IEJLL: International Electronic Journal for Leadership in Learning
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Voices of Students, Parents, and Teachers in China’s Secondary Education Reform, 10(18)
No full textThe goal of this study was to examine how and to what extent secondary teachers have implemented educational reforms in China that have had a direct impact on students, teachers, and parents. The survey concluded that teachers and parents liked the reform initiatives. Most teachers were able to make changes that supported the reforms even though the changes required more time, effort, and new knowledge. Teachers lacked in-service professional development and resources. Both students and teachers experienced difficulties that arose from the conflict between activity-based learning and exam-oriented systems. Parents and society need to change their mindsets of valuing exam achievements. Chinese educators are at the crossroads of whether the ‘quality’ movement is what the students and society need at this time. Leaders who want to implement change will have to pay attention to the voices of stakeholders
Student Voice Or Empowerment? Examining The Role Of School-Based Youth-Adult Partnerships As An Avenue Toward Focusing On Social Justice, 10(22)
No full textDrawing on the parallel literature on increasing student voice in the field of education and on building youth-adult partnerships in the youth development field, this article examines the place of young people in efforts to increase social justice in school settings. Through an examination of thirteen youth-adult partnership initiatives, it considers the ways in which students and adults can collaborate to examine issues of equity and injustice that they experience in their lives, in their schools, in their communities, and in broader society. The findings identify that the groups’ intended goals focused on addressing issues of equity and social justice on three levels— the system level by focusing on issues of intolerance and injustice, the organizational level by advocating for school change, and the individual level by fostering youth leadership and peer helping
Working for Social Justice in Rural Schools: A Model for Science Education, 10(28)
No full textOne-third of all U.S. school children attend school in rural settings. Rural schools are much poorer than urban America, with most of the poorest counties in the United States located in rural areas. Equity is a concern not only in terms of race, class, gender, disability, and sexual orientation, but also in terms of being geographically located in a rural area. Rural teachers are often not certified in their teaching areas, with one in four rural science teachers lacking in academic preparation or certification. This article describes the K20 Oklahoma Science Initiative for Rural Schools that targets low-income, rural schools serving diverse populations in Oklahoma. The K20 Initiative helps reduce the professional, cultural, and social isolation and lack of professional development in rural schools. The objectives of the initiative are to improve teacher quality and student success through three research-based strategies which are described in the article
Leadership for Social Justice and Morality: Collaborative Partnerships, School-Linked Services and the Plight of the Poor, 10(27)
No full textDespite the educational reform initiatives outlined in programs similar to and in the American 2000 plan, conspicuously absent is any in-depth discussion regarding the growing rate of poverty among youth in inner cities. It is a poverty which engulfed one in seven youth in 1970, one in six in 1980, one in five in 1990, and one in four in 2000. Today there are more than thirteen million children living in the below-poverty bracket. Among the critical issues that have received some attention about poverty in inner-city schools are: (a) the demographic factors of the disadvantaged students and their urban communities; (b) collaborative efforts for school-linked services and delivery systems; and (c) social justice and moral responsibilities of school leaders and the urban communities which they serve. Drawing from a review of literature, this article posits that leadership for social justice and morality is imperative as advocates commit to collaborative partnerships for integrating services and delivery of programs for poverty-stricken school populations
Conditions and Constraints of Sustainable Innovative Pedagogical Practices Using Technology, 9(3)
No full textLike many other countries, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has invested heavily in the computer facilities of schools. It is expected that by using ICT, the quality of education will be enhanced through a paradigm shift in school pedagogical practices. However, some educational innovations resulted in disappointing outcomes and some of them did make the progress expected and failed to sustain their development. This research addresses such problems by presenting a model that provides guidance on how to facilitate effective and sustainable Innovative Pedagogical Practices Using Technology (IPPUT). The model was derived from an in-depth case study of one innovative primary school in Hong Kong. The research first investigated what an innovative classroom might look like, then by using the "Layer-Two" Model Instrument (Typology of ICT Uptake) (Newhouse, Trinidad, & Clarkson, 2002) and other Matrix Construction Techniques (Miles & Huberman, 1984), various conditions and constraints on the development of IPPUT were identified, subsumed and grouped into two "issue trees." It is particularly useful for the school leaders to formulate optimum strategies for implementing IPPUT by comparing their school\u27s realistic situations with those factors in the two "issue trees". Finally, the whole-school system model was presented suggesting that given favourable conditions including visionary school leadership, whole-hearted collaboration and participation of all school stakeholders, with a systematic managerial methodology, it is possible to have true ICT integration and sustainable pedagogically-sound environments for students\u27 learning
Accountability, student assessment, and the need for a comprehensive approach, 9(6)
No full textAccountability has become synonymous with standardized testing in many Western countries such as Canada, the United States, Great Britain and New Zealand. Schools and districts are increasingly ranked based on their students’ performance on standardized tests. Unfortunately, standardized testing measures possess a number of limitations that prevent them from being used as a sole indicator of student performance. This paper proposes a comprehensive approach to student assessment – one focused on improving teacher instruction and student learning. Consisting of seven components, the proposed approach provides an alternative to current accountability systems that distract rather than support the important work of teachers
Teacher Tales of Action Research: Trials and Triumphs, 9(4)
No full textIn this paper we tell two different kinds of tales of teachers doing action research. First are five case studies of teachers in an action research course that we (a professor and six doctoral students) collaboratively taught and a longitudinal follow up looking at whether they put their research proposals into practice. Some of our case study teachers did their proposed action research; for others it took time and particular circumstances before they were willing to do research. We wanted to document the barriers and experiences that students from our class had once they stepped outside of our college classroom and into their teaching classrooms and tried to implement their action research projects. Were they supported in their research goals? Under what circumstances were they committed to the project and to follow it through to completion?
The second tale is our own, as teachers and researchers in this course we learned a great deal. We report on the self-study aspect of this project related to our own learning. After co-teaching this course and then collecting and analyzing data for four subsequent years, our co-teaching team concluded this project with mixed feelings about the viability of teacher research. Our self-study analyzes these differences in perspectives
The Application Of The Concept Of Continuous Development To The Cyprus Educational System, 9(7)
No full textThe main aim of this article is to examine the application of the concept of continuous development to the Cyprus Educational System. First, the concept of continuous development, the necessary conditions for its existence, the policies of the organization, and the responsibilities of those involved are discussed. Afterwards, the identification of learning opportunities and needs, the provision of resources, and the benefits and results for the organization are examined. A historical background of the Cyprus Educational System is also given and a continuous development plan that can be adopted for the whole system is proposed. Finally, conclusions and suggestions for the future are presented. All these aspects are investigated by reviewing the pertinent literature and drawing from the author’s professional experience
Case Studies In The Field Of Marketing Education: Learner Impact, Case Performance, and Cost Efficiency, 9(9)
No full textThe major objective of this study is to identify a methodology that will help educators in marketing to efficiently manage the design, impact, and cost of case studies. It is my intention is to examine the impact of case study characteristics in relation to the degree of learner involvement in the learning process. The author proposes that educators in marketing must process models and tools that can evaluate the performance of each educational method introduced into the learning process. The author suggests that educators in marketing who are interested in being productive should invest in the acquisition and utilization of performance tools for each educational method in order to accomplish their educational objectives. The findings suggest that educators in the field of marketing can assess the effectiveness of case studies using the 13-item performance model and a new formula, the elasticity of quality supply, in order to measure the degree of quality. The author recognizes that the problem of productivity in marketing education has arisen from the lack of tools, models, and performance measures available to evaluate their productivity. The proposed model is based on the ongoing need to customize the learning process, both according to the characteristics and specific needs of learners and also to the requirements of the educator and institution. The concluding point is that educators in marketing must learn not only to build effective case studies, but also to measure the efficiency of case study performance in order to enhance their productivity
Pedagogic Leadership: Refocusing on Learning and Teaching, 9(2)
No full textThis paper critiques instructional leadership and the notion of pedagogic leadership is proposed as an alternative, broader conception of the principalship. Pedagogy concerns enabling the learning and intellectual growth of students in contrast to instruction that treats students as the object of curriculum implementation. Successful classroom pedagogy requires that teachers understand how students learn and have the autonomy to design, implement and assess educational activities that meet the needs of individual and all students. Pedagogic leadership is predicated on informed teacher practice and reflection. Teachers are empowered to exercise professional responsibility and supportive judgements by principals who are pedagogic leaders. The pedagogic leader demonstrates credible knowledge of learning and teaching in conjunction with knowledge of the processes for improving school-wide learning