Global Education Review (Mercy College, New York)
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Efficiency of Secondary Education of a Selected OIC Countries
No full textThe purpose of this study is to investigate the level of technical efficiency of secondary education in 16 selected OIC countries (including West Bank and Gaza). Education efficiency has become an important issue given the pressing levels of public deficit and debt of many countries. Since the educational sector always receives high priority in budget allocations, an evaluation of whether the allocations made for education has been technically efficient is important. With budget constraints and high expectation by the public to see a continuous improvement in studentsΓÇÖ academic achievement, the educational sector has been put under pressure to deliver. The study employs TIMSS 2011 data, involving 40 countries. The technique used to calculate the level of technical efficiency is Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). Almost all of the 16 selected OIC members are technically inefficient in utilising their educational resources to achieve better TIMSS results in comparison with the non-OIC countries. Even after controlling for the environmental factors, secondary education in the OIC countries remain technically inefficient
The Role of Case Study in Teacher Education: An Attempt to Bridge the Gap between Action and Reflection
Get PDFInternational studies provide evidence that effective teachers are essential to students’ learning success.  Research on teacher effectiveness in the United States began in the 1980’s, and valid and reliable methods for assessing teacher effectiveness have been developed in its context, research on this topic is still relatively new in German-speaking countries.  While effective teaching is a highly complex construct which includes a whole repertoire of skills, there seems evidence that some of these skills play a particularly significant role for effective teaching.  The present article will take a close look at these skills from the perspective of two mostly separate discourses: expertise research and the qualities of expert teachers, which are usually discussed in the Anglo-American context, and theories of teacher professionalism which is highly influential in the German speaking countries.  The two concepts are explained and it is argued that–interestingly enough–research results of both discourses converge in the proposition that diagnostic and interpretative skills and an intuitive feel for situations –situation awareness–are decisive when it comes to successfully fostering students’ learning processes.  These skills do not grow automatically with growing experience but need to be fostered by deliberate practice.  Consequences for teacher education are drawn by suggesting that focusing on case study in teacher education as a particularly useful type of deliberate practice, is a promising approach to develop the above mentioned key skills
Constructions of Deficit: Families and Children on the Margins in Costa Rica
No full textThis analysis examines the nexus of marginalization and education, particularly the literacy potential and achievement of young children from socially and politically marginalized communities. Drawing on data from a study of literacy practice among Nicaraguan immigrants in Costa Rica and the schooling the Nicaraguan children in Costa Rican schools, this analysis reveals the ways that constructs such as difference and deficit are constructed within historical, economic, and cultural contexts, for the most part in the absence of empirical evidence. The data used for this analysis was collected as part of a six-month, ethnographic case study of literacy practice within Costa Rican and the Nicaraguan immigrant communities. Data came from (a) observations in kinder, grade 1, and grade 2 classes in a public school near San José; (b) interviews with public school administrators and teachers; (c) community observations of literacy practices in Costa Rican contexts and within the precarios where Nicaraguan immigrants live; (d) semi-structured home literacy interviews with Nicaraguan participants from one prominent precario; (e) early literacy assessment results for children in the kinder and first grade; (f) expert interviews with administrators of NGOs who focus on the “Nicaraguan problem; and (g) reading and writing artifacts from the communities and the schools
John Paul College: The Professional Renewal Journey
Get PDFJohn Paul College, a K-12 School in Queensland, Australia, recognises the centrality of classroom teachers to the ongoing improvement of student outcomes. The College has implemented a multi-tiered Professional Renewal and Assessment Process. These changes of emphasis are the result of significant research and subsequent/associated professional discussion and were supported during the EBA decision-making in 2012. The Professional Renewal Process at John Paul College guides teachers through a cycle of goal setting (related to any aspect of teacher practice which aims to improve student learning and achievement); ongoing discussion between the teacher and a mentor which determines actions; directed classroom observations (3 per term) and associated pre and post reflection/discussion; leading to application of changed practice toward achieving the criteria of the goals.   The principles of the Professional Renewal program are to: · Enhance development along accepted school-wide, team and department goals. · Encourage professional pedagogical reflections and conversations with a colleague/mentor. · Motivate improved performance and highlight the next steps in a teacher’s development.   Through the introduction of Professional Renewal, Attestation and Exemplary Teacher processes, the leadership and teachers of John Paul College have achieved an appropriate and innovative balance between self-directed, peer supported/directed and College-wide, strategic initiatives. Each member of the teaching team, from graduate to senior leaders are actively engaged in personalised programs of professional growth which is specifically aimed at improved learning and outcomes of the College’s students
In Support of Access and Inclusion: Joint Professional Development for Science and Special Educators
Get PDFThis article addresses the need for collaborative professional development of science and special educators to enhance access and inclusion for students with disabilities and improve science learning for all students. The purpose of the study was to examine changes in the teaching practices of science and special educators, grades 4 to 8, as they jointly completed an intense year-long professional development program designed to promote hands-on, inquiry-based science in their classrooms; expand their instructional repertoires to better serve students with disabilities and other learning problems; and facilitate communication between the groups. Quantitative and qualitative measures, including pre and post ratings of teacher classroom performance, action research projects, and teacher interviews, were used to determine changes in teacher instructional and collaborative practices
Video-Based Self-Observation as a Component of Developmental Teacher Evaluation
Get PDFIn this paper, we explore the benefits to teacher evaluation when video-based self-observation is done by teachers as a vehicle for individual, reflective practice. We explore how it was applied systematically at the ICPNA bi-national center among hundreds of EFL teachers within two institution-wide initiatives that have relied on self-observation through video for success in the implementation of professional development foci. In these cases, we will provide a descriptive framework for each initiative as well as information on what was ultimately achieved by teachers, supervisors and the institution as a whole. We conclude with recommendations for implementing video-based self evaluation
Barriers to student success in Madagascar
Get PDFVarious indicators suggest that many students in developing countries are not learning in school. Using Madagascar as a case study, we aimed to: (1) evaluate the effectiveness of education among those enrolled in science and math programs of primary, secondary, and university institutions; and (2) understand barriers to student progression through the education system. To address these aims, we conducted 63 semi-structured interviews in June and August 2012 with science and math teachers in five population centers, across all three levels of the public and private school system. We found that crowded classes, limited resources (pedagogical and infrastructural), an average student age range of seven years per classroom (suggestive of grade repetition and/or late school starting age), and discontinuities in the language of instruction explain why teachers estimated that almost 25% of their students would not finish school. Although most secondary and university teachers taught the sciences only in French, they estimated that just one-third of students could fully understand the language. There were also urban-rural and public-private disparities. Teachers in urban areas were significantly more likely to teach using French than their rural counterparts, while public schools housed significantly larger classes than private institutions. While resource equalisation will help to resolve many of these disparities, improved early training in professional languages and increased local autonomy in designing appropriate curriculums will be necessary to tackle other shortfalls
