1,720,988 research outputs found
Collaborative Approaches to Teachers’ Professional Learning and Development in New Zealand Primary Schools
No full textThis study adopted a qualitative research approach using purposive and convenience sampling which allowed the researcher to access six staff participants in two primary schools in Auckland. They participated in semi-structured interviews to explore approaches for teacher collaboration in professional learning and development in those schools. The research findings revealed the use of collaborative learning formats which were structured in four layers of teacher professional development (PD). The four layers were 1) a network of schools/community of learning, 2) school-wide PD, 3) team PD or syndicates, and 4) personal PD. These learning formats used collaborative features of evidence-based dialogues, inquiry and reflective approaches across collaborative activities such as study group, school PD meetings, peer mentoring and coaching, network-based workshop or training, and classroom observation and feedback.
Professional learning and development in both schools were supported by conditions where the schools implemented distributed leadership practice, used student assessment data and other evidence to guide their PD planning, and had a strong collaborative learning culture where teachers' capacities were valued, praised and trusted. Thus, healthy relationships were built across the school and within a cluster system. Networking systems were found to be preferred by one school in this study, while the other school was a member of a Community of Learning (CoL). The networking school system may help schools to mobilise financial resources more at the teacher level, whereas the CoL seems to use the resources more at the senior leadership level.
Some challenges and strategic solutions to deal with those challenges are discussed. Learning from the study, the researcher could use the knowledge and ideas in her working place in Cambodia. Some limitations of the study are described and suggestions made for future research
A Leadership Challenge: The Role of School Leaders in Establishing Home/School Relationships That Support the Achievement of High School Students
No full textTeachers and caregivers are the people who are the most invested in a child’s success. Creating a working relationship between the two where they can collaborate together to align expectations, information, aspirations, and goals can provide constructive support for the child. The purpose of the study is to identify how school leaders can achieve this relationship dynamic between each student’s caregiver and teachers. Two schools who have had success in achieving teacher/ caregiver relationships provided the setting for this study. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews. One school leader, one teacher and one caregiver from each school who had engaged with the teacher/ caregiver relationships were interviewed. The participants were asked to share their experiences and perceptions of teacher-caregiver relationships, barriers and enablers and the role of the leadership. Four themes emerged from the data. The culture of care was the overriding theme and was embedded in the other three themes. The second and third theme: building relationships and communication, provided the foundation of evidence that enabled the fourth theme: collaboration, to be achieved. The themes that emerged from the data will be useful for understanding how school leaders can develop effective working relationships between teachers and caregivers in their schools
A Leadership Challenge: The Role of School Leaders in Establishing Home/School Relationships That Support the Achievement of High School Students
No full textTeachers and caregivers are the people who are the most invested in a child’s success. Creating a working relationship between the two where they can collaborate together to align expectations, information, aspirations, and goals can provide constructive support for the child. The purpose of the study is to identify how school leaders can achieve this relationship dynamic between each student’s caregiver and teachers. Two schools who have had success in achieving teacher/ caregiver relationships provided the setting for this study. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews. One school leader, one teacher and one caregiver from each school who had engaged with the teacher/ caregiver relationships were interviewed. The participants were asked to share their experiences and perceptions of teacher-caregiver relationships, barriers and enablers and the role of the leadership. Four themes emerged from the data. The culture of care was the overriding theme and was embedded in the other three themes. The second and third theme: building relationships and communication, provided the foundation of evidence that enabled the fourth theme: collaboration, to be achieved. The themes that emerged from the data will be useful for understanding how school leaders can develop effective working relationships between teachers and caregivers in their schools
Investigating the Use of Social Justice Principles to Inform Culturally Responsive Leadership in Two Catholic Secondary Schools
No full textThe aim of the research study was to investigate the use of social justice principles to inform culturally responsive leadership in two Catholic secondary schools. The study examines the experiences, perceptions and understandings of leaders of cultural responsiveness, Heads of Departments and senior Religious Education teachers, in two Catholic secondary schools in Auckland, who are members of the cultural responsive school teams, lead social justice programmes and initiate the school strategies regarding this topic. The rationale for this investigation was influenced by my personal experiences as a South African Catholic mixed-race woman, my passion for teaching young people from diverse backgrounds and cultures, and my interest in the educational publications about cultural responsiveness and social justice.
Although research has been carried out on culturally responsive leadership and social justice, not nearly enough research has looked at social justice from a Catholic education position and using principles of social justice to inform culturally responsive leadership in Catholic schools. Owing to financial difficulties in the private Catholic school system, Catholic schools in New Zealand were integrated into the state education system. This makes it even more challenging for educational leaders in Catholic schools, as they navigate between Catholic education requirements and professional requirements from the Ministry of Education. With regards to culturally responsive leadership, it was my personal perspective that because Catholic education values are derived from gospel values, leaders should inevitably be culturally responsive. My reasoning is twofold, firstly, Catholic schools teach social justice in Religious Education classes, and social justice forms part of the school values, and secondly, Jesus, who is our example, was socially just and culturally responsive. I wanted to investigate why Catholic schools were still having to run professional development sessions for leaders and staff around cultural responsiveness, were still endeavouring to form culturally responsive leadership teams and were finding it challenging to get all staff working together to become culturally responsive leaders. This is when I looked at social justice at the Catholic secondary school where I teach and began to investigate the principles of social justice and whether they could inform culturally responsive leadership.
A qualitative methodology was used for this study. Mini focus group discussions were held with eight leaders from two different Catholic secondary schools in Auckland. The findings were examined and presented by themes in relation to the principles of social justice that could inform culturally responsive leadership. The data revealed that there is a knowledge deficiency around social justice principles, as social justice in these schools was focussed on the act of charity, which connects to goodness, and not to utilising the principles to inform culturally responsive leadership. The data also accentuated the significance of authentic relationships with teachers, students and the wider school community.
Recommendations that came out of this investigation, shows that the principles of social justice, namely; redistribution, recognition and participation, and the capability approach, if understood by all, could be a possible approach to culturally responsive leadership in these Catholic schools. It is also recommended that this will need to be a whole school initiative if it is to succeed, and must incorporate all staff, leaders, students and the multicultural community the school serves. Not only must leaders and staff know their students, they must also understand their own personal lens, created through their personal experiences, beliefs, values and cultures
Collaborative Approaches to Teachers’ Professional Learning and Development in New Zealand Primary Schools
No full textThis study adopted a qualitative research approach using purposive and convenience sampling which allowed the researcher to access six staff participants in two primary schools in Auckland. They participated in semi-structured interviews to explore approaches for teacher collaboration in professional learning and development in those schools. The research findings revealed the use of collaborative learning formats which were structured in four layers of teacher professional development (PD). The four layers were 1) a network of schools/community of learning, 2) school-wide PD, 3) team PD or syndicates, and 4) personal PD. These learning formats used collaborative features of evidence-based dialogues, inquiry and reflective approaches across collaborative activities such as study group, school PD meetings, peer mentoring and coaching, network-based workshop or training, and classroom observation and feedback.
Professional learning and development in both schools were supported by conditions where the schools implemented distributed leadership practice, used student assessment data and other evidence to guide their PD planning, and had a strong collaborative learning culture where teachers' capacities were valued, praised and trusted. Thus, healthy relationships were built across the school and within a cluster system. Networking systems were found to be preferred by one school in this study, while the other school was a member of a Community of Learning (CoL). The networking school system may help schools to mobilise financial resources more at the teacher level, whereas the CoL seems to use the resources more at the senior leadership level.
Some challenges and strategic solutions to deal with those challenges are discussed. Learning from the study, the researcher could use the knowledge and ideas in her working place in Cambodia. Some limitations of the study are described and suggestions made for future research
Innovative Curriculum within a New Zealand Low Decile Secondary School: A Case Study
No full textThe Ministry of Education has expressed a desire to develop twenty-first century learners through innovative approaches to the New Zealand curriculum, indicating that a move away from traditional subject specific educational practice is envisioned. This study was established through my sense that innovative curriculum practices could be more engaging for today’s students and could support increases in academic achievement, particularly for students whose communities experience socio-economic hardship. I sought to understand what senior curriculum innovation could look like in a secondary school, while critically examining the practices and leadership required for such implementation in a low decile context. As a former student of a low decile school and as an aspiring secondary school principal with ten years’ experience teaching visual arts in low decile environments, this study aimed to enhance my own teaching and leadership practice.
My research was conducted through a single instrumental case study approach that utilised four semi-structured interviews to collect perspectives of school leaders, teachers and students. This data was used to illustrate and provide insight into my research school’s context, its innovative curriculum pedagogies, practices and implementation approaches. My small qualitative study was underpinned by an interpretive paradigm that recognises and acknowledges the strengths in gathering participant’s perceptions and experiences to formulate qualitative research. Furthermore, by illustrating this single context, my research intends to highlight some of the perceived barriers to innovative curriculum while understanding what it means to be successful in being innovative.
My study revealed that while this high school had started to significantly shift its curriculum pedagogy alongside traditional constraints such as timetabling, traditional notions and expectations of senior secondary schooling, particularly an over-emphasis on students gaining achievement standards still hindered extensive implementation of innovative senior curriculum design and delivery. All participants emphasised the importance of leadership in encouraging sustained innovative learning environments. The predominant senior leader perspective in my study considered that developing collaborative leadership models that seek to disestablish traditional hierarchies is an effective leadership approach for implementing innovative curriculum. These leadership concepts along with the struggles of implementing new teaching and learning practice was also evident in my reviewed literature.
Although this study provided a deeper insight into a single context, this research area of innovative curriculum could benefit from more examples and studies being conducted in more New Zealand secondary school contexts, particularly those from low decile communities
Working and Learning Across Boundaries: Classroom Teachers and Occupational Therapists Supporting Learners Who Have Profound Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities
No full textClassroom teachers and occupational therapists need to work together if they are to meet the needs of learners with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD), but how they navigate their multi-agency working in this area of practice is largely unknown. Guided by the conceptual framework of activity theory, where learning is recognised as being an intrinsic part of activity, this study has a specific focus on the multi-agency practice of classroom teachers and occupational therapists as they work and learn across professional boundaries and provides an understanding of the factors that have influenced their activity systems and interactive relationships as well as interpretations of their own, and each other’s professional identities, roles and responsibilities in this specialist field of work.
A qualitative research design was used and included individual interviews and focus groups. The data gathered reflected the multi-layered nature of multi-agency practice in complex situations. The occupational therapy and classroom teacher participants were able to analyse and consider their everyday activities and how these supported or constrained their ability to work collaboratively towards joint goals and outcomes. This process aided expansive learning through an adapted change laboratory approach and boundary crossing learning mechanisms to allow for discussion and ideas to emerge for future enhanced ways of working which could impact on future practice. The suggestions made during this research were in two key areas: firstly in the professional roles and identity of the classroom teacher and occupational therapy participants in their roles and ways of working to meet the needs of learners with PIMD and secondly, in relation to the supports and constraints they experienced in their multi-agency working and learning as they carried out their roles.
This study enriches the literature on the multi-agency practice of classroom teachers and occupational therapists working with learners with PIMD and also makes a methodological contribution in its use of elements of activity theory and boundary crossing to link the beliefs and ways of working of the participants to provide a more comprehensive understanding of their multi-agency working and learning
An Analysis of Views on the Purpose of Education Held by Hong Kong Parents Who Chose to Send Their Children to New Zealand Schools
No full textIn Hong Kong, many parents are dissatisfied with the current Hong Kong mainstream education (Leung, 2013; Ng, 2012). Every year, many Hong Kong parents send their children to study in overseas schools (Leung, 2013). This research explores the purpose of education from the views of Hong Kong parents who chose to take their children to school in New Zealand. It offers explanations for why Hong Kong parents seek schools outside the mainstream, and take their children to study abroad. Data were gathered from five pairs of parents who came to New Zealand for fewer than three years to take their children to New Zealand schools. Data were analysed using a thematic analysis method.
The findings indicated that some Hong Kong parents take their children to study in New Zealand because they want their children to receive a different mode of education (such as activity-based learning, no examinations, homework, or pressure, small class teaching without ability grouping [i.e. streaming], and teaching by Western teachers). They want their children to play and have a real childhood and develop as a whole person. That is, parents want their children to develop a wide range of skills and be well-rounded individuals, rather than just being focused on academic study. The findings demonstrated that even though the Hong Kong Government has attempted to reform the curriculum and assessment structure in Hong Kong, some Hong Kong parents still believe that the education system focuses on examinations and rote learning
A Phenomenological Narrative Inquiry Into How People Chose Their Career in Environmental Planning
No full textPlanning is concerned with people and places, giving consideration to environmental, social, and economic issues. Planning aims to meet current needs and to anticipate future issues, enabling people and societies to thrive. At its core, planning is about problem solving. It is a profession which influences nearly every area of our lives: water, housing, food, transportation, the natural environment, and pollution. It is a challenging profession involving strategy, innovation and creativity. The heightened recognition of climate change illustrates the critical role planning plays in communities and the future. Yet despite the dynamic, and urgent challenges within this work, the profession is experiencing a skill shortage. This study brings together the fields of career development and human resources at their point of intersection, the world of work and the issue of future skills.
The study investigates how people came to work in the field of environmental planning, and how others could be informed and encouraged into this work. Using a narrative methodology, the research explores the lived experience of four participants: how they came to their career in planning, and their thoughts on informing others. The influences are explored with reference to the Systems Theory Framework of Patton and McMahon (1999).
Key findings to emerge were the influence of social context on career choice, and the relationship between an interest in the natural environment and planning. Values of fairness, social justice and ‘doing good’ were shown to connect with this work. The role of chance is also prevalent. A lack of awareness and negative perceptions about this profession were evidenced. The findings confirm that careers are social constructs, with parents, teachers, location and socio-economic status being key determinants for the four participants. The findings revealed that the contribution of planning to society needs to be more widely known. Findings also indicated a responsibility on those in the workforce to open the eyes of the next generation to the possibilities which exist in the world of work. Increased awareness, understanding, motivation, and aspirations result from employer engagement, with this engagement also contributing to the development of talent pipelines. The study argues that it is time to revolutionize the way the future generation connects with the world of work
Factors That Influence Teachers Not to Pursue Leadership Roles Within a Private Language School
No full textEducational organizations need highly qualified leaders who have a great impact on improving teaching and learning and the success of schools. However, leadership roles, particularly principal roles seem to be less attractive for many teachers. This research project aims to explore leadership supply issues within a private language school in a city of northeast China.
This qualitative research investigates how team leaders and teachers perceive leaders and leadership roles and also critically examines the factors which influence teachers not to pursue leadership roles in the private language school. In order to understand their perspectives and experiences, semi-structured interviews with five participants were used to collect data. In addition to this, the job description for the principal’s role was collected and analyzed as a complement to interviews.
The findings showed that although participants considered being principals as an opportunity to gain more experience and improve themselves, these benefits were not always appealing. Concerns about lack of capabilities is one of the factors affecting teachers’ willingness to become principals. Insufficient support from superiors and colleagues may be an inhibitor for team leaders to pursue principal roles as well. Another factor is that the increasing responsibility is not proportional to the gain. For those teachers whose personal work values are in conflict with organizational values, leadership roles seem to be undesirable. Last but not least, worries about losing contact with teaching and students is a reason restraining teachers from applying for principal positions.
The findings suggest that the school needs to improve potential candidates’ capabilities; teachers who intend to enter principal positions also need to study independently to be capable.
Apart from this, more job-related support should be provided for new leaders. Moreover, the school is suggested to reexamine principal roles and design other suitable pathways to attract further excellent teachers to fulfill the role of leadership
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