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Article
Publication date: 3 November 2023

N.J. Antony and Shruti Tripathi

Literature suggests that less attention has been paid on teacher's and head of the school's outlook on when to introduce life skills education, which are the most important to be…

Abstract

Purpose

Literature suggests that less attention has been paid on teacher's and head of the school's outlook on when to introduce life skills education, which are the most important to be focused and developed first, and their opinion on effort already made to develop life skills among the students. Hence, the present study aims to focus on the teacher's and head of school's perspective with regard to the three most important life skills which need to be developed at the school level.

Design/methodology/approach

For the present study, a digital survey tool was developed (Google Form) and circulated across all the states to the Government and private school teachers and heads of school and access of the Google form was open from April 26 to May 7, 2022. A total of 770 school heads/teachers responded the survey spread over 17 different states. To address the objectives of the paper, descriptive and inferential analysis are carried out.

Findings

In the participant's view, self-awareness, effective communication and problem solving are found as the top most, second and third most important life skills to be focused respectively. Results reveal that the region, type of schools and gender of the respondents have no significant role to play in the choice of top three most important life schools to be focused the first. However, designation of the respondent's (teacher/head of the schools) and years of work experience in schools are found significantly associated with the choice of top three life skills. Study concludes that as various research studies have highlighted that all the life skills are inter-related so if the authors prioritize at least three identified top most first so others will be some and other way will start developing in parallel and can be taken up subsequently.

Research limitations/implications

This study is based on digital data collected from the teachers and headmasters based on the survey link circulated through different communication channels. Also, sample is not uniform due to varied response rate across the states and therefore number of respondents participated in the survey varies significantly from one state to another state. The findings emerged from this study cannot be generalized at state level. Even generalization at national level needs to be done carefully as samples are not representative. However, this research demonstrates an interesting fact and will help teachers to prioritize top three skills to be implemented first followed by others.

Practical implications

This will help the teachers and heads of schools to use the top three skills that they need to insist by all means at the school level. This will also help the policy makers to keep note of the perception of the teaching community on life skills.

Social implications

This paper will bring focus on the importance of life skills to the education fraternity.

Originality/value

Less or no attempt has been made to understand teachers/head of school's perspective on initiation of life skills and which are the most important skills to be prioritized first. Hence, the study comes with an original concept.

Details

International Journal of Educational Management, vol. 37 no. 6/7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-354X

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 25 October 2023

Yoko Ishida, Bhim Kumar Shrestha, Uma Thapa and Khagendra Subba

This study aims to determine how school-based management (SBM) capacity developed through international cooperation functioned to overcome challenges during the coronavirus…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to determine how school-based management (SBM) capacity developed through international cooperation functioned to overcome challenges during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Nepal.

Design/methodology/approach

The research structure was designed based on the success case method. The researchers conducted a questionnaire survey of head teachers to understand schools’ responses during the COVID-19 pandemic period, identified likely success-case schools, held workshops at the likely success-case schools and conducted in-depth interviews with head teachers and school management committee (SMC) members to understand how SBM functioned and contributed to the success cases.

Findings

Storytelling from the success-case schools provided reliable evidence that the localised approaches of SBM are effective for planning and implementing suitable responses at school. The reviews of the head teachers showed that both head teachers and teachers had strong leadership and understood the importance of collaboration with teachers, SMC members, Parent Teacher Association (PTA), guardians and students. Although the research could not show clear evidence of a causal relationship between their achievement and Japan’s project input, the success-case schools clearly benefited from the head teachers’ appropriate execution of SBM with their strong leadership as well as the collaborative efforts of the stakeholders.

Originality/value

The research tries to clarify the influence of the effects of SBM capacity development projects by analysing the changes of head teachers and teachers through the storytelling aspect of the success case method with in-depth consideration of actual school responses during the emergency period of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Details

Journal of International Cooperation in Education, vol. 25 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2755-029X

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 7 December 2023

Maryellen Schaub, Yuen-Hsien Tseng and Yuan Chih Fu

Schooling expansion is typically operationalized as the proportion of the population attending and the number of years attained; however, expansion can also be examined through…

Abstract

Schooling expansion is typically operationalized as the proportion of the population attending and the number of years attained; however, expansion can also be examined through new fields of study. Early childhood education entered the university as occupational training and has grown into a legitimate field of study. For example, an analysis of the expansion of early childhood papers and topics in scientific journal articles shows a slow steady rise before a dramatic increase in the 1956–2021 time period. The expansion of early childhood education as a field has been synergistic with the process of academization. Training in the occupation of early childhood education started first in its country of origin and then moved to independent training programs and normal schools in the United States before landing in four-year institutions that include everything from small colleges to large universities.

Details

How Universities Transform Occupations and Work in the 21st Century: The Academization of German and American Economies
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83753-849-2

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 3 July 2023

Julius Atuhurra, Yoonjung Kim-Hines and Mikiko Nishimura

This research explores the impact of the locally grown strategies for learning support, as a positive deviance (PD) study, during the COVID-19 pandemic in rural Uganda.

Abstract

Purpose

This research explores the impact of the locally grown strategies for learning support, as a positive deviance (PD) study, during the COVID-19 pandemic in rural Uganda.

Design/methodology/approach

The researchers employed a randomized control trial (RCT) as an original design whereby 50 schools received a full package of SMS and WhatsApp peer groups of head teachers, 50 schools received SMS only and another 50 served as a control group. As an analytical method, this study adopted a difference-in-difference (DID) model to analyze the impact of the radio talk shows promoted through SMS followed by discussion among WhatsApp peer groups. The data collected in June 2021 and February 2022 were used due to the COVID-19-related data limitation of the baseline survey collected in 2019.

Findings

The authors found that the local radio talk shows as a PD intervention had a humble impact on preventing pupils’ dropout during the school closures for two years in Uganda. However, the authors did not obtain a significant result on the impact of the PD intervention on pedagogical support or learning outcomes at the school level. The authors also found that the pupils have significantly dropped their level of proficiencies in literacy and numeracy during the pandemic.

Originality/value

The findings could be of value for the leaders, educators and policymakers to understand the most recent update of learning situation in Uganda and the potential impact of locally grown strategies for learning which does not require external inputs.

Details

Journal of International Cooperation in Education, vol. 25 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2755-029X

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 29 June 2023

Nopadol Rompho and Krit Pattamaroj

Inclusive education is about welcoming diversity, and improving the quality of education for all learners, where no one feels excluded and everyone receives support. Inclusive…

Abstract

Inclusive education is about welcoming diversity, and improving the quality of education for all learners, where no one feels excluded and everyone receives support. Inclusive education is not about meeting one child's needs at the expense of another child; instead, it aims to provide full participation for all learners, both special and regular students (UNESCO, 2005). It has been stated that countries cannot progress in isolation. They must build an overarching educational strategy, which means that educational advancement will be linked to new social and economic policies. A considerable school change is required and, as a result, inclusive schools emphasise diversity as a key function, which helps students learn and caters to individual needs. Objectives and key results (OKRs) are one of the management tools that can be used in schools that focus on inclusive education. They also allow a school's activities to be aligned with its core inclusive education objectives. Furthermore, OKRs can assist a school in setting a challenging goal that will motivate it to grow beyond its current capabilities.

Details

Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Special and Inclusive Education in a Volatile, Uncertain, Complex & Ambiguous (Vuca) World
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80382-529-8

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 June 2023

Scott Eacott

Steiner schools represent a natural experiment in the provision of schooling. With a history dating back more than 100 years, leadership, leaders and the principal do not sit…

Abstract

Purpose

Steiner schools represent a natural experiment in the provision of schooling. With a history dating back more than 100 years, leadership, leaders and the principal do not sit easily with Steiner educators. The contemporary regulatory environment requires a “principal” or legal authority at the school-building level, creating a tension for Steiner schools. This makes Steiner schools an ideal case study for understanding the contemporary role of the principal.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on an interview-based study with 24 heads of Australian Steiner schools. Conducted on Microsoft Teams, all by the principal investigator, the interviews generated a 171,742-word corpus subjected to an inductive analytical approach. Data reduction led to four themes, and this paper focuses on one (principles not prescription) and its implications for the principalship and school governance.

Findings

Embedding the principalship in a philosophy (or theory) of education re-couples school administration with schooling and bases decision-making in principles rather than individuals. It also alters the role of data and evidence from accountability to justifying principles.

Research limitations/implications

Rather than a focus on individuals or roles, this paper argues that the underlying principles of organisational decision-making should be the central focus of research.

Practical implications

Ensuring organisational coherence, by balancing the diversity of positions on core principles is the core task of the contemporary principal.

Originality/value

Exploiting natural experiments in the provision of schooling makes it possible to argue for how schooling, and specifically the principalship, can be different.

Details

International Journal of Educational Management, vol. 37 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-354X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 June 2023

Rodgen Marginado Jabor

The purpose of this study is to explore the understanding and observance of the program “This School is a Zone of Peace” (SZOP) in schools where conflict and violence are not…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the understanding and observance of the program “This School is a Zone of Peace” (SZOP) in schools where conflict and violence are not prevalent.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper followed a qualitative research tradition – narrative inquiry. Eight teachers and a school head participated in the study. Data were gathered through nonparticipant observation, photography and focus group discussion with photo elicitation.

Findings

The participants elucidated the declaration, “This School is a Zone of Peace,” as a message of assurance to the community that the school is a home for learners that is welcoming and violence free. Furthermore, learners in a school that is a zone of peace are honed holistically with the participation, cooperation and togetherness of the school community members. Teachers at the forefront viewed themselves as mentors, implementers and models. Teachers contended that peacebuilding practices in schools could be sustained through regular implementation, encouraging others to get involved and have commitment.

Originality/value

A handful of articles have illustrated the essence of the School as Zone of Peace program, which pointed out to create a culture of peace in schools; however, it leaned toward the negative conception of peace – the absence of conflict and violence. This study bared additional insights and fresh perspectives of the SZOP initiative observed in schools with different contexts and experiences that may be helpful to policymakers for the enhancement of the adapted program with the goal of peacebuilding to making schools highly functional.

Details

Journal of Aggression, Conflict and Peace Research, vol. 16 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1759-6599

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 October 2023

Sarikha Srinivasavarathan and Poornima Rajendran

The international academic literature agrees that principals act as change agents and are vital in creating and promoting an inclusive school culture. In this article, the authors…

Abstract

Purpose

The international academic literature agrees that principals act as change agents and are vital in creating and promoting an inclusive school culture. In this article, the authors proclaim that Indian schools lack school leadership to accomplish inclusive education (IE) characterized by local needs. The article emphasizes the importance of school principals and discusses how principal vacancies, insufficient training and lack of autonomy jeopardize inclusive and equitable quality education in Indian schools. Contextualized policies, professional standards for principals, research that highlights principals' perspectives and autonomy for principals are required to strengthen principals, who are the primary advocates for IE, to create a more democratic, equitable and just society.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors base their arguments and opinions on the latest National Education Policy (NEP, 2020), data/statistics from various educational organizations in India, and research findings of global scholars.

Findings

The data and statistics show that principals in Indian schools do not receive the essential assistance to implement IE successfully. A lack of adequate data regarding the subject of debate is another point made by the authors.

Social implications

Understanding the hardships faced by Indian school principals would help readers recognize the leadership challenges for IE in India. Addressing these challenges is one of the best ways to fulfill the equity and inclusion goals emphasized in UN Sustainable Development Goal #4.

Originality/value

This article is the first to emphasize the importance of prioritizing principals in Indian schools, among other agents when trying to achieve inclusion.

Details

Asian Education and Development Studies, vol. 12 no. 4/5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-3162

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 May 2023

Magnus Osahon Igbinovia and Bolanle Clifford Ishola

Technological expansion and adoption in university libraries have precipitated cybercrimes and the need to equip library personnel with the required knowledge to combat this…

Abstract

Purpose

Technological expansion and adoption in university libraries have precipitated cybercrimes and the need to equip library personnel with the required knowledge to combat this menace. Consequently, this study aims to examine cyber security in university libraries and its implication for Library and Information Science education.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted descriptive research design, while questionnaire and interview were used to elicit data from library personnel and heads of library schools, respectively. A total of 134 responses were elicited through structured questionnaire (administered online due to the closure of universities) while six heads of library schools were interviewed, one from each of the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria.

Findings

The data from the questionnaire which were descriptively analysed revealed that the perceived knowledge of cyber security among the librarians was moderately low. Also, the university libraries were exposed to various cyber threats, with cyber security/guideline been one of the critical measures to combat cybercrime. Also, the result showed that librarians displayed high level of adherence to cyber ethics. However, the disposition of library management towards cyber security issues was revealed to be the main challenge to the deployment of cyber security in university libraries, follow by poor password management. Majority of the librarians possess basic knowledge of cyber security, though with serious interest to learn more about it. They were not taught cyber security in library school and they indicated enthusiasm to learn about it. The result of the interview with heads of library schools showed majority of these schools do not offer cyber security course due to dearth in skilled manpower.

Originality/value

The study presents cybercrime as a menace, if not tackled, would affect the university libraries’ sustainability as information institution, compromising their ability to deliver quality services.

Details

Digital Library Perspectives, vol. 39 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2059-5816

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 April 2024

Daniel Sidney Fussy and Hassan Iddy

This study aims to explore motives behind teachers' and students' use of translanguaging and how they use it in Tanzanian public secondary school classrooms.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to explore motives behind teachers' and students' use of translanguaging and how they use it in Tanzanian public secondary school classrooms.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected using interviews and non-participant observations.

Findings

The findings indicate that translanguaging was used to facilitate content comprehension, promote classroom interaction and increase students' motivation to learn. Translanguaging was implemented using three strategies: paraphrasing an English text into Kiswahili, translating an English text into its Kiswahili equivalent and word-level translanguaging.

Practical implications

By highlighting the motivations for translanguaging and corresponding strategies associated with translanguaging pedagogy in the Tanzanian context, this study has significant practical implications for teachers and students to showcase their linguistic and multimodal knowledge, while fostering a safe learning space that relates to students' daily experiences.

Originality/value

The study offers new insights into previous research on the role of language-supportive pedagogy appropriate for teachers and students working within bi-/multilingual education settings.

Details

Qualitative Research Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1443-9883

Keywords

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