Research in Educational Policy and Management最新文献

{"title":"Foundation Phase Educators’ Views on the Management of Professional Development in Historically Disadvantaged Schools","authors":"Bongi Mashiane-Nkabinde, B. Nkambule, S. Ngubane","doi":"10.46303/repam.2023.32","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.46303/repam.2023.32","url":null,"abstract":"Foundation Phase (FP) educators are deemed productive when cohorts of learners who pass through their hands cope well with learning beyond the initial three grades of schooling. In South Africa, despite empirical evidence showing that FP educators in historically disadvantaged schools contend with overcrowded classes, low parental involvement and a shortage of teaching and learning resources, are still perceived as the primary source of poor learner achievement. The other point of view is that teacher underperformance and poor learner achievement are a legacy of the apartheid-engineered Bantu education policies that left the schooling system with poorly trained Black educators. To reverse these challenges, post-apartheid educational policies mandate that every school continuously conduct teacher professional development (TPD). Situated in the theory of change (ToC), this qualitative interpretivist study used interviews of a semi-structured nature to purposefully interact with a sample of six FP educators. They each characterised their HoDs’ management of TPD in two primary schools in Emalahleni Circuit 2, Mpumalanga Province. The second method of data collection entailed the analysis of a range of documents, namely the educators’ files, school performance improvement plans, and national education policy documents,  to cross-check the findings of the thematic analysis. The findings revealed that HoDs were sufficiently collegial towards educators, showed commitment towards rendering professional support to educators, and adhered to a tight schedule of class visits to develop and appraise educators and monitor their implementation of inclusive education practices. Barriers stemmed from educators’ apprehension towards HoD’s class visits, especially the randomly conducted ones. The second barrier was the school management teams’ (SMTs’) inefficiency of professionalism, support for HoDs and understanding of curriculum leadership policy. The study recommends that communication around HODs’ scheduled and random class visits needs to take a more inclusive approach to scale down the panic caused by them, and SMTs must be equally prioritised for continuous professional development. ","PeriodicalId":447582,"journal":{"name":"Research in Educational Policy and Management","volume":"46 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138967734","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing the Support System by the Department of Education to Teachers in Rural Setting of South Africa","authors":"Cambane Rodrique Diba, Allfred Alfred Modise, M. Kimanzi","doi":"10.46303/repam.2023.31","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.46303/repam.2023.31","url":null,"abstract":"This study examines the support system offered by the Department of Education in South African schools in the Free State Province of South Africa Participants were a purposive sample of t eight (8) teachers in rural setting of South Africa (female = 80%, 26 to 55 years old). Data on the support system by the Department of Education to support teachers were collected by means of semi-structured individual interviews. The data were thematically analysed by means of open coding. The study indicated that it is thought that improving the overall effectiveness of the educational system requires increasing the quality of teacher performance through teacher development programs. The study further indicated that viewed support in terms of teacher development especially on issues of instructional leadership or leadership in a general sense, curriculum delivery, while others viewed support in terms of resource provision. When it comes to resource provision, they expected to be provided with materials that would help them to execute their duties successfully. The study indicated that the support that is to be provided by the District Support Team has to be informed by teacher’s needs, meaning there must be a collaboration between the two stakeholders whereby they sit and plan together on issues that are of great concern regarding the context of the school.","PeriodicalId":447582,"journal":{"name":"Research in Educational Policy and Management","volume":"2019 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139002050","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The multidimensional role of the principal in post-apartheid-South-Africa","authors":"Doniwen Pietersen, D. Langeveldt, Arrie van Wyk","doi":"10.46303/repam.2023.30","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.46303/repam.2023.30","url":null,"abstract":"The end of apartheid in 1994 brought about radical changes in the South African education system, especially for school principals to manage their own affairs as promulgated in the South African Schools Act. These developments have changed the principal's position irrevocably. However, these changes did not result in the expected outcome in the majority of schools for a number of reasons. Teachers are frequently  unsure whether the anticipated changes will have the desired impact in schools. Moreover, principals and teachers have different views on how these changes will affect schools and their work. This paper adopts a conceptual approach that draws on various theories and concepts from the literature on school leadership and management. Understanding the challenges of the school principal's job after apartheid was the aim of the research. The Standards for School Principalship (2015) provided the theoretical framework and basis for this conceptual paper. It should be noted that principals are the most crucial persons in education since they serve as managers and major delivery agents in the educational system. They are the driving force behind improved educational outcomes in South Africa after apartheid. However, it is increasingly uncommon for principals to carry out their multifaceted tasks alone because of how significantly their positions have altered since 1994. All the parties concerned with running a school should receive training and orientation in this respect. The main findings of this paper are that, since the end of  apartheid, principals face various challenges in their role, such as lack of resources, support, autonomy, accountability, collaboration, diversity, equity, quality, innovation, and professionalism.","PeriodicalId":447582,"journal":{"name":"Research in Educational Policy and Management","volume":"47 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139003235","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring Challenges Hindering Teachers’ Implementation of Classroom Management Strategies in Gauteng High Schools, South Africa","authors":"Dineo Mamaile, B. Omodan","doi":"10.46303/repam.2023.22","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.46303/repam.2023.22","url":null,"abstract":"This study explores challenges hindering teachers’ implementation of classroom management strategies in schools and suggests solutions thereafter. This study adopts the behaviourism theory, which aims to help learners unpack and emulate desirable behaviour, arguing that learning should lead to the adoption of constructive, observable conduct, such as what individuals say or do. The study is located within a qualitative approach using a case study design. The study consisted of purposively sampled participants comprised of twelve Grade 10 (FET Phase) educators from the three chosen high schools in Gauteng Province in the Ekurhuleni North District, South Africa. The collected data was analysed using content analysis. The findings highlighted large class sizes and insufficient parental involvement as key obstacles to effective classroom management. Setting clear expectations and fostering a positive environment were noted as crucial solutions. Recommendations include schools and educators actively promoting a supportive classroom atmosphere, establishing clear expectations, and encouraging parental participation in the learning process to overcome classroom management challenges and enhance high school teaching and learning experiences.","PeriodicalId":447582,"journal":{"name":"Research in Educational Policy and Management","volume":"371 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138985706","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Role of School Leaders in Developing Teams: Sources and Triggers in School Health Promotion","authors":"M. Mtimkulu, S. Kwatubana","doi":"10.46303/repam.2023.23","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.46303/repam.2023.23","url":null,"abstract":"Although teams are the cornerstone of school health promotion, sources of team learning and the role of school leaders in developing such teams is unknown. It is important to understand the sources and triggers of team learning in order to establish the role of school leadership in the development of such teams. The investigation adopted a qualitative approach and a single case study design. Six members of the school management team and 12 teachers from one school participated. Eight of the 12 teachers were members of health committees responsible for the implementation of health policies in the school. Data were gathered by means of individual and focus group interviews. The findings revealed three sources of team learning that may be regarded as triggers: routine health promoting activities in the school, policies and guidelines for implementation of health programmes, and collaboration with other role players. School leaders were found to play an essential and multi-faceted role in team development, in that they were responsible for establishing developmental training programmes including creating opportunities for evaluation and reflection, managing interpersonal relationships and roles, articulating a vision, and facilitation of an open dialogue about the implementation of the health policy.","PeriodicalId":447582,"journal":{"name":"Research in Educational Policy and Management","volume":"41 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138985538","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Revisiting 'Great Media Debate': Technology-Mediated Learning and Ground Realities Across the Indian Institutes of Technology","authors":"K. Pushpanadham, Sayantan Mandal, Sheriya Sareen","doi":"10.46303/repam.2023.2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.46303/repam.2023.2","url":null,"abstract":"Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, curriculum planners are giving more weightage to online learning. However, it would be incomplete to re-imagine curricula without considering the factors impacting learning. In this context, the ‘Great Media Debate’ (GMD), initiated between Richard Clark and Robert Kozma in the 1990s, discusses the factors influencing learning. While Clark focuses on instructional methods, Kozma posits that both methods and media impact learning. Our study re-visits the GMD in the present context of online learning and extends it, making it more heuristic by adding a specific contextual social factor, i.e., Availability and Accessibility of the Internet (A2I) at the individual/ household level to the debate.  We build our proposition based on the 11,489 learners’ responses collected as a part of the Pan-IIT study in India and focus on the case study of one specific institution, IIT Jammu. The analysis using chi-square tests, Fisher’s exact tests, and descriptive statistics finds strong evidence for A2I to impact online learning, thereby broadening the GMD. A2I also influences the media by shaping the learners’ preferences for the media used in traditional classrooms. Finally, it brings out the rural-urban divide due to unequal internet distribution, raising the possibility of a more exclusionary curriculum for the learners. We conclude that there is a need for the contextual social factor, i.e., A2I, among others, to be strongly acknowledged in the GMD, enabling it to take a more comprehensive form and consequently, holding the potential to enrich the curricular reimagination.","PeriodicalId":447582,"journal":{"name":"Research in Educational Policy and Management","volume":"22 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"128286768","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Teaching Emergent Bilinguals: How In-service Teachers’ Perception of First Language Acquisition Theories Inform Practice","authors":"R. Dwomoh, Araba A. Z. Osei-Tutu, Stephanie Oudghiri, Alankrita Chhikara, Lili Zhou, T. Bell","doi":"10.46303/repam.2023.4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.46303/repam.2023.4","url":null,"abstract":"Different writers, linguists, and researchers present nuances in language acquisition theories. However, few studies explore in-service teachers’ voices in such discourses. It is, therefore, imperative to explore the voices of in-service teachers in such narratives as they teach emergent bilinguals (EBs) and culturally and linguistically diverse students. This paper examined how in-service teachers perceive First Language Acquisition (FLA) theories and how those perceptions influence teaching EBs and informing classroom practice. Centering on Freeman and Freeman’s discussion of five FLA theories (imitation, reinforcement, behaviorist, social interaction, active construction, connectionist), we argue that in-service teachers’ perceptions of first language acquisition theories impact how they teach and engage EBs in their classrooms. Findings show that in-service teachers consider the social interaction theory most beneficial to students’ language development. However, the precariousness of FLA theories makes it challenging for them to determine the best approach to teaching EBs. Additionally, teacher education programs and critical professional development (PD) courses are instrumental in fostering understanding and robust pedagogical mindsets and preparing teachers to meet the needs of emergent bilinguals.  ","PeriodicalId":447582,"journal":{"name":"Research in Educational Policy and Management","volume":"116 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122070047","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Conceptualizing Adolescent Black Youth Political Efficacy in an Era of Crises","authors":"Chrystal S. Johnson, Jennifer Sdunzik","doi":"10.46303/repam.2023.5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.46303/repam.2023.5","url":null,"abstract":"Tackling adolescent youth political efficacy is indispensable to the success American democracy. Racism coupled with health and economic disparities predispose Black youth to adverse political engagement, political efficacy, and social emotional outcomes.  The COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated pandemic-induced stressors such as the current experiences of Black youth with racial injustice and the potential of economic insecurity, homelessness, and a health disaster affecting a family member, further challenge their political engagement and political efficacy. In this theoretical piece, we therefore bring forth two separate, yet compatible theoretical frameworks, Black Resilience Neoliberalism (BRN) and the sociopolitical development model (SPD), to grasp the racialized identity and the political efficacy of adolescent Black youth in an era of crises.","PeriodicalId":447582,"journal":{"name":"Research in Educational Policy and Management","volume":"17 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115542463","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Engendering Technology-Assisted Pedagogy for Effective Instructional Strategy in the University of Namibia Language Centre","authors":"H. Hamakali, L. Josua","doi":"10.46303/repam.2023.3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.46303/repam.2023.3","url":null,"abstract":"The advent of COVID-19 disrupted existing socio-economic activities and has unveiled digital inequities and injustices. The pandemic led to a forced migration of education activities towards the new normal using technology-assisted pedagogies around the globe, Africa and Namibia is no exception. This paper attempts to report on how the blended-learning strategy for the Academic Writing for Postgraduate Students course was developed in the University of Namibia. The study used the Flipped Approach as a framework which guides self-reflection, active cognitive processing, interaction and peer-teaching. The paper used a combination of empirical as well as theoretical-based research. Firstly, a Google Form questionnaire was used to obtain quantitative data that profiled students. A conveniently sampled respondents participated in the study. Secondly, a reflective practice is applied to highlight the use of a technology-assisted learning strategy that enables effective pedagogic access to Academic Writing for Postgraduate Students at the University of Namibia’s Business School. The student-profiling results showed that more students preferred the blended learning mode, which makes them less likely to resist the proposed strategy. It also emerged that all the students have technology devices, which makes it possible to engage in the learning processes that involve the usage of technology. Post-COVID-19, stakeholders in the higher education context should re-imagine the traditional stances in order to transform the way teaching, learning and assessment shall be enabled after the crisis. This calls for educators to re-invigorate, re-imagine, re-think, re-construct and de-construct the way they conduct pedagogic activities.","PeriodicalId":447582,"journal":{"name":"Research in Educational Policy and Management","volume":"39 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115978846","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Introduction to Special Issue: Re-imagining Teaching and Learning in the Context of Current Crises","authors":"Chrystal S. Johnson, Jennifer Sdunzik","doi":"10.46303/repam.2023.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.46303/repam.2023.1","url":null,"abstract":"In this editorial, we describe the reasons for the special issue, namely the need to understand and re-imagine the “new normal” of teaching, learning, and teacher professional development in light of the societal inequities and economic injustices laid bared by the COVID-19 pandemic. We summarize the extent to which the articles in this issue help us take a new look at classroom practices of teachers within higher education and K-12 spaces, and re-envision of educational policies and theoretical frameworks within and beyond learning spaces to enhance inclusivity.","PeriodicalId":447582,"journal":{"name":"Research in Educational Policy and Management","volume":"35 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133611822","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}