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1 – 10 of over 156000Andreas Kythreotis, Petros Pashiardis and Leonidas Kyriakides
This study aims to examine the validation of both the model of direct effects and the model of indirect effects of principals' leadership on student academic achievement.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the validation of both the model of direct effects and the model of indirect effects of principals' leadership on student academic achievement.
Design/methodology/approach
A longitudinal study was conducted in which 22 schools, 55 classes and 1,224 Cypriot primary students participated. Specifically, achievements in Greek Language and Mathematics were assessed at the beginning and at the end of the same school year. Moreover, leadership style of school principals and teachers as well as school and classroom culture was measured.
Findings
The findings provide some empirical support for the model of direct effects of principals' leadership on student academic achievement. Moreover, student achievement gains were found to be related with five factors at the school level: the principals' human resource leadership style and four dimensions of organizational culture. At the classroom level, three dimensions of learning culture significantly influence student achievement in each subject. Finally, relationships between effectiveness factors operating at different levels were identified.
Originality/value
The article presents an original empirical study which examined the relationship among school leadership, school culture and student achievement in order to validate both the model of direct effects and the model of indirect effects of school principals on student achievement.
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This study aims to examine how students with different goals differ in their subjective well-being, including academic self-efficacy (ASE) and affect at school (AAS). There are…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine how students with different goals differ in their subjective well-being, including academic self-efficacy (ASE) and affect at school (AAS). There are four goal orientations that motivate students to achieve academic performance. Therefore, this study examined the relationship between the four dimensions of achievement goals (AGs), ASE and AAS. It also examined five relationship models between these variables.
Design/methodology/approach
This study was conducted using a survey method with a questionnaire on 516 students at several private universities in Yogyakarta who have been studying for at least two years. After testing the validity and reliability of the measurements, correlation testing was conducted to determine the relationship between the two variables. Furthermore, testing of the five relationship models was conducted using structural equation modeling (SEM) with a two-step approach.
Findings
The findings showed that each goal was directly related to students' well-being with a diverse relationship nature. Furthermore, mastery-approach goals (MApGs) were the types that most consistently have a positive effect on students' well-being. Also, performance-avoidance goals (PAvGs) consistently and negatively affected students' well-being, while performance-approach goals (PApGs) produced various influences and relationships. In addition, mastery-avoidance goals (MAvGs) are among the four AGs that still need to be studied, especially in educational settings. This is because they had no effect on ASE either directly or indirectly.
Research limitations/implications
The limitation of this study was using cross-sectional data and self-report in data collection. Furthermore, the respondents were limited to private university students, and they were few in number.
Practical implications
MApGs had a positive effect on ASE and AAS, while PAvGs can reduce ASE and cause negative effects. Therefore, higher institutions in Indonesia need to provide a curriculum that can increase students' curiosity, creativity and involvement in the learning process. This will make them confident in their abilities and have a positive attitude in school and the society. Also, this study showed that a PApG is not a negative goal because it can increase students' confidence in their abilities. This competency feeling needs to be fostered because it encourages them to increase knowledge and learning content, as well as increase their positive effects.
Originality/value
This paper addressed the need to understand how to generate and increase students’ motivation.
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Ronald H. Heck and Paul R. Brandon
As increasing concern has been given to reshaping teaching andlearning processes in schools, empowering teachers has become animportant means of implementing school reform. The…
Abstract
As increasing concern has been given to reshaping teaching and learning processes in schools, empowering teachers has become an important means of implementing school reform. The focus of this research was to investigate how the purposeful reform of school decision‐making responsibilities affects teacher participation and leadership in selecting critical needs to address during the school improvement process. Results indicate that involvement in the process of setting up decision making and selecting the content of school needs affect teachers′ agreement with selected needs. Teacher expertise and leadership opportunities were found to affect their participation in school decision making. Discusses results in terms of their implications for school reform.
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Fan Wu, Guoquan Chen and Shuting Xiang
Existing research regarding the value of school education focuses primarily on the effects of educational level on core task performance after graduation. However, it is worth…
Abstract
Purpose
Existing research regarding the value of school education focuses primarily on the effects of educational level on core task performance after graduation. However, it is worth noting that knowledge, skills and abilities are not the only individual gains from school education. For part-time Master of Business Administration (MBA) students, the impact of MBA education on their real-time work during their two-year or so study journey has not been reported. This study aims to provide theoretical reasoning and empirical insights to clarify the impact of psychological safety at school on psychological capital (PsyCap) at work for part-time MBA students and examines the moderating role of constructive controversy at school in this relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey of 286 part-time MBA students was conducted in a university located in Beijing to address the theoretical issue.
Findings
Students’ psychological safety at school is positively related to PsyCap at work. Constructive controversy at school acts as a positive moderator in the relationship between psychological safety at school and PsyCap at work.
Originality/value
This study establishes a link between the school and the workplace. It explores the relationship between an individual’s psychological states at school and at work and contributes to the literature on human resources and management education. Furthermore, the findings prove that students not only gain knowledge, skills and abilities from education but also positive psychological states, such as psychological safety.
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Ruth Heilbronn and Rosalind Janssen
Research suggests that parentally bereaved children are likely to experience lower academic success and may need long-term support through tertiary education. Gender matters …
Abstract
Research suggests that parentally bereaved children are likely to experience lower academic success and may need long-term support through tertiary education. Gender matters — boys bereaved of fathers and girls bereaved of mothers are at increased risk. Boys also exhibit higher levels of emotional and behavioural issues following bereavement. Age is another factor and exam results of children bereaved before the age of five or at twelve are significantly more affected than those bereaved at other ages. Circumstances affecting these achievements concern the relationship between the child’s emotional state and how it plays out in behaviour and motivation in school.
Significantly, Freddie Pargetter, the subject of the chapter, has a twin sister, Lily. The twins had just turned 12 when their father was killed. Comparing the twins’ General Certificate of Education (GCSE) results fits the research patterns — Lily managed well and Freddie did not. Freddie recognises that the academic environment of Felpersham Cathedral School did not support him well and chooses Borchester FE College to continue his studies. This choice raises controversy in the family, indicative of well-rehearsed, real-world educational arguments. Social media responses to other Archers plot lines reveal the extent of how educational issues in the programme resonate with listeners.
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Peter J.C. Sleegers, Eric E.J. Thoonen, Frans J. Oort and Thea T.D. Peetsma
Elementary schools have been confronted with large-scale educational reforms as strategies to improve the educational quality. While building school-wide capacity for improvement…
Abstract
Purpose
Elementary schools have been confronted with large-scale educational reforms as strategies to improve the educational quality. While building school-wide capacity for improvement is considered critical for changing teachers’ classroom practices, there is still little empirical evidence for link between enhanced school capacity for improvement and instructional change. In this study, the authors examined the impact of school improvement capacity on changes in teachers’ classroom practices over a period of time. Leadership practices, school organizational conditions, teacher motivation and teacher learning were used to measure school-wide capacity for improvement. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
Mixed-model analysis of longitudinal data over a four years (2005-2008) period of time from 862 teachers of 32 Dutch elementary schools were used to test the impact of school improvement capacity on changing teachers’ instructional practices.
Findings
The results showed that organizational-level conditions and teacher-level conditions play an important, but different role in changing teachers’ classroom practices. Whereas teacher factors mainly affect changes in teachers’ classroom practices, organizational factors are of significant importance to enhance teacher motivation and teacher learning.
Research limitations/implications
More longitudinal research is needed to gain better insight into the opportunities and limits of building school-wide capacity to stimulate instructional change.
Practical implications
By encouraging teachers to question their own beliefs, facilitating opportunities for teachers to work together to solve problems, and through the promotion of shared decision making, school leaders can reinforce the personal and social identification of teachers with the organization. As a consequence, teachers will feel increasingly committed and are more willing to change their classroom practices. Additionally, school leaders can use the findings from this study and the related instrument as a tool for school self-evaluation.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to a deeper understanding of the nature of changes in conditions for school improvement and its influence on changes in teachers’ instructional practices over a period of time.
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This research aims to find out teachers' perception about the behaviors of their school leaders with regard to knowledge management, and the changes in teachers' opinion…
Abstract
Purpose
This research aims to find out teachers' perception about the behaviors of their school leaders with regard to knowledge management, and the changes in teachers' opinion considering their sex, age, educational level, experiment and tenure.
Design/methodology/approach
The sample of the research is primary schools teachers in Edirne, Turkey. A total of 430 questionnaires were evaluated. The scale developed to identify elementary school teachers' perception about knowledge management practices at their schools is based on four other different scales: “Know‐all 50: Knowledge Management Assessment”, “Knowledge Management Framework Assessment Exercise”, “Assessing Readiness for Managing Knowledge Assets”, and “Working with Knowledge”.
Findings
Findings of the research suggest that there are seven existing sub‐dimensions of knowledge management at schools in Turkey, namely: leadership, cultural structure, knowledge hubs and centers, tacit knowledge, explicit knowledge, knowledge vision, and learning culture. In addition to this, there is a significant relationship between the different sub‐dimensions of knowledge management and whether teachers have e‐mail addresses of their own, their schools have internet connection (for external knowledge), web site, computer network (for internal knowledge) and whether the school has a subscription to professional publications.
Originality/value
The researches in different countries show that knowledge management has nine sub‐dimensions but in Turkey there are seven. This scale needs to be applied to different organizational settings in order to be validated nationwide.
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Andrew D. Madden, Sheila Webber, Nigel Ford and Mary Crowder
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between preferred choice of school subject and student information behaviour (IB).
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between preferred choice of school subject and student information behaviour (IB).
Design/methodology/approach
Mixed methods were employed. In all, 152 students, teachers and librarians participated in interviews or focus groups. In total, 1,375 students, key stage 3 (11-14 years) to postgraduate, responded to a questionnaire. The research population was drawn from eight schools, two further education colleges and three universities. Insights from the literature review and the qualitative research phase led to a hypothesis which was investigated using the questionnaire: that students studying hard subjects are less likely to engage in deep IB than students studying soft subjects.
Findings
Results support the hypothesis that preferences for subjects at school affect choice of university degree. The hypothesis that a preference for hard or soft subjects affects IB is supported by results of an analysis in which like or dislike of maths/ICT is correlated with responses to the survey. Interviewees’ comments led to the proposal that academic subjects can be classified according to whether a subject helps students to acquire a “tool of the Mind” or to apply such a tool. A model suggesting how IB may differ depending on whether intellectual tools are being acquired or applied is proposed.
Practical implications
The “inner logic” of certain subjects and their pedagogies appears closely linked to IB. This should be considered when developing teaching programmes.
Originality/value
The findings offer a new perspective on subject classification and its association with IB, and a new model of the association between IB and tool acquisition or application is proposed, incorporating the perspectives of both teacher and student.
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