International Journal of Education Policy and Leadership (IJEPL)
Not a member yet
209 research outputs found
Sort by
The Need of the Virtual Principal Amid the Pandemic
Get PDFThis mixed-method study evaluates P–12 principals’ and district officials’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic amid the abrupt change to virtual leadership. Professional learning needs are identified in relation to the three domains of leadership as seen in literature: school management, instructional leadership, and program administration. The quantitative study instrument, which included an online survey given to 270 principals and district officials in South Carolina, allowed principals and superintendents to rank order their professional development needs to be better prepared for the virtual principalship. The top need expressed across all races, genders, and school settings was virtual instructional leadership. The qualitative measure includes interviews of 10 principals/district officials, and five major themes were identified as administrative struggles/priorities in the virtual principalship during the pandemic: increased presence and communication; projecting calm during uncertainty; displaying flexibility, empathy, and patience; knowledge of technological capabilities; and a systems approach to sustained instructional leadership. The study showed a heightened need for soft skills development
Exploratory Data Analysis in Schools: A Logic Model to Guide Implementation
Get PDFExploratory data analysis (EDA) is an iterative, open-ended data analysis procedure that allows practitioners to examine data without pre-conceived notions to advise improvement processes and make informed decisions. Education is a data-rich field that is primed for a transition into a deeper, more purposeful use of data. This article introduces the concept of EDA as a necessary structure to be embedded in school activities by situating it within the literature related to data-driven decision making, continuous school improvement systems, and action research methodologies. It also provides a succinct six-part framework to guide practitioners in establishing EDA procedures
Loc’d and Faded, Yoga Pants and Spaghetti Straps: Discrimination in Dress Codes and School Pushout
Get PDFIn this paper, we review the current dress code violations that have made national news. These issues have spotlighted racist and sexist issues embedded within common K-12 dress codes. We also analyze all school dress codes within one county in a mid-western state to examine various racist and sexist issues. We end the paper with an assessment for readers to determine the levels of racism and sexism in their own K-12 district dress codes
Women's Leadership in Higher Education Barriers and Opportunities in Indonesia
Get PDFThis review analyzes and describes the factors that women in Indonesia consider obstacles to achieving top leadership positions, especially at the college level, by looking at the various obstacles and opportunities women experience in other countries. This research was conducted using a qualitative design with a descriptive approach. The data analysis comprised data collection, data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. The results showed that women in Indonesia, especially in tertiary institutions, still face obstacles in reaching top leadership positions, even though there is a growing recognition of gender equality. Women do not report experiencing obstacles from institutions but rather from family responsibilities, a patriarchal culture, and a lack of support
School Leadership and the Experience of Education Under Oppression
Get PDFBackground: This qualitative study examined apartheid-era South Africa, from 1948 to 1994, which established social and administrative policies that deliberately curtailed the education of Indigenous and other South Africans as a means of oppressing non-European ethnic groups.
Analysis: In lieu of face-to-face interviews, the experience of education under apartheid is examined through stories and interviews submitted to the Apartheid Archives Project, curated by the University of the Witwatersrand, in Johannesburg, South Africa. The central question asks how the personal experiences of an oppressive school system, as interpreted through the framework of Freirean education, informs school leaders.
Conclusion: Oppression infiltrates school systems, impinges on the educational process, and robs students of learning opportunities. In recognizing this, educators engage their responsibility as school leaders, and embrace the pivotal role education plays in social reconstruction, liberation, and humanization
Understanding the Application and Use of Indigenous Research Methodologies in the Social Sciences by Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Scholars
Get PDFIndigenous research methodologies articulate how researchers and Aboriginal communities engage in research together. These methodologies are informed by Indigenous cultural and ethical frameworks specific to the Nations with whom the research is being conducted. This study explores how such research relationships were articulated in the dissemination phase of research. We carried out an Indigenous qualitative content analysis of 79 peer-reviewed articles published January 1996 to June 2018, predominantly in the fields of social sciences. Our findings show that most articles were written by Indigenous researchers or a research team composed of Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers. Such collaborations articulated the principles of Indigenous methodology (IM) much clearer than those authored by non-Indigenous scholars or when partnerships with Indigenous communities were less evident with respect to the principles guiding the research process. The principles of IM that were manifest in these research partnerships were relevance, respect for Indigenous knowledges, responsible relationships, wholism, and Indigenous ethics. The findings of this study will help to guide future researchers who work with Indigenous peoples, especially with respect to the need for a deeper understanding of how such research relationships are sustained over time to bring about meaningful change for Indigenous peoples and their communities
Exploring Teachers’ Conceptual Uses of Research as Part of the Development and Scale up of Research-Informed Practices
Get PDFThis article examines the idea of research-informed teaching practice (RITP) and how such practice can best be facilitated to improve aspects of teaching and learning. After first exploring RITP as a concept, the paper then engages with Carol Weiss’ seminal typology of research-use, and makes the argument that Weiss’ notion of conceptual research-use is both more likely and more realistic than instrumental research-use. The paper then illustrates how the idea of conceptual research-use aided the design of a small-scale project that sought to help teachers engage with and employ research, such that this engagement might impact positively on teaching and learning. In-depth semi structured interviews were undertaken with 15 project participants to examine whether the approach employed by the project: 1) helped teachers engage with research; 2) helped teachers develop new strategies for teaching and learning; and 3) whether the strategies developed by teachers were thought to impact on practice and student outcomes. Analysis of the interview data indicates that the approach employed has enabled teachers to successfully engage with research and use research to improve teaching and learning. Furthermore, the analysis also provides clues regarding effective ways to replicate research-informed teaching strategies in new settings and contexts
To Leave or to Stay: Faculty Mobility in the Middle East
Get PDFExisting research on faculty mobility generally investigates the issue in the context of Western postsecondary institutions. This study adds to the body of knowledge through studying higher education faculty in six Middle Eastern countries. Participants of the study were higher education faculty members in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Out of 600 faculty members initially invited, 139 completed the electronic survey, whichwas administered in the 2017–2018 academic year. The findings show that factors both internal and external to an institution contributed to a faculty member’s decision to stay or leave. It also shows that gender and experience in the GCC Universities had no significant effect on faculty members’ intentions to leave or to stay
Principal Influence: A Catalyst for Positive School Climate
Get PDFThis investigation explores the relationships between principal influence and four facets of organizational climate: institutional vulnerability, collegial leadership, achievement press, and professional teacher behavior. Data were collected from 2,033 teachers at 112 elementary schools in two states from the Southern and Midwestern United States. The results of multiple linear regression analyses show that the independent variables of principal influence, SES, and school size combinedto form a significant portion of the variance in organizational climate. The four facets of organizational climate explored in this study provide insight into specific mechanisms through which influential principals can positively affect schools
Mediated, Evidence-Informed Practice as Impact
Get PDFThis study presents a conceptualization of mediated, evidence-informed practice as a form of impact within the education context, then examines whether and how a particular intermediary organization, Edutopia, is having such an impact. Extant open- and closed-ended survey data are analyzed. Survey respondents routinely reported using content hosted or featured by Edutopia in their professional practice, and provided specific insights regarding how they were doing so. These findings provide strong evidence that an educational intermediary can variously impact educators’ practices. The study provides a conceptualization and model that may be useful for other intermediaries and for scholars who are interested in examining impact and knowledge mobilization