Iraqi empirical models of teacher leadership propelling professional learning networks to optimise learning in a digitised age with languages of and for open access and modernisation

The professional challenge this paper seeks to address is Iraqi teacher leaders do not have empirical role descriptions and are struggling to establish a professional autonomous identity. A socio-historiographical analysis of Iraq mapped to war is provided. Drawing on DeGruy’s (2008) theorising of Post Traumatic Slavery Disorder, we are identifying Iraqis as experiencing Traumatic War, and therefore having Post Traumatic War Disorder. The Iraq Ministry of Planning’s (2018) ‘National Development Plan 2018-2022 identifies that nowadays there is a deficit in school buildings excluding those under construction of 8147 with overcrowding in classrooms. Most areas of Iraq continue to suffer from multi-dimensional poverty. Improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the education system to propel local entrepreneurial economies and mobilise economic growth through compulsory education, vocational education and life-long learning is very challenging. A lack of: modern curricula; competence based national assessment framework; empirical teacher leadership model/role descriptions prevent the development of skills sets of inclusionary labour markets that will deliver Iraq’s ambitious development plan. Data collected from six educational professionals in the education system reveals participants are currently not implementing any aspect of ‘An Empirical Model of Teacher Leadership’ that emerged from a literature review. Further, they are not propelling Professional Learning Networks to optimise learning in a digitised age with languages of and for open access and modernisation. The evidence reveals they are ready to implement this model and have an appetite to do so. An Iraqi Empirical Model of Teacher Leaders is presented to emerge from the data that consolidates the modernisation of Iraq by applying A Blueprint of Character Development for Evolution (ABCDE) with a competence based Assessment for Personal and Social Learning. The model provides a pathway for citizens to develop thinking tools to i) recognise what counts as faculty of good judgement and ii) how to apply this to developing strategies to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (United Nations, 2016) with sustainable business models.