scholarly journals Bringing life to leadership: The emergence of principal leadership practice for educational success in low socio-economic schools

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Angela Blanche Anna-Lise Millar
Keyword(s):  
Education Reform ◽  
Complexity Theory ◽  
Principal Leadership ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Educational Achievement ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Educational Success ◽  
Multiple Perspectives ◽  
Tight Coupling ◽  
Leadership Practice

<p>The persistent educational achievement gap and historically haphazard nature of progress for students in impoverished contexts in New Zealand primary schools is a deep-seated problem needing urgent attention. This multifaceted and interconnected problem has no distinct origin and no clear solution and is continuing to harm individual and collective futures. This thesis explores principal leadership practice and how it intersects with the low socio-economic context, to improve outcomes for vulnerable students.  Using a case study approach, two principals and their schools are holistically described using a theoretical framework grounded in complexity theory. Both the approach and theory uniquely explores principal practice as an individual and collective phenomenon, as a living, evolving network of self-organisation where both parts and wholes are significant, and as practice grounded in context.  The theory also offers a unique way to arrange and interpret findings. The study findings identified local notions of educational success as a way of understanding the trajectory of the ecosystem whole. The broad principal leadership patterns of practice included: building the network; integrating multiple perspectives; facilitating cohesion; and confronting and addressing injustices. These patterns evidenced a tight coupling between theory and practice. In the spirit of complexity theory, principal leadership practice is additionally explained as a sum greater than its parts. The capability of the network is described through concepts of stability and flow and shows, that no matter how competent the principal leader and their network, the contribution to education reform grapples to be transformational.  Recommendations are made for principal leaders, professional development providers, as well as the Ministry of Education and policymakers that offer hope and contribute to disrupting the current trajectory, so transformational change is more likely. Areas of instability and important leverage points, include professional learning and development, community-school connections and resourcing.</p>

scholarly journals Bringing life to leadership: The emergence of principal leadership practice for educational success in low socio-economic schools

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Angela Blanche Anna-Lise Millar
Keyword(s):  
Education Reform ◽  
Complexity Theory ◽  
Principal Leadership ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Educational Achievement ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Educational Success ◽  
Multiple Perspectives ◽  
Tight Coupling ◽  
Leadership Practice

<p>The persistent educational achievement gap and historically haphazard nature of progress for students in impoverished contexts in New Zealand primary schools is a deep-seated problem needing urgent attention. This multifaceted and interconnected problem has no distinct origin and no clear solution and is continuing to harm individual and collective futures. This thesis explores principal leadership practice and how it intersects with the low socio-economic context, to improve outcomes for vulnerable students.  Using a case study approach, two principals and their schools are holistically described using a theoretical framework grounded in complexity theory. Both the approach and theory uniquely explores principal practice as an individual and collective phenomenon, as a living, evolving network of self-organisation where both parts and wholes are significant, and as practice grounded in context.  The theory also offers a unique way to arrange and interpret findings. The study findings identified local notions of educational success as a way of understanding the trajectory of the ecosystem whole. The broad principal leadership patterns of practice included: building the network; integrating multiple perspectives; facilitating cohesion; and confronting and addressing injustices. These patterns evidenced a tight coupling between theory and practice. In the spirit of complexity theory, principal leadership practice is additionally explained as a sum greater than its parts. The capability of the network is described through concepts of stability and flow and shows, that no matter how competent the principal leader and their network, the contribution to education reform grapples to be transformational.  Recommendations are made for principal leaders, professional development providers, as well as the Ministry of Education and policymakers that offer hope and contribute to disrupting the current trajectory, so transformational change is more likely. Areas of instability and important leverage points, include professional learning and development, community-school connections and resourcing.</p>

scholarly journals Pedagogical discourse of curriculum development based on the orientation of educational practice

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1 (30)) ◽  
pp. 57-76
Author(s):  
Šejla Bjelopoljak ◽  
Arijana Midžić
Keyword(s):  
Education Reform ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Educational Practice ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Pedagogical Discourse ◽  
Teaching Goals ◽  
Teaching Content

Education reform that follows the needs of all students, parents and employees in educational institutions would imply goal-oriented action. The practice that promotes a concept focused on the teaching content and which does not even announce the learning outcomes in the pedagogical records confirms that the student is not a subject of the educational process and that there is a possible gap between theory and practice. However, what if we see this realization as a possibility? If we started the analysis of the quality of practice orientations and “from the end,” we would determine the factual role of all those involved in the educational process without, possibly unnecessary, polar orientations “for and against”. The aim of this paper is to examine the orientation of the curriculum present in the practice of educational institutions in order to conclude about the pedagogical discourse as the basis for change. The paper first operationalizes the concepts with regard to the types of curriculum present in educational practice, and then empirically verifies the testing of the set hypotheses. The obtained research results show that all curriculum orientations are equally represented in educational practice; classroom and subject teachers do not differ in the implementation of the educational process according to the type of curriculum and the orientation to learning outcomes and teaching goals contribute to the explanation of the open and closed curriculum. The last part of the paper explains and critically discusses pedagogical discourse as an agent for changes in the field of educational practice quality based on initial reflections on the current focus on competencies as a pedagogical standard. The contribution to the research was given by 113 educators employed in primary schools by providing answers to the created e-Instrument for the purpose of the research.

Learning to Learn: How 4th and 5th Grade Boys and Girls Differ

2007 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 69-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Seeshing Yeung ◽  
Rachel Yuk Hung Hon ◽  
Dennis M. Mclnerney
Keyword(s):  
Education Reform ◽  
Goal Orientation ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Self Concept ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Learning To Learn ◽  
Psychological Constructs ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Reading To Learn ◽  
5Th Grade

AbstractFrom 20 primary schools in Hong Kong, a sample of 59 boys and 62 girls in 4th grade and 98 boys and 99 girls in 5th grade (N = 318) responded to a survey about their learning-to-learn capabilities including (a) reading to learn, (b) self-management, (c) desire for knowledge, and (d) originality of ideas, and two facilitating factors for enabling such capabilities, including (e) academic self-concept, and (f) effort goal orientation. Confirmatory factor analysis provided support for the validity of the six psychological constructs. Analysis of variance found that although boys and girls did not differ in academic self-concept, desire for knowledge and originality, girls scored higher in effort goal orientation, reading to learn, and self-management. There was a gender x grade interaction effect in reading to learn, indicating that 5th grade girls were more willing than 4th grade girls to acquire knowledge through reading whereas 5th grade boys were less willing than 4th grade boys to do so. Advocates of education reform need to consider gender differences when formulating policies to promote students’ learning-to-learn capabilities and particularly to encourage boys to read.

scholarly journals Māori whānau talk about whānau success: Findings from Round 1 of Ngā Tau Tuangahuru—the Māori and Pacific Education Initiative (MPEI) longitudinal study

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-29
Author(s):  
Fiona Cram ◽  
Tanya Samu ◽  
Reremoana Theodore ◽  
Rachael Trotman
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Young People ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Extracurricular Activities ◽  
Educational Achievement ◽  
Educational Success ◽  
The Future ◽  
Main Barrier ◽  
Education Initiative

From 2009 to 2014 Foundation North, a philanthropic trust serving Auckland and Northland, funded a Māori and Pacific Education Initiative (MPEI) designed to facilitate Māori and Pacific students’ educational achievement. The longitudinal study, Ngā Tau Tuangahuru, described here was funded in late 2014 to explore what happened next for families and students who had been involved in MPEI initiatives, with a focus on family success and student educational success. The first data collection round of this study took place in 2017, and 69 families were interviewed. This article examines what the 35 Māori whānau (56 individuals) said about family success and about supporting the success of young people in their whānau. For many whānau, success embodied happiness, collective wellbeing, and good whānau relationships, alongside education and having a plan for the future. This success was most often hampered by financial restrictions. Whānau wanted young people to be achieving in education, working hard, and engaged in extracurricular activities. Getting distracted by outside influences (e.g., social media) was seen as the main barrier to young people’s success. Implications from this study for the evaluation of initiatives designed to support whānau success are presented.

scholarly journals Research on strategies of low-impact urban design in China. Take Beijing waterfront urban design evaluation as an example

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cong Cao ◽  
◽  
Suning Xu ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Design ◽  
Low Impact Development ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Design System ◽  
Design Evaluation ◽  
Multiple Perspectives ◽  
Design Environment ◽  
Chinese Cities ◽  
Low Impact Design ◽  
The Impact

This paper aims to provide theoretical method support and practical experience for creating environment friendly urban space by low-impact urban design methods, and discussed on two aspects of theory and practice. Firstly, the definition of low-impact urban design in the context of Chinese cities is expounded by combing the development stage of urban design environment view and analysing the development needs of Chinese cities. Then, it discusses the framework content and evolution process of low-impact urban design in China, and puts forward the view that low-impact development elements and low-impact design control elements are mutually dependent and mutually reinforcing. Next, the objects and related characteristics of low-impact urban design are explained from multiple perspectives, as object system, object composition and basic characteristics. Relevant strategy formulation is the focus of this paper. First, it is necessary to establish a low-impact urban design system in coordination with legal planning, so as to help implement the low-impact design concept with the seriousness and execution of legal planning. Secondly, the framework of low-impact urban design control elements including 5 different layers is established, which can effectively evaluate and optimize the impact of design results on the city. Thirdly, the value evaluation mechanism of dynamic cycle is proposed, which is helpful to the implementation of low-impact urban design and the restoration of design intention. Finally, the paper takes Beijing waterfront urban design evaluation as an example to apply the low impact evaluation model proposed in this paper, and satisfactory results were obtained

scholarly journals Education Reform, Equal Opportunity and Educational Achievement: Do Trend Data Adequately Report Progress?

2011 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
pp. 10
Author(s):  
Robert Charles Knoeppel ◽  
Curtis A. Brewer
Keyword(s):  
Student Achievement ◽  
Education Reform ◽  
Equal Opportunity ◽  
Educational Opportunity ◽  
Educational Achievement ◽  
Reading Proficiency ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
School Level ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Trend Data

Using Kentucky as a case study, the research described in this paper examines efforts to provide equality of educational opportunity.  Standards based educational reform has produced myriad data on student achievement that are used by educators, policy analysts, legislators, and researchers to discern progress.  This research makes use of multiple sources of data(CATS index, reading proficiency, math proficiency) in an attempt to more thoroughly consider progress in attempts to ameliorate gaps in student achievement that have been found to exist as related to local wealth.  Findings from the study show mixed results.  Although local wealth has decreased as a predictor of student achievement in reading, it is still a significant predictor of achievement in math.  Gaps are closing more rapidly at the elementary school level which suggests the need to study the process of education at the secondary level.  Lastly, student demographics, especially students qualifying for free and reduced lunch continue to be a significant predictor of student achievement.  We conclude that changes to state accountability systems that move the unit of analysis from the school to the student level offer the best opportunity to utilize emerging research methodologies that will enable practitioners and analysts to better analyze educational process.

Exploring the effects of authentic leadership on academic optimism and teacher engagement in Thailand

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dhirapat Kulophas ◽  
Philip Hallinger ◽  
Auyporn Ruengtrakul ◽  
Suwimon Wongwanich
Keyword(s):  
Education Reform ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
Work Engagement ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Authentic Leadership ◽  
Academic Optimism ◽  
School Level ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Suitable Model ◽  
Content Type

Purpose In the context of Thailand’s progress towards education reform, scholars have identified a lack of effective school-level leadership as an impeding factor. The purpose of this paper is to develop and validate a theoretical model of authentic leadership effects on teacher academic optimism and work engagement. Authentic leadership was considered a suitable model of school leadership in light of Thailand’s explicit recognition of the importance of developing the moral capacity of students and emphasis on ethical leadership. Design/methodology/approach The study employed a quantitative cross-sectional survey design. Survey data were obtained from 605 teachers in a nationally representative sample of 182 primary schools. The data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. Findings The results indicated that the model of authentic leadership effects on teachers’ academic optimism and work engagement was validated. A moderate relationship was observed between authentic leadership and the dependent measures of teacher attitudes. Practical implications The study identified a potentially important lack of alignment between the espoused values and actions/decisions of school principals in Thailand. When combined with prior research conducted on leadership for educational reform in Thailand, our findings highlight the systemic nature of the problem faced in changing traditional patterns of behavior in Thai schools. More specifically, despite change in the nation’s educational goals, human resource management of the nation’s school leaders continues to produce administrators and managers rather than leaders, either instructional or moral. Originality/value The study extends prior studies of school leadership in the context of Thailand’s education reform that focused more specifically on principal instructional leadership in Thailand. In addition, this study of authentic school leadership is one of only a few conducted outside of Western societies.

THE STUDY OF THE READINESS OF PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS TO PLAN THE CONTENT OF EDUCATION IN THE CONTEXT OF THE TRANSITION FROM INFORMATIZATION TO DIGITALIZATION

2021 ◽  
Vol 68 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zh.I. Sardarova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Primary School ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Central Place ◽  
Learning Technologies ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Information Environment ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Primary School Teachers

The article is devoted to the problem of digitalization, which currently occupies a central place at the global level, since in today's rapidly changing world, accelerated rates and changes in the field of technology can be taken into account not for years, but for months. Today, the main goal of digitalization of education in the republic is to improve the quality of education, the formation of digital competencies of students based on the creation of a unified educational information environment using digital learning technologies. In this regard, the modern education system of the country can be considered as a dynamically developing system aimed at harmonious integration into the world educational space. This, in turn, is accompanied by changes in the content structure of the teaching technology and significant changes in the pedagogical theory and practice of the educational process, which contribute to mastering the constantly dynamically developing didactic capabilities of ICT and the harmonious entry of the child from primary school into the developing information environment. Observation, research of the work of students and teachers and the responses received to the survey prove that the rational use of digital educational resources in everyday practice contributes to improving the efficiency, effectiveness and productivity of the learning process. In addition, digital technologies help to improve relationships, increase the responsibility of students and teachers for learning, achieving success. The authors, analyzing the course of the transition from the period of informatization to the current period of digitalization, by introducing the first computer technologies into the educational process of primary classes, tried to reveal its positive and negative aspects, to determine the readiness of primary school teachers to plan the content of education in the information educational environment. Along with providing the author's position on the basis of an analytical analysis of research works of domestic and foreign scientists on the topic of research, the objective and subjective factors influencing the transition from informatization to digitalization of modern primary schools are revealed.

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