Contracts, Choice, and Customer Service: Marketization and Public Engagement in Education

2011 ◽  
Vol 113 (11) ◽  
pp. 2460-2502 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maia Cucchiara ◽  
Eva Gold ◽  
Elaine Simon
Keyword(s):  
School District ◽  
Education Reform ◽  
Public Participation ◽  
Customer Service ◽  
Public Engagement ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Governance Structure ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
New Governance ◽  
Market Models

Background/Context Market models of school reform are having a major impact on school districts across the country. While scholars have examined many aspects of this process, we know far less about the general effects of marketization on public participation in education and local education politics. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study This article uses an examination of marketization in Philadelphia over a six-year period (2001-7) to explore its implications for public engagement—or the ability of individuals and groups to work with and influence the school district and hold officials accountable. Setting The research was conducted in Philadelphia, the sixth largest city in the country. In 2001, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania took over the School District of Philadelphia, citing on-going fiscal crises and poor student achievement. The resulting reforms included new leadership, new governance structures, and significant privatization. Research Design This is a qualitative case study of school district change in Philadelphia, focusing on the implications for public engagement. Data Collection and Analysis Data included over 50 interviews with education administrators, civic and political elites, and representatives of grassroots and community groups. Data also included six years of participant observation at public meetings and in reform coalitions. Analysis followed a grounded theory approach designed to identify district policies and practices related to public participation and to document how these practices shaped the ability of individuals and groups to engage productively with the district. Findings/Results We find that the marketization of education in Philadelphia had a major impact on the district's institutional structure and practices for interacting with local stakeholders. Our data point to several changes that were particularly consequential in shaping the opportunities for engagement and the direction such engagement took. These are: a corporate governance structure, an emphasis on communication, widespread contracting out for services, an increase in school choice, and a focus on customer service. Conclusions/Recommendations These changes have resulted in channeling of public participation along individual lines at the expense of collective forms of action and, more broadly, undercutting of the understanding of education as a public good. Given the continued influence of market models of education reform at the local and national levels, it will be important for policymakers to pay close attention to the ways by which marketization can limit engagement and to develop strategies, such as increased transparency and new vehicles for public input, to address this tendency.

“Weg Da—Wir Wollen Lernen!” Education Reform in Hamburg, Germany in Neoliberal Times

2013 ◽  
Vol 115 (8) ◽  
pp. 1-36
Author(s):  
Jeff Bale
Keyword(s):  
Education Policy ◽  
Education Reform ◽  
News Media ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Substantial Part ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Education Policies ◽  
Reform Measure ◽  
Interpretive Communities ◽  
Critical Policy

Background/Context This paper is in dialogue with critical policy scholarship that has developed a certain consensus about what neoliberalism is and what its impact has been on recent education policy. A substantial part of the paper comprises a synthesis of recent German scholarship on neoliberal education policies in that country. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study Drawing on critical analysis of neoliberal education policy, this paper examines a recent education reform measure in Hamburg, Germany. A key component of the intended reform measure was defeated by a ballot initiative spearheaded by a coalition of Hamburg residents widely understood to represent the city's wealthy elite. Making sense of the controversy over this reform measure is the central goal of this paper. To do so, I identify five features of neoliberal education policy in Germany and use them as a framework within which to read the specific reform measure in Hamburg and the resistance to it. Research Design This paper reports an interpretive policy analysis and draws on document sources from four interpretive communities: (a) Hamburg's education ministry; (b) two pro-reform coalitions; (c) one anti-reform coalition; and (c) news media sources. A total of 389 documents were collected for this study, to which I applied a grounded theory approach for data analysis. Conclusions/Recommendations By reading this controversy against previous scholarship on neoliberal education policy, I argue that this specific case of education reform in Hamburg does not follow the pattern such analysis would predict. By stressing this divergence, I neither intend to challenge the consensus on neoliberalism within critical policy scholarship, nor to position this reform policy as a panacea to neoliberal ills. Rather, I argue that the anomalous nature of this specific reform effort in Hamburg provides two unique analytical opportunities: (a) to understand more deeply the constraints imposed by neoliberalism on schooling, especially in a context of policy making that bucks the neoliberal trend; and (b) to identify more clearly what educational policy strategies are required to move beyond neoliberal imperatives for schooling and society.

scholarly journals How Do Environmental Concerns and Governance Performance Affect Public Environmental Participation: A Case Study of Waste Sorting in Urban China

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (19) ◽  
pp. 9947
Author(s):  
Hang Yin ◽  
Yixiong Huang ◽  
Kuiming Wang
Keyword(s):  
Public Participation ◽  
Environmental Protection ◽  
Public Engagement ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Urban China ◽  
Environmental Concerns ◽  
Willingness To Participate ◽  
The Government ◽  
Environmental Participation

Environmental pollution threatens public health and has become a social concern in recent years. Despite the conditions for public participation in environmental governance have improved considerably, the level of public engagement in government projects still falls short of expectations. Therefore, this article introduced two key variables, hoping to answer the following research question that how environmental concerns and governance performance affect public environmental participation. Through principal component analysis of the data from the “Survey of Chinese Urban Residents’ Attitudes toward Environmental Protection”, the findings of this article are as follows: First, public environmental concerns have no significant impact on their environmental engagement; second, the improvement of residents’ confidence in the government performance of environmental management reduces their willingness to participate in official projects. The higher the confidence in the government’s performance, the lower the level of public engagement is. Moreover, due to the consideration of self-interest or lack of environmental awareness, those who oppose waste incineration in waste terminal disposal tend to take a non-participatory role in waste sorting programs. Therefore, we suggest that the government have more diverse shareholders in environmental protection, so it should expand public participation through education, publicity, mobilization, and incentives.

Open Budgetary Meetings Amid a Pandemic: Assessing Connecticut’s Various Pathways to Public Engagement During COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 55-76
Author(s):  
Jodie Gil ◽  
Jonathan L Wharton
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Analysis ◽  
Public Participation ◽  
Public Engagement ◽  
Multiple Perspectives ◽  
Public Meetings ◽  
Open Meeting

This qualitative analysis of public participation in Connecticut open meetings highlights how Connecticut communities adjusted when the state’s open meeting law was temporarily revised under emergency order during COVID-19. A survey of officials in 95 municipalities found a majority had the same or more participation in budget deliberations during that time. Only about a quarter saw decreased public participation. A closer look at four communities highlights specific challenges and successes during the sudden shift in public meetings. Connecticut’s varied forms of government give multiple perspectives, which can provide insight for other communities looking to expand virtual access to open meetings.

scholarly journals JAX, THE ARCHITECTURE: Designing a Chatboat Architecture to Reduce Ajax Fancare’s Logistical Problem and Enhance Fan Experience

Nirmana ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 51-65
Author(s):  
Steven Limandjaja
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Customer Service ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Future Development ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Main Question ◽  
Digital Society ◽  
Live Chat ◽  
Logistical Problem

This paper is the documentation of a graduation internship at Digital Society School (DSS) in which they teamed up with Ajax Fancare to solve their logistical problem and enhance the fan experience. Ajax Fancare is facing a logistical problem in manually answering every fan’s question via calls, emails, social media, or live chat. They believe that chatbot is the solution to this problem. The goal of this project is to research, design, and prototype a chatbot that could tackle the logistical problem and enhance the fan experience. The deliverable is a chatbot prototype and architecture in which Ajax Fancare could build upon for their future customer service chatbot. The main question of the research is answered by the chatbot architecture: Jax the Architecture, a conversational tree of all the possible interactions between a user and the chatbot. The final chatbot architecture answers the research question by mapping together the main elements of the chatbot such as the information fans needed from Ajax Fancare and additional features that create a new and inclusive experience. The prototypes and final chatbot architecture are ready to be tested for further research and serve as a cornerstone for future development of the Ajax Fancare chatbot.

The new governance structure of French seaports: an initial post-evaluation

2014 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 430-443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Cariou ◽  
Laurent Fedi ◽  
Frédéric Dagnet
Keyword(s):  
Governance Structure ◽  
New Governance ◽  
Post Evaluation

The Need for Principal Renewal: The Promise of Sustaining Principals through Principal-to-Principal Reflective Practice

2012 ◽  
Vol 114 (12) ◽  
pp. 1-56
Author(s):  
Eleanor Drago-Severson
Keyword(s):  
Reflective Practice ◽  
21St Century ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
High Stakes Testing ◽  
Catholic School ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Self Renewal ◽  
Field Notes

Background/Context Given the challenging complexity of the modern principalship— including high-stakes testing, standards-based reform, increased accountability, and severe budget cuts—practitioners and scholars emphasize the urgency of supporting principals’ stress-relief and renewal. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study This nationwide study offers insights into how a group of principals renew themselves and prevent burnout, crucial for 21st-century school leaders. This article focuses on how 25 principals supported their own renewal and their yearning to engage in reflective practice with colleagues as a support to their own revitalization, growth, and learning. Research Design Eighty-nine hours of qualitative interviews with a diverse sample of 25 public and private (independent) and Catholic school principals who served in schools with varying levels of financial resources (i.e., high, medium, and low) were conducted, in addition to analyzing field notes and approximately 60 documents. Interviews for the encompassing research study—an investigation of developmentally based principal leadership practices employed to support adult learning—concerned a variety of topics, including principals’ practices for supporting teacher learning and how principals themselves supported their own renewal. Data Collection and Analysis All interviews were transcribed verbatim. Two researchers coded interviews, documents, and field notes for central concepts (theoretical and emic codes were employed). Thematic matrices were developed, and narrative summaries were created. A grounded theory approach was employed, and important literatures informed analysis. Matrices displayed confirming and disconfirming instances of themes, and two researchers conferred on alternative interpretations. Findings Findings reveal that these principals (1) employed a variety of strategies for self-renewal given the complex challenges of their leadership work in the 21st century and (2) expressed a desire for engaging in ongoing reflective practice with colleagues as a to support their own development, sustainability, and renewal. All also expressed that although they were fulfilled by their jobs, the scope seemed vast and overwhelming. Whether they served in high, low, or medium financial resource schools and whether they served in public, independent, or Catholic schools, they emphasized that they needed to develop more effective and frequent strategies for self-renewal. Conclusions/Recommendations These school leaders explained that they yearn for regular, ongoing opportunities to reflect with colleagues and fellow principals on the challenges of leadership, emphasizing that this type of ongoing collegial reflection would help them to more effectively exercise leadership, avoid burnout, and renew themselves. Although all these principals spontaneously voiced the desire to engage in collegial reflection, only 3 were doing so on a regular basis. This research suggests the importance of supporting and retaining principals by using reflection and collegial support for renewal, with serious implications for education policy and school district practices.

Qualitative Research

2013 ◽  
pp. 352-364
Author(s):  
M. Gordon Hunter
Keyword(s):  
Research Question ◽  
Research Participant ◽  
Personal Construct ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Personal Construct Theory ◽  
Global Business ◽  
Business Operations ◽  
Construct Theory ◽  
Grounded Theory Approach ◽  
Management Issues

This chapter presents a conceptual discussion about investigating management issues relating to global business operations. Current global business operations provide an opportunity to conduct Ex Cultura research. This term represents the situation where researchers conduct investigations beyond their own culture. A Grounded Theory approach within a qualitative perspective is proposed so that newly emerging themes may be identified. These themes may not be known before hand because of the Ex Cultura environment. Two methods are suggested; the first method, Personal Construct Theory and the RepGrid technique, documents what the research participant thinks about a particular research question. The other method, Narrative Inquiry and the Long Interview technique, documents what a research participant has done relative to a research question. Both methods document the research participant’s interpretation of their personal experiences. Further, the methods support Ex Cultura research into management issues involved in global business operations.

Utilizing Twitter and #Hashtags Toward Enhancing Student Learning in an Online Course Environment

2018 ◽  
pp. 1217-1226 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Scott Bledsoe ◽  
Dave Harmeyer ◽  
Shuang Frances Wu
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Research Methodology ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Online Research ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Information Communication ◽  
Educational Environments ◽  
Grounded Theory Approach

The authors offer an answer to the research question, To what extent and in what ways is Twitter helpful to student learning when group hashtags are created and used in collaborative educational environments? Sixty-two students in a spring 2012 graduate online Research Methodology course worked individually and in groups to create discussions on topics of interest through Twitter posts and student-created hashtags. Student participants answered nine qualitative and quantitative questions concerning the Twitter/hashtag exercise and used collaborative blog pages to reflect on their experiences. A grounded theory approach was applied to classify data generated from the nine questions and blog postings. An analysis of the study's data resulted in the discovery of the following four themes: access to information, communication, class engagement, and general feedback. Based on these themes, nine recommendations are offered for maximizing the use of Twitter in an online environment for increased student engagement and learning.

The Impact of Web 2.0 on Public Engagement in the Israeli Home Front (From the 2006 Lebanon War to the 2014 Israel-Gaza Conflict)

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 52-63
Author(s):  
Galit Margalit Ben-Israel
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Web 2.0 ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Public Participation ◽  
Public Engagement ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Home Front ◽  
User Generated Content ◽  
Asymmetric Conflicts ◽  
The Impact

This article deals with citizen engagement and public participation being in crisis on the Israeli home front, in the era of Web 2.0. Since 2004, Web 2.0 characterizes changes that allow users to interact and collaborate with each other in a social media dialogue as creators of user-generated content in social networking sites: Facebook, Twitter, blogs, wikis, YouTube, hosted services, applications, WhatsApp, etc. Since 2006, Israel is involved in asymmetric conflicts. The research defines the impact of Web 2.0 on public engagement in the Israeli home front. The case studies examined in the research are: 1) The 2006 Lebanon War (July-August 2006); 2) The Gaza War (27 December 2008 and ended on 18 January 2009); 3) Operation Pillar of Defense (November 2012); and 4) The 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict.

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