Data use in Kenyan secondary schools

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 216-231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisha Omoso ◽  
Kim Schildkamp ◽  
Jules Pieters
Keyword(s):  
School Improvement ◽  
Secondary School Teachers ◽  
Data Use ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
School Level ◽  
Teacher Improvement ◽  
Head Teachers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Study Results

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the data available and their use by Kenyan secondary school teachers and head teachers. Design/methodology/approach Using a qualitative case study design, this study utilised interviews and documentary evidence to explore the data available and their use within Kenyan schools. Findings The data available in Kenyan schools were similar except for context data which had slight variations between schools. Head teachers mainly used school-level data to monitor school functioning, plan and develop school-level policies which mainly focused on school and curriculum improvement but little on teacher improvement. Teacher improvement attempts were mostly via benchmarking. The results also show that Kenyan head teachers hide inspection reports from teachers and that some head teachers used data creatively than others. For example, one head teacher used data to start a feeding programme to support economically disadvantaged students. Teachers, however, mostly used classroom-level data to plan lessons and monitor students’ progress. Research limitations/implications The study results may be used for data use comparative studies between developing and developed countries. Practical implications Based on the findings, data use training is needed to help Kenyan schools use data to improve teachers and teaching. Originality/value Accountability and data use are at the centre of many school improvement efforts the world over. The last two decades, for example, show pressure on schools to account for the resources invested and for the education they provide to children mainly in the form of data. Regrettably, studies pay little attention to data use in schools within developing countries such as Kenya.

Study on data use in Indonesian primary schools

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 198-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ikhsan Abdusyakur ◽  
Cindy Louise Poortman
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
School Improvement ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Data Use ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Mixed Method Research ◽  
Survey Analysis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
The Government

Purpose Many studies have underlined data use for school improvement. However, these are mainly based on developed countries; studies on data use are still lacking on developing countries. The purpose of this paper is to investigate data use in Indonesian primary schools. This study is based on a conceptual framework focusing on kinds of data, purposes of data use and factors promoting or hindering data use in schools. Design/methodology/approach The authors employed a mixed-method research design, with a total of 194 teachers and 28 heads of schools from 60 schools participating in the survey. Based on the survey analysis, six schools were purposively sampled for a multiple-case study approach. Findings The results show that Indonesian primary schools have similar kinds of data available and most data are used for accountability purposes only. These findings might be explained by the government trying to counter-balance the schools’ autonomy, so that the focus of data use seems to be more on accountability than on school development and instructional purposes. The results also reveal that the factors had a different influence for each data use purpose: high data use schools provided insight into promoting factors, while the low data user schools provided an understanding of hindering factors. Originality/value This study makes a scientific contribution by offering understanding of data use in a different context. Indonesia has become decentralized in most state functions, including education. Therefore, this study can be used as a guideline for future studies of data use in other developing countries context in supporting the decentralization of educational systems.

Light touch, heavy hand: principals and data-use PLCs

2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
pp. 376-389 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice Huguet ◽  
Caitlin C. Farrell ◽  
Julie A. Marsh
Keyword(s):  
Professional Learning ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Equal Opportunity ◽  
Data Use ◽  
Opportunity To Learn ◽  
School Level ◽  
Comparative Case Study ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Principal's Role

Purpose The use of data for instructional improvement is prevalent in today’s educational landscape, yet policies calling for data use may result in significant variation at the school level. The purpose of this paper is to focus on tools and routines as mechanisms of principal influence on data-use professional learning communities (PLCs). Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through a comparative case study of two low-income, low-performing schools in one district. The data set included interview and focus group transcripts, observation field notes and documents, and was iteratively coded. Findings The two principals in the study employed tools and routines differently to influence ways that teachers interacted with data in their PLCs. Teachers who were given leeway to co-construct data-use tools found them to be more beneficial to their work. Findings also suggest that teachers’ data use may benefit from more flexibility in their day-to-day PLC routines. Research limitations/implications Closer examination of how tools are designed and time is spent in data-use PLCs may help the authors further understand the influence of the principal’s role. Originality/value Previous research has demonstrated that data use can improve teacher instruction, yet the varied implementation of data-use PLCs in this district illustrates that not all students have an equal opportunity to learn from teachers who meaningfully engage with data.

Spatial analysis of child labour in India

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lokender Prashad ◽  
Mili Dutta ◽  
Bishnu Mohan Dash
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Analysis ◽  
Census Data ◽  
Hot Spot ◽  
Labour Force ◽  
Child Labour ◽  
District Level ◽  
School Level ◽  
Population Census ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Level Data

Purpose This study on spatial analysis of child labour in India is a macro level analysis on child labour using the census data, 2011 of Government of India. The population census which is conducted once in 10 years only provides district level data on work-force distribution. The study has spatial analysis of child labour in the age group of 5–14 years in India. To assess the magnitude of the children in the labour force, district level data of Census 2011 has been used in the study. The study has made an attempt to identify the districts where there is high level of children in the labour force. This paper aims to estimate the magnitude and trends of children’s workforce participation using the census data as it is the only data base, which is available at the district level since 1961 onwards. The study has made an attempt to identify the clustering of child labour across districts in India and how child labour is clustered by different background characteristics. Design/methodology/approach The study has used ArcGIS software package, GeoDa software and local indicator of spatial association test. Findings The findings of study reveal that the proportion of rural, total fertility rate (TFR) and poverty headcount ratio is positively associated, whereas female literacy and the pupil-teacher ratio are negatively associated with child labour. It suggests that in the hot-spot areas and areas where there is a high prevalence of child labour, there is need to increase the teacher's number at the school level to improve the teacher-pupil ratio and also suggested to promote the female education, promote family planning practices to reduce TFR in those areas for reducing the incidences of child labour. Research limitations/implications The study also recommends that the incidences of child labour can be controlled by a comprehensive holistic action plan with the active participation of social workers. Practical implications The promulgation of effective legislation, active involvement of judiciary and police, political will, effective poverty alleviation and income generation programmes, sensitisation of parents, corporates and media can play effective role in mitigating the incidences of child labour in India. To achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs) adopted by world leaders in 2015 to eradicate child labour in all its forms by 2025. Social implications The study aims to achieve the SDGs adopted by world leaders in 2015 to eradicate child labour in all its forms by 2025. Originality/value The study is purely original and there are no such studies in Indian context by using the latest software.

Security and privacy of adolescents in social applications and networks: legislative aspects and legal practice of countering cyberbullying on example of developed and developing countries

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmad Ghandour ◽  
Viktor Shestak ◽  
Konstantin Sokolovskiy
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Legal Regulation ◽  
Security And Privacy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Results ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Developed Countries ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Social Applications

Purpose This paper aims to study the developed countries’ experience on the cyberbullying legal regulation among adolescents, to identify existing shortcomings in the developing countries’ laws and to develop recommendations for regulatory framework improvement. Design/methodology/approach The authors have studied the state regulatory practice of the UK, the USA, Canada, Malaysia, South Africa, Turkey, UAE and analyzed the statistics of 2018 on the cyberbullying manifestation among adolescents in these countries. Findings The study results can encourage countries to create separate cyberbullying legislation and periodically review and modify already existing legislation. Originality/value The study provides a list of the recommendations to regulate cybercrime in developing countries and prevent it as well. The results may contribute to creating laws related to the regulation of cyberbullying in countries where such legislation does not exist yet or existing regulatory legal acts do not bring the expected results, namely, in Post-Soviet countries and other developing countries of the world.

Evaluating the effectiveness of an online module for increasing financial literacy

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 154-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Wolla
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Financial Literacy ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Financial Knowledge ◽  
School Level ◽  
School Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Level Data

Purpose Financial literacy is lacking across all age groups, but less than one-third of young adults have even basic financial knowledge. Research has demonstrated that online learning is effective. As such, online learning strategies may be a useful tool for improving the financial literacy of high school students. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach This study uses student-level (N=3,061) and school-level data (n=100) to examine the effectiveness of Soar to Savings, an online learning module that teaches key personal finance and economics concepts. Findings The findings show large, positive, and statistically significant gains in learning from pretest to posttest for the student-level and school-level samples. Originality/value The results provide evidence that Soar to Savings is an effective tool for increasing financial knowledge.

School-level organizational routines for learning: supporting data use

2014 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 529-548 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leanne M. Kallemeyn
Keyword(s):  
Performance Management ◽  
Tacit Knowledge ◽  
Explicit Knowledge ◽  
Data Use ◽  
Extreme Case ◽  
Professional Autonomy ◽  
School Level ◽  
Organizational Routines ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Double Loop Learning

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to use an extreme case to identify and describe the nature of routines that might support processes and outcomes of data use, drawing from a framework developed by Coburn and Turner (2012a). Design/methodology/approach – The author conducted a four-month case study (Stake, 1995) of an elementary school in a large urban school district that had implemented balanced score cards. The author identified a school that had strong qualities to support data use, including leadership and information systems. Findings – Two school-level organizational routines facilitated teachers’ data use: collaborative teams and processes of inquiry. These routines stored knowledge about the types of data teachers ought to notice, and to a lesser extent, how they ought to interpret data and construct implications for practice. These routines also provided opportunities for single and double-loop learning (Argyris and Schön, 1996) and might contribute to improvements in student learning. This case provides an example of how a school negotiated external performance management pressures, and maintained their professional autonomy, focussing on internally initiated assessments. Originality/value – Relatively little research has described what organizational routines support data use among practitioners. In addition to describing two routines, this case also demonstrated the need to frame these routines as organizational routines for learning. To further develop these routines, the author drew on the notion of the knowledge-creating company (Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995) to explain how the school used their organizational routines to share tacit knowledge (socialization), and to convert tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge (externalization), which supported instructional innovations.

Organizational problem-solving and school discipline: comparing the roles of schoolwide behavior management technologies

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent Cho ◽  
Katrina Borowiec ◽  
Kaitlyn F. Tuthill
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
School Improvement ◽  
Behavior Management ◽  
Classroom Behavior ◽  
Collaborative Problem Solving ◽  
Behavioral Data ◽  
School Level ◽  
Comparative Case Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Big Picture

PurposeApplications for tracking and managing classroom behavior have become increasingly commonplace, thus making it possible to incorporate nonacademic data into collaborative problem-solving and school improvement. Whether or how these platforms might support such aims, however, is not known. Accordingly, this study explores practices involving these applications, focusing especially on problem-solving among educators and with students' families.Design/methodology/approachThis comparative case study took place in three schools. In total, 34 semistructured interviews were conducted with teachers and school leaders. Analysis included qualitative coding as well as the development of within- and cross-case summaries.FindingsSchools varied greatly when it came to using behavior management platforms as a part of problem-solving. At a basic level, it was not uncommon for educators to use behavioral data for classroom troubleshooting or check-ins with students and transactional communications with families. However, only two schools attempted to use behavioral data for more systemic, “big picture” problem-solving, such as to make discipline policies more equitable or to improve teacher practices. The richness of collaboration with families seemed especially shaped by how and how frequently data were shared (e.g. automated notifications and paper printouts).Originality/valueEmpirical research about behavior management applications has been limited and focused only at the classroom level. The present study contributes new knowledge about the school-level implications of these platforms, while also expanding conversations about how behavioral data may be incorporated into data-informed problem-solving. Implications for leadership and theory are also discussed.

Share price informativeness and dividend smoothing behavior in GCC markets

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Razaz Felimban ◽  
Sina Badreddine ◽  
Christos Floros
Keyword(s):  
Private Information ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Share Price ◽  
Price Informativeness ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Share Prices ◽  
Listed Firms ◽  
Gcc Countries ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Dividend Smoothing

PurposeThis paper examines the dividend smoothing (DS) behaviour in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries in emerging markets where the response to news and the economic environment are different from those of developed countries.Design/methodology/approachThe authors examine the effect of share price informativeness on DS in the GCC markets using unbalanced panel data for a sample of 628 GCC-listed firms during 1994–2016. For the regression analysis, the hypotheses are tested using panel regressions and generalised method of moments (GMM) estimation.FindingsFirst, the Lintner model shows that the DS degree in GCC firms is comparable to that of a developed market. Second, and importantly, the results reveal that the DS in GCC firms is sensitive to private information of share prices. Finally, the findings indicate that information asymmetry (IA) and agency-based models affect the tendency to smooth dividends in the GCC markets.Originality/valueThis study is the first study to measure the degree of DS using data for all GCC countries. The authors also identify other determinants of DS behaviour and test the agency and IA explanations for DS in GCC-listed firms. The findings are highly recommended to financial managers and analysts dealing with the GCC markets. This study helps financial analysts to use the share price informativeness as an indicator for the presence of the IA. The study results are beneficial to researchers in understanding the relationship between DS and share price informativeness.

scholarly journals ANALYSIS OF THE PRACTICES OF SUPERVISION AT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LEVEL IN PUNJAB

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bakht Jamal, Syed Asad Abbas Rizvi, Muhammad Munir kayani
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Schools ◽  
School Improvement ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Quality Education ◽  
School Level ◽  
Head Teachers ◽  
Point Rating Scale ◽  
Teaching Learning

Supervision is one of the important factors for school improvement and ensuring quality education. It makes the teaching-learning environment effective and helps us to achieve the educational objectives. The current research study was designed to explore analyze the practices of supervision at elementary schools’ level in Punjab. The population of the study was 166 elementary schools and 64 supervisors. The sample respondents of the study were 50 head teachers and 16 supervisors of elementary schools’ public sector in the District. The researcher adopted a convenience sampling technique for the collection of data. The tool for the collection of data were two self-developed questionnaires on a five-point rating scale, one for head teachers and the second one for supervisors having forty-two (42) statements with eleven aspects regarding (1) objectives, (2) cooperation, (3) cleanliness, (4) quality of education, (5) motivation, (6) facilities, (7) attendance, (8) budget, (9) feedback, (10) problems and (11) universal primary education. The validity of the research instrument was properly ensured through experts’ opinions and pilot testing. The reliability of the instruments was ensured by applying the Cronbach Alpha. The value of the reliability for supervisors was found 0.939 and the reliability value for the head teachers was measured at 0.932. The data collected from respondents were subsequently organized properly. The collected data was accurately analyzed, tabulated, presented and interpreted. Descriptive statistics were applied and data was presented in the mean score, frequency and standard deviation and interpreted accordingly. The data was presented in the form of tables. It was concluded that the supervisors are discharging their professional responsibilities with the spirit to promote quality education, promote a healthy and child-friendly environment in schools and head teacher are keen on conveying the instructions from the supervisors to the teachers.

Predicting school innovation

2019 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 246-262
Author(s):  
Nitza Schwabsky ◽  
Ufuk Erdogan ◽  
Megan Tschannen-Moran
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Efficacy ◽  
School Level ◽  
Collective Teacher Efficacy ◽  
Academic Press ◽  
Faculty Trust ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Bivariate Correlation ◽  
Study Results ◽  
School Innovation

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of collective teacher efficacy, academic press and faculty trust, all of which are components of academic optimism (AO), in predicting school innovation. In addition, the authors explored the extent to which faculty trust mediates the association between collective teacher efficacy and academic press with school innovation. Design/methodology/approach In all, 1,009 teachers from 79 schools in Northern Israel completed anonymous questionnaires about AO and innovation. Aggregation, descriptive statistics, bivariate correlation analyses and mediation analysis were performed to analyze the data. Findings Results showed that the components of AO, i.e., collective teacher efficacy, academic press and trust, were positively correlated to school innovation, and that trust mediated the relationship between collective teacher efficacy and school innovation. The study results confirmed that AO holds a significant predictive value in school innovation and highlights the importance of trust in supporting innovation. Practical implications As school leaders are challenged to foster innovative new practices in their schools, the findings suggest that they will need to know how to cultivate collective teacher efficacy, academic press and faculty trust. Originality/value This is the first study to examine the role of the components of AO in predicting innovation. By using a robust sample, the authors were able to examine the proposed school-level model with respect to the factors that affect school innovation. Originality also lies in the organizational approach to educational innovation in relation to faculty’s beliefs and behaviors.

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