity to the implementation of collaborative leadership practices. While DL is argued to be vital to effective CR, little research has explored the implementation of DL in the curriculum reform process within Cambodia’s cultural and economic context, leaving policymakers, academic leaders, and educators with a limited understanding of how DL can influence these reforms. Cambodia, therefore, presents a critical case study for examining the roles, power distribution, issues and challenges, and collaborative solutions among curriculum leaders in this reform process.

Therefore, this thesis examines the understanding of DL's implementation within the context of CR in Cambodia’s higher education sector, demonstrating how DL in CR can help achieve the country’s strategic development goals. Employing a qualitative case study approach, which allows the researcher to construct diverse perspectives from different stakeholders, this study focuses on an undergraduate English language program at a provincial university in Cambodia.

Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 curriculum leaders working at university, faculty, and classroom levels, complemented by document analysis with the key documents in relation to DL in the curriculum reform process, especially relevant technical meeting minutes and training workshop reports. Thematic Analysis (TA) was utilized to identify the key themes related to the roles, power distribution, issues and challenges, and collective solutions among curriculum leaders in the reform process.

The findings indicate that DL is a critical catalyst of effective CR, facilitating collaborative planning, development, implementation, and evaluation. Leadership roles were found to be necessarily distributed across different levels: strategic guidance and support by university-level leaders, coordination and management of the reform process by faculty-level leaders, and practical curriculum execution and feedback by teachers who are at the classroom level.

The findings also show the importance of clear power distribution among leaders and highlight that successful DL requires collective decision-making, shared responsibility, and good communication and interactions, and also that follow-up efforts from the higher levels are vital to enable the reform process to move forward. However, this study identifies considerable issues and challenges to implementing DL in this context, including resource constraints, insufficient capacity, limited encouraging and supportive environment, and inconsistent involvement and collaboration of the curriculum leaders. To address these barriers, collective solutions are necessitated with a focus on capacity-building, enhanced communication and interactions, and sustained collaboration and support among the relevant curriculum leaders.

The study underscores the need for institutional policies that promote DL, such as professional development initiatives, to strengthen leadership practices across all levels. Moreover, the active involvement of diverse curriculum leaders is vital for ensuring that CR is comprehensive and contextually appropriate. The findings contribute valuable insights into DL within the context of CR in Cambodia, bridging a gap in the existing literature and offering empirical evidence that can inform policy and practice. The study’s implications for policy and practice may inform strategies to enhance educational quality and accessibility in Cambodia and similar contexts. It also opens avenues for future research, particularly in exploring the long-term impacts of DL on educational outcomes and the sustainability of CR initiatives. All rights reserved.