Tsunesaburo Makiguchi and School Leadership in Action

Author(s):  
Tomoko Takahashi

Tsunesaburo Makiguchi (1871–1944) was a geographer, elementary school teacher and principal, and educational reformer, who was active in the early-to-mid 1900s in Japan. As a school leader and scholar-practitioner guided by a passion for supporting teachers and improving education for the happiness of children, Makiguchi scrutinized pedagogy as a science and proposed a number of reforms of the Japanese education system, key elements of which, he believed, were failing teachers and students alike. His proposals included, among many: the establishment of standards of competency expected of school principals as well as a system of examination to uphold these standards; the abolition of a government-led school inspection system that pressured and restricted teachers from freely conducting teaching activities; and the establishment of an “education research institute” and an organization for the training of teachers. The growing number of modern educational scholars and practitioners paying attention to Makiguchi’s work and philosophy find his ideas not only valid and applicable to education in the 21st century but also remarkably innovative and insightful. His proposal for school leadership was still but a voice in the wilderness in the 1930s. It was also a bold and audacious attempt for him, especially at the time of the militarist regime. Makiguchi is often compared with his contemporary John Dewey (1859–1952). Evidently, Makiguchi and Dewey were both visionaries, passionate school leaders, and fearless reformers. Bearing this in mind, Makiguchi deserves much more attention than he has received thus far—at least as much as Dewey, if we are to balance the historical account of progressive education as a transnational phenomenon.

2020 ◽  
Vol 1(16) (2020) ◽  
pp. 91-98
Author(s):  
Oksana Yastrub ◽  
◽  
◽  

The problem of introducing distance learning in primary school is actualized by the development of social networks and Internet technologies, which open unlimited horizons for their application in educational activities. In addition, the introduction of quarantine in Ukraine requires primary school teachers to find ways to effectively master the program material. Among such ways is distance learning. The purpose of the study is to substantiate the specifics and possibilities of organizing the educational process in primary school with the use of distance learning. In the process of scientific research methods of analysis, synthesis, generalization and systematization were used. Distance learning in primary school is defined as a form of organization and implementation of the educational process, in which the subjects of learning (teachers and students) in the online mode carry out educational interaction in principle and mainly extraterritorially. In the context of reforming modern Ukrainian education, a number of e-platforms have been created for the organization of distance learning for primary school students. An effective commercial platform for distance learning is the service "My Class", which contains online courses from 1st to 11th grade, which contain lessons that integrate theoretical (test presentation of content) and practical (individual tasks that can be solved independently of each other, a block of tasks that need to be solved sequentially, guidelines) blocks. Result. Emphasis is placed on the requirements to be met by a primary school teacher when organizing distance learning in primary school during the quarantine period and it is suggested to advise parents who will work remotely with junior students in the initial stages of distance learning, gradually transferring activity to children.


2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (7) ◽  
pp. 1501-1514
Author(s):  
Kersti Kõiv ◽  
Kadi Liik ◽  
Mati Heidmets

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating effect of teacher’s psychological empowerment between school leadership style and teachers’ work-related outcomes. Design/methodology/approach A total of 711 teachers from 31 Estonian schools were surveyed with a questionnaire measuring four dimensions of psychological empowerment (competence, meaning, self-determination and impact), school leadership characteristics (leadership style, leader’s empowering behavior and trust in leader) and teacher’s work-related outcomes (job satisfaction and workplace attachment). AMOS path analysis was used to investigate the direct and indirect relations between the teachers’ perceptions of school leadership, their psychological empowerment and their workplace attachment and job satisfaction. Findings This study found that psychological empowerment (subscales meaning and impact) mediates the relationship between perceived leadership empowerment behavior and teachers’ work-related outcomes. Also, the psychological empowerment (meaning and impact) mediates the relationship between perceived leadership style and teachers’ work-related outcomes. Trust in the principal has direct and indirect effect (through psychological empowerment) on job satisfaction, whereas there only seems to be indirect effect on workplace attachment through two components of psychological empowerment. Practical implications The mediating role of psychological empowerment includes an important message for school principals – in order to empower employees it is not sufficient to merely delegate formal power and decision-making rights. To facilitate the development of psychological empowerment, it is important to provide employees with an opportunity to experience agency, to experience that their voice and opinions are taken into account (perceived impact) and the purpose and targets of the whole organization are discussed with the employees and formulated in collaboration with them (perceived meaning). Originality/value Psychological empowerment as a mediating variable has not been widely researched, especially in school environment. The results will provide important signals for school principals, where and how to find leverage to improve teachers’ job satisfaction and workplace attachment.


2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Tulowitzki

While shadowing as a method has been analysed and discussed, these discussions have often been focused on (business) management research as opposed to school leadership research. Additionally, little attention has so far been paid to the parameters of shadowing. Without knowledge of these matters, the validity, merits and difficulties of shadowing and data collected through shadowing are impossible to assess. This contribution aims at tackling these issues. First, it attempts to offer an overview of shadowing. Next, studies on school principals making use of shadowing are analysed, guided by the following research questions: What are the aims of the studies? How is shadowing defined by the author(s)? What are the parameters of the shadowing activities (duration, observers, observed persons)? What are the categories of observation? In conjunction with what other – if any – methods is shadowing used? What – if any – merits or pitfalls of shadowing are discussed? Finally, implications of the current use of shadowing are discussed and suggestions are offered to address desiderata uncovered during the analysis as well as to further develop the method.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 96-121
Author(s):  
Maria Karmiris

By situating this article within disability studies, decolonial studies and postcolonial studies, my purpose is to explore orientations towards independence within public school practices and show how this serves to reinforce hierarchies of exclusion. As feminist, queer and postcolonial scholar Ahmed (2006, p. 3) contends, “Orientations shape not only how we inhabit, but how we apprehend this world of shared inhabitance as well as ‘who’ or ‘what’ we direct our energy toward” (Ahmed, 2006, p. 3). I wonder how the policies and practices that I am oriented towards as a public school teacher limit the possibilities of encountering teaching and learning as a mode of reckoning and apprehending “this world of shared inhabitance?” I also wonder how remaining oriented towards independence as the goal of learning simultaneously sustains an adherence to colonial western logics under the current neoliberal ethos. Through Ahmed’s provocation I explore how the gaze of both teachers and students in public schools remains oriented towards independent learning in a manner that sustains conditions of exclusion, marginalization and oppression.


Author(s):  
Adlin Damainik ◽  
Ika Muntazah

This study aims to determine the principal's leadership in improving the quality of SMP IT Nurul Fadhillah, the constraints of the principal's leadership in improving the quality of schools at SMP IT Nurul Fadhilah, and the principal's efforts to improve the quality of schools at SMP IT Nurul Fadhilah. The method used in this research is qualitative research with a descriptive approach and the techniques used are observation, interviews and documentation. The subjects of this study were the principal and teachers. Data analysis techniques use data reduction, data presentation and conclusions. Ensuring the validity of research data uses credibility, transfibility, dependability and conformability. The results of this research are the principal's leadership in improving the quality of education by caring for subordinates, assertiveness, democracy, and supervision. The obstacles faced by school principals in improving the quality of schools are the lack of educational facilities and infrastructure. As for the efforts made by the principal in improving the quality of education, namely developing teacher competence, meeting the needs of school stakeholders and getting used to working together in overcoming problems.


2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (10) ◽  
pp. 115-133
Author(s):  
Birhanu Sintayehu

This study aimed to critically examine the power sources and influences of school principals in secondary schools of Eastern Ethiopia. A descriptive survey research design was employed to carry out the study. The participants of the study were 145 teachers, 78 principals, and 41 supervisors who were selected by using stratified and random sampling techniques. The researcher adopted descriptive and inferential statistics to make sound interpretations of data. The results revealed that school principals were mostly used expert, legitimate, and reward sources of power. Likewise, school principals have predominantly exercised a positional basis of power rather than personal power. There was a significant statistical difference in power sources of school principals regarding positions, gender, and service years. The findings also showed that school principals dominantly practiced proactive influencing tactics. Moreover, findings indicated that subordinates carried out school principals' compliance to obtain a prize or avoid punishment by applied reactive influence tactics. The study further discovered that subordinates were inclined to resist school principals' influence. This study suggests secondary principals should rethink how power is managed and deployed to make sound influence over subordinates to assure quality education. Hence, the results of the study may serve as a springboard to improve secondary school leadership and equip novice teachers to bring them a principalship position. Plus, this study may provide a clear picture for policymakers, scholars, and government officials to support and retain principals for long-term school improvement, and it may also a theoretical benefit for future research on the area of study.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 56
Author(s):  
Dian Armanto ◽  
Edy Surya ◽  
Elvi Mailani

The research aims to develop teacher and student handbooks for realistic mathematics lessons for elementary schools. The development of this handbook is based on the reality in the field where the handbook of teachers and students especially the subjects using the 2013 curriculum still do not exist, and in daily learning activities teachers and students still use books that use themes. This research uses development research (Developmental Research). The subjects of this study were grade V students of SD Negeri 163085, H.A Bilal Tebingtinggi City and SD Negeri 106162, Medan Estate District, Deliserdang Regency. In the initial stage, observations were made during the learning process at the two schools and continued with interviews with students and teachers. From the results of these observations and interviews a primary school realistic mathematics teacher and student handbook was prepared. Furthermore, the realistic elementary school mathematics teacher and student handbook is validated by a team that aims to see and assess the quality of the realistic elementary school teacher and student mathematics handbook in order to arrange an effective handbook that will be used by teachers and students in learning. The validation results show that realistic mathematics teacher and student handbooks are developed in both categories and can be used in teaching and learning. The media book test was conducted on grade V students of SD Negeri 163085 Tebingtinggi city and SD Negeri 106162 Medan Estate Deliserdang Regency. The trial results show that the elementary school teacher and student mathematics handbook is effective and can help facilitate understanding of mathematical concepts at the elementary school level. This can be seen from the number of students who can reach the KKM from the two schools is increasing. For SD Negeri 163085 HA Bilal, Tebingtinggi City, if at the time of the pre-test only 1 student (3%) was able to reach the KKM, then after being given the learning process using a teacher and student handbook developed the number of students who could reach the KKM increased to 24 students (82.7%) while those under the KKM were only (17.3%) or 5 students. The same thing was seen in SD Negeri 106162, Medanestate Subdistrict, Deliserdang Regency. If at the time of the Pre-test only 2 students (6.6%) had scored above the KKM, after the post-test there was an increase in students who achieved the KKM score of 25 students (83.3%). An increase of 76.7% when compared to the pre test. Keywords: Handbook, teacher, student, PMR


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lintang Nimas Primaningtyas ◽  
Muhlasin Amrullah

The study aims to analyze the learning process in the (online) network, supportive factors and teacher inhibitory factors in carrying out online learning during the covid-19 pandemic. The study was carried out at muhammadiyah elementary school 2 the estimated shidoarjo city of sidoarjo in April. The study USES descriptive qualitative methods. The subject used in this study was an elementary school teacher at 2 tulangan elementary elementary school. The data-collection techniques used in this study include interviews, documentation and field notes. The result of this study is that the covid-19 pandemic has hada profound impact on the learning process, learning that is normally executed directly is now being transferred to online learning. Learners are bored and bored during learning. Online education done for primary-age children is less effective. A number of teacher factors in the online learning process are the availability of cell phones, quotas and a steady Internet network. In addition to supporting factors in online learning, there are several teacher inhibitors in online learning. These inhibiting factors include the fact that they are still at the elementary school level, so only a few students have cellphones, therefore this can make learning ineffective. Through online there are also obstacles that occur for teachers, namely many students who deliberately do not participate in online learning because they do not have an internet quota to access learning so that students are left behind. And there is also a learning strategy carried out by SD Muhammadiyah 2 Tulangan. On the other hand, face-to-face online learning through applications is the most beneficial thing to break the spread of Covid-19 and maintain the mental health of teachers and students from exposure to the Covid-19 virus.


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