Presentation Schedule
Fostering Critical Leadership in Aspiring School Leaders Through AI-Assisted Reflective Blogging in Higher Education (109286)
Session Chair: Päivi Hurri
Thursday, 18 June 2026 09:55
Session: Session 1
Room: Room 106 (1F)
Presentation Type:Oral Presentation
This convergent parallel mixed-methods study investigates how AI-assisted reflective blogging enhances reflective thinking, ethical awareness, and leadership identity development among postgraduate students enrolled in a Master's in Educational Leadership program in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The research addresses a critical gap in AI-in-education scholarship, where technological adoption often lacks integration with pedagogical theory, ethical reasoning, and human-centered leadership development. The intervention was conducted over 11 weeks, structured into four iterative reflective blogging cycles. In each cycle, participants first composed reflections independently, followed by AI-supported feedback using tools such as ChatGPT and Grammarly, and finally revised their work by integrating AI-generated, peer, and instructor feedback. Data were collected through pre- and post-intervention surveys, semi-structured interviews, instructor reflective journals, and student blog artifacts. Quantitative data were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, while qualitative data were examined using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis.
Results indicate statistically significant improvements in reflective thinking (p = 0.003, r = 0.56), adaptive learning capacity (p = 0.015, r = 0.46), and AI usability perceptions (p = 0.024, r = 0.43). Six qualitative themes emerged: metacognitive growth, theory-to-practice integration, AI as a reflective partner, evolving leadership identity, collaborative dialogic reflection, and leadership practice transformation. Findings demonstrate that AI-assisted reflective blogging—when scaffolded through intentional faculty facilitation and ethical framing—can foster higher-order reflection, adaptive leadership competencies, and professional identity development, supporting educational innovation aligned with UAE Vision 2031.
Authors:
Aysha Saeed Alshamsi, Emirates College for Advanced Education, United Arab Emirates
About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Aysha Saeed Alshamsi, Associate Professor, Emirates College for Advanced Education.
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