scholarly journals The impact of accountability reforms on the Key Stage 4 curriculum: How have changes to school and college Performance Tables affected pupil access to qualifications and subjects in secondary schools in England?

Author(s):  
Meenakshi Parameshwaran ◽  
Dave J. Thomson

The Conservative–Liberal Democrat Coalition Government's reforms to secondary school Performance Tables have changed how schools make decisions about the subjects and qualifications entered by their pupils. The National Pupil Database is used to explore these changes between 2005 and 2014. We find that schools are responding to accountability reforms by changing access to subjects and qualifications for pupils: entry rates for English Baccalaureate qualifications have increased, while those for qualifications no longer counted as a result of the Coalition's response to the Wolf Review have decreased. However, reforms have not yet led to equal access to subjects and qualifications for all pupils.

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-18
Author(s):  
Pankaj Dixit

Educational organizations in private sector require strong corporate strategies. In order to get success in the globally competitive environment they must adopt the strategy of Corporate Social Responsibility. This study analyzed corporate social responsibility and its impact on private sector secondary schools in district North & South Delhi. For this purpose primary data were collected through five point Likert’s scale. The questionnaire was fielded to private sector secondary school teachers in order to get data about the impact of corporate social responsibility on performance of secondary schools. The population of the study was 184 registered private sector secondary schools (140 boys and 44 girls) which included 900 teachers (who taught to class 10th students during session 2017-18) in district North & South Delhi. A sample of 280 teachers (140 male and 140 female) in 70 private sector secondary schools (35 for boys and 35 for girls) were selected through equal allocation sampling formula. Mean, Standard Deviation and t-test were applied for analyzing the data. The Pearson’s correlation was used to evaluate the variable effects. The result from the data indicated that all the four aspects of CSR have positive significant impact on the performance of secondary schools.  


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Staats ◽  
Lori Laster

Concurrent enrollment refers to partnerships between postsecondary institutions and schools through which secondary school students can complete a university class taught by a qualifying secondary school teacher at their secondary school. We propose that concurrent enrollment programs are an under-recognized tool for extending the impact of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). The context of our study is an equity-focused university course in algebraic mathematical modeling that is also offered through concurrent enrollment in over 30 secondary schools to over 800 secondary students annually in our state of Minnesota, U.S.A. This paper presents a qualitative analysis of secondary school teachers’ experiences implementing the inquiry pedagogy and the equity goals of the course. Several results are important for UDL. Teachers (1) describe equity in social terms of race, ethnicity, income, immigration, and language status in addition to measures of academic success; (2) perceive improvements in students’ attitudes towards mathematics, school, and university education; (3) perceive student academic growth through mathematical writing; and (4) report close relationships with students. If higher education faculty design their on-campus classes to incorporate UDL principles, concurrent enrollment offers the potential to improve inclusive pathways from secondary schools to universities.


2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katie Cremin ◽  
Olive Healy ◽  
Michael Gordon

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the transition to and early experience of secondary school for students with autism from the perspective of their parents. It aimed to gather the parents’ personal accounts of their views of the transition experience for their child and of their perceptions of both the positive and the negative factors inherent in the process of transition. There was an emphasis on seeking useful information for others from the parent’s perception, views and choices. Design/methodology/approach As parents were reporting on their own perceptions and also their child’s experiences, a qualitative exploratory descriptive method was required. Thematic analysis was used as a pragmatic method to report on the experiences, meanings and the reality of the transition to secondary school from a parent’s perspective (Braun and Clarke, 2012). Findings A variety of supports and strategies were described, parents were unanimous in their emphasis of the importance of communication to them. Parents were concerned about secondary schools not fully understanding the nature of autism, and the impact this can have on their child as an individual. Despite differing perceptions and views on the purpose or end product of secondary educations for their child, all the parents communicated a desire for their child to reach their potential and make progress within the secondary school system. Research limitations/implications This was a small qualitative study with a self-selected group of parents in the Republic of Ireland, with fathers underrepresented. It did not take any account from any other stakeholders or the students themselves. Practical implications Parents would benefit from more practical support and communication during this time in the child’s education. Their recommendations and personal experiences may serve as a useful reference point for parents preparing for this time in their child’s school life. Social implications The study highlights the need to better understand how children with autism can be supported in making social attainments and connections within mainstream secondary schools in Ireland. Originality/value There is a small body of knowledge related to the secondary school experience for students with autism. It contributes the parental perspective and highlights areas for further research and practice.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 45-55
Author(s):  
John Aduwa

The study examined the impact of boarding Secondary Schools on students’ achievement in mathematics. The study was conducted in Ogbia Education Zone of Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Two research questions and their corresponding null hypotheses guided the study. A post-test only of quasi- experimental research design was adopted. Furthermore, a purposive sampling technique was used to select a sample size of 219 senior secondary school class 1 (SSS 1) mathematics students from a mixed model boarding secondary school. This school consisted of both boarding and day students. A Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT) was used to collect data from the students after a period of instruction that lasted for one full academic term. All data collected were analysed by the methods of mean, standard deviation and t-test statistics. The finding indicated that the establishment of the model boarding secondary schools by the Bayelsa State Government had a very significant impact on students’ achievement in mathematics. The study recommended that more model boarding secondary schools should be established by the Bayelsa State Government.


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-55
Author(s):  
Ibitola Oluwatoyin Adigun ◽  
Fadekemi Omobola Oyewusi ◽  
Kolawole Akinjide Aramide

Several studies have decried the non-existence of functional school libraries in many primary and secondary schools in Nigeria. This inadequacy in school libraries made it extremely difficult for school librarians to foster the culture of reading in students through school library use and reading promotional activities. Moreover, library hours are not included in the school time table in many of the secondary schools in Nigeria. Thus, reading engagement has been on the decline among secondary school students in the country. Despite these challenges, some studies suggested that students will spend more time reading if they have more spare time. Therefore, this study investigated selected secondary school students’ reading engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic school lockdown. It was assumed that the availability of time during the period would motivate students to read since schools were closed and movement was restricted. The study adopted an online survey instrument (Questionnaire) administered to the students over 3-month period (April - June 2020). This instrument was adopted because there was total closure of schools throughout the country, thus the only means students could be reached at the time was through online. The questionnaire was sent to individual students and school online groups. Thus, the study was limited to students with information technology gadgets and online presence. The result revealed that there was no significant difference in the duration of time students spent reading during the lockdown and when school was in session. It also revealed that students read textbooks to prepare for examinations and to keep sound academically.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Laurence Fay

<p>Increasing rates of young people’s anxiety and depression is a concern for New Zealand secondary schools and this results in issues for students such as decreased wellbeing and school attendance, health difficulties and social isolation. In 2013 the Ministry of Education introduced a pilot of the MY FRIENDS Youth Resilience programme into secondary schools for students in Year 9. This thesis reports on the experiences of teachers and students of the MY FRIENDS Youth programme in one secondary school context. This programme is based on cognitive behavioural therapy principles and has been developed to support young people build their understanding and skills in resilience to enhance their wellbeing. The programme has been implemented and evaluated with young people in a number of countries. Research has shown it to have beneficial effects in promoting emotional resilience and in reducing anxiety and depression in students. The findings of this school case study are explored, and the impact of the programme for the students and their school community is presented. A case study methodological approach was used that enabled the collection of rich data to explore the deep meaning from teachers and students. This involved an in-depth instrumental case study within one secondary school involving teachers, students, the counsellor, the principal and students’ parents. Observations, document analysis and interviews took place to build a comprehensive understanding of how teachers and students learned through the programme. Findings suggest the students see the MY FRIENDS Youth Resilience programme as a positive, useful programme that has enabled them to learn various strategies to deal with challenging scenarios in their life. The findings also address barriers to implementation and possible implications for the future. Several suggestions for the programme are discussed along with certain adaptations of the programme to make it more relevant to the New Zealand context.</p>


2020 ◽  
pp. 001789692096112
Author(s):  
Sarah Meiklejohn ◽  
Anna Peeters ◽  
Claire Palermo

Objective: School-based prevention interventions informed by the World Health Organization Health Promoting School (HPS) framework aim to improve the health and wellbeing of school-aged children, yet few studies describe factors influencing the successful implementation of this framework in secondary schools. This study sought to explore why and how secondary schools might implement the HPS framework and factors contributing to success. Design: Qualitative case study. Setting: A single secondary school in Victoria, Australia, purposefully selected due to local recognition of an HPS policy. Method: Data collection included semi-structured interviews, document retrieval, drawings and ethnographic observation. Data were analysed using framework analysis. Results: The school had elected to implement the policy as it aligned with its existing health and wellbeing policy framework and provided a flexible yet evidence-based framework to guide a whole-of-school approach to promoting health and wellbeing. Success was perceived to be dependent on selecting easier health priority areas to address initially, the allocation of a designated team to guide policy implementation and access to a skilled health promotion worker to assist implementation. Conclusion: Study findings highlight potential reasons why and how secondary schools might implement the HPS framework and factors contributing to success. Further research is warranted to enhance the transferability of these findings and explore the impact of the HPS framework in secondary schools.


2019 ◽  
pp. 22-28
Author(s):  
Eze Ifeyinwa P. ◽  
Ozoana H. O.

The study was carried out to examine the impact of principals‟ security management strategies for enhancing secondary schools administration in Udi Education Zone. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for this study. Two research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study. Principals‟ population was 54 while teachers‟ population was 621, the researcher purposively sampled 124 teachers‟ and made use of the 54 principals. The researcher made use of instrument for data collection. The instrument consisted of 15 items. The reliability of the instrument was determined using Cronbach Alpha with an overall reliability index of 0.80 which made the instrument highly reliable. The data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation while ttest statistics was used to test the hypotheses. The findings of the study showed that the respondents were of the views that, principals‟ security management strategies relating to the provision of security devices have an impact in enhancement of secondary school administration in Udi Education Zone to a low extent. It was recommended among others that the government should take the issue of security as a matter of priority as well as allocating money for the purchasing of such safety and security building equipment as video surveillance (CCTV) among others.


2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  

This study was on the impact of parents’ socio economic status on academic achievement of secondary schools agricultural students in Konsisha Local Government. Specific objectives for the study were: identify the impact of family structure on academic achievement of secondary school agricultural students in Konshisha Local Government, investigate the impact of parents’ educational background on academic achievement of secondary school agricultural students in Konshisha Local Government and ascertain the impact of parents’ income on academic achievement of secondary school agricultural students in Konshisha Local Government. Three research questions were raised and answered by the study. The design for the study was survey research design. Population for the study was 440 while purposive sampling technique was adopted for this study. A structured questionnaire titled: Parents’ Socio-economic Status Questionnaire (PSESQ) was used for data collection. The instrument was validated by three experts. Cronbach Alpha reliability method was used to determine the internal consistency of the instrument and a coefficient of 0.81 was obtained. All the administered copies of the questionnaire were retrieved and analyzed using Mean, Standard Deviation and t – test. It was found out that academic achievement of students in secondary schools could be impacted by 4 family structures, 6 parents’ educational background and 6 impact of parents’ income on academic achievement of students in secondary schools. It was therefore, recommended that, Students from good socio economic background should use the opportunity to attain good academic heights, parents should provide basic school needs for their children to enable them attain good academic heights and parents should seek varying sources of income so that they can meet up with the school needs of their children.


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