Effective Evidence-Informed Policy: A Partnership among Government, Implementers, and Researchers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felipe Barrera-Osorio ◽  
Samuel Berlinski ◽  
Matías Busso
Keyword(s):  
Primary Schools ◽  
Policy Design ◽  
Experimental Treatment ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Multidisciplinary Teams ◽  
Recent Experience ◽  
Close Collaboration ◽  
Informational Frictions ◽  
Nongovernmental Organisation

Evidence matters for the effectiveness of public policies,but important informational frictions—that is, resistanceto obtaining or using information on the subject at hand—sometimes prevent it from shaping policy decisions.Hjort et al. (2021) showed that reducing those frictionscan change not only political leaders’ beliefs but alsothe policies they implement. One-way information, fromresearch to policy, may sometimes be insufficient, though.Policymakers may be agnostic about the effectiveness ofan intervention, or they may not know which of its featuresrequire adjustment. A process of policy experimentationmay be needed (Duflo 2017), in which policies arerigorously evaluated at a small scale, the findings of those evaluations inform the policy design, and a new evaluation determines the effectiveness of a fine-tuned version of the intervention, with the assessment continuing until the program is ready to be scaled up. This process requires very close collaboration among government, implementers, and researchers. The means by which evidence is produced is also important. A frequent criticism of researcher-designed interventions is that results may not be relevant. One reason is that pilot programme’s participants or circumstances may be atypical, with the result that the experimental treatment, even if implemented with fidelity, may not achieve similar outcomes in other settings (Al Ubaydli et al. 2017; Vivalt 2017). A second reason is that governments may lack the capability to implement with fidelity interventions tested in randomized control trials. A partnership between policymakers and researchers can help attenuate these concerns. A recent experience in Colombia provides a good example of such a partnership at work. “Let’s All Learn to Read” is an ambitious programme to improve literacy skills among elementary schoolchildren (Grades K–5). Spearheaded by the Luker Foundation, a local nongovernmental organisation, in collaboration with the Secretary of Education of Manizales (Colombia), the programme began with a systematic data collection effort in the municipality’s public primary schools to understand why students were failing to acquire the most basic academic skills. This led to several interventions over many years during which multidisciplinary teams of researchers working in close collaboration with local stakeholders and policymakers designed and evaluated different features of the programme.

scholarly journals “I start learning English through speaking”: Social agency demand and inter-school readiness for Indonesian young English learners

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 218-225
Author(s):  
Sri Setyarini ◽  
Bachrudin Musthafa ◽  
Ahmad Bukhori Muslim
Keyword(s):  
School Readiness ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
English Language ◽  
National Curriculum ◽  
Critical Factor ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
School Level ◽  
Social Agency ◽  
Young Learners

Preserving Indonesian as a national identity and institutional readiness to perform the national curriculum 2013 instruction has become a critical factor in the exclusion of English as a compulsory subject at the elementary school level. This leaves rooms for teachers’ confusion and creativity, leading to various practices at different school clusters, depending on parental demands and school readiness. This study thus tries to cast light on the social agency demand and inter-school readiness for young learners in the Indonesian EFL pedagogical contexts. This instrumental case study portrays the practices of English language teaching at three clusters of Indonesian primary schools; local, national, and independent, as well as responses of parents and students to these practices. Involving 4-6 grade students and English teachers of six primary schools, the data were garnered through classroom observation, interviews, and document analysis. The findings revealed that although teaching English to young learners is somehow communicative and fun, it more emphasises  literacy skills (reading, writing, and grammar), particularly at local schools as the majority cluster across the country. Since English is a non-phonetic language, this literacy-focused practice is rather contradictory to what parents as social agencies expect, that is, to develop their children’s English oral proficiency. The study also offers ways by which teachers and schools can accommodate this social agency’s needs for speaking skills by focusing more on student-centred and oral English proficiency activities and assessment.

scholarly journals A cross-cultural comparison of music education experiences and ambitions in two Spanish and English primary schools

2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 381-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elinor Hardcastle ◽  
Stephanie Pitts ◽  
José Luis Aróstegui
Keyword(s):  
Music Education ◽  
Comparative Study ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Classroom Practices ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Cultural Comparison ◽  
Music Curriculum ◽  
Cross Cultural Comparison

A small-scale comparative study of music education provision in two Spanish and English primary schools was carried out in 2013–14, using questionnaires, interviews and observations. The study investigated the musical experiences of the children in the two schools, their ambitions for their musical futures, and the classroom practices and policy contexts that shaped these encounters with musical learning. Through thematic analysis and comparison of the data from the two schools, we examine music in children’s lives, music in the classroom, and musical ambitions and values, and consider how well the music curriculum serves the children in each setting.

Een Taalportfolio Voor Docenten In Het Basisonderwijs

2004 ◽  
Vol 72 ◽  
pp. 75-88
Author(s):  
Rian Aarts ◽  
Peter Broeder
Keyword(s):  
Primary Education ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Cultural Knowledge ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Scale Evaluation ◽  
Teaching Language ◽  
Teaching Situation ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Language Meaning

This article focuses on the development of a language portfolio for teachers in primaty education. Portfolios are being used more and more in education, particularly in higher education. But also in primary education, a language portfolio for pupils (which has been accredited by the European Council) has been introduced and turned out to be useful, especially in schools with a multicultural population. Following the same guidelines as in the pupil's portfolio, a language portfolio for teachers has been developed. The first version of this portfolio has been used in a small-scale evaluation. It turned out that the language portfolio for teachers can function as an instrument for the evaluation and documentation of the language, didactic and cultural knowledge, and skills of teachers. Teachers can use the portfolio to assess their own proficiencies and to collect and store documentation of their proficiencies. Major differences were foundin the views of language teachers in primary schools (teachers of Turkish and Arabic) and those of general teachers. The latter group expressed their doubts about the usefulness of the language portfolio in their teaching situation, as teaching language (meaning: teaching English) is only a small part of their task. Recent developments in primary education, however, seem to point to a growing importance of languages in this type of education. In this case, language portfolios could prove to be useful instruments.

scholarly journals The meaning of meaningful learning in mathematics in upper-primary education

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith Polman ◽  
Lisette Hornstra ◽  
Monique Volman
Keyword(s):  
Primary Education ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Mathematics Learning ◽  
Meaningful Learning ◽  
Pedagogical Practices ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Learning Content ◽  
Stimulated Recall ◽  
Educational Concept ◽  
Depth Study

Abstract One of the ways in which schools try to improve students’ motivation is through making learning meaningful for students. The concept of meaningful learning, however, has been defined in various ways in the literature. This small-scale in-depth study focused on meaningful learning in mathematics in upper-primary education. We investigated what teachers, according to their own views, undertake to make mathematics learning meaningful for their students. Two interviews (one stimulated recall) were conducted with five fifth-grade teachers from five Dutch primary schools that differed in terms of their schools’ educational concept. Teachers’ beliefs about the meaning of meaningful learning varied from students being able to understand what is learned to connecting with students’ daily experiences. Teachers also differed in their self-reported pedagogical practices aimed at meaningful learning. They used different types of context, including activating prior knowledge, connecting to students’ personal worlds, showing the value beyond school, goal setting for/with students, creating a context that is future-oriented, referring to the personal world of the teacher, applying the learning content in school, and creating cross-curricular context. Practices to foster and support meaningful learning included collaboration and dialogue, working independently and experiential learning. This study provides suggestions for embedding meaningful elements in the mathematics learning environment to stimulate students’ learning motivation.

scholarly journals Cataract management in children: a review of the literature and current practice across five large UK centres

Eye ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (12) ◽  
pp. 2197-2218 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. E. Self ◽  
R. Taylor ◽  
A. L. Solebo ◽  
S. Biswas ◽  
M. Parulekar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visual Loss ◽  
Current Practice ◽  
Surgical Techniques ◽  
Multidisciplinary Teams ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Close Collaboration ◽  
Optical Correction ◽  
Paediatric Ophthalmology ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Paediatric Cataract

AbstractCongenital and childhood cataracts are uncommon but regularly seen in the clinics of most paediatric ophthalmology teams in the UK. They are often associated with profound visual loss and a large proportion have a genetic aetiology, some with significant extra-ocular comorbidities. Optimal diagnosis and treatment typically require close collaboration within multidisciplinary teams. Surgery remains the mainstay of treatment. A variety of surgical techniques, timings of intervention and options for optical correction have been advocated making management seem complex for those seeing affected children infrequently. This paper summarises the proceedings of two recent RCOphth paediatric cataract study days, provides a literature review and describes the current UK ‘state of play’ in the management of paediatric cataracts.

scholarly journals Exploring principals’ instructional leadership practices in Malaysia: insights and implications

2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alma Harris ◽  
Michelle Jones ◽  
Kenny Soon Lee Cheah ◽  
Edward Devadason ◽  
Donnie Adams
Keyword(s):  
Instructional Leadership ◽  
Knowledge Base ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Leadership Practices ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Instructional Leaders ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Leadership Practice ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to outline the findings from a small-scale, exploratory, study of principals’ instructional leadership practice in Malaysian primary schools. The dimensions and functions of instructional leadership, explicitly explored in this study, are those outlined in the Hallinger and Murphy’s (1985) model. Design/methodology/approach This study is part of a larger international, comparative research project that aims to identify the boundaries of the current knowledge base on instructional leadership practice and to develop a preliminary empirically based understanding of how principals conceive and enact their role as instructional leaders in Hong Kong, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand. Using a qualitative research design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 primary school principals in Malaysia. The sample comprised principals from 14 Government National schools (SK), nine principals from Chinese schools (SJKC) and seven principals from Tamil schools (SJKT). The qualitative data were initially analysed inductively, and subsequently coded using ATLAS.ti to generate the findings and conclusions. Findings The findings showed that the Malaysian principals, who were interviewed, understood and could describe their responsibilities relating to improving instructional practice. In particular, they talked about the supervision of teachers and outlined various ways in which they actively monitored the quality of teaching and learning in their schools. These data revealed that some of the duties and activities associated with being a principal in Malaysia are particularly congruent with instructional leadership practices. In particular, the supervision of teaching and learning along with leading professional learning were strongly represented in the data. Research limitations/implications This is a small-scale, exploratory study involving 30 principals. Practical implications There is a clear policy aspiration, outlined in the Malaysian Education Blueprint, that principals should be instructional leaders. The evidence shows that principals are enacting some of the functions associated with being an instructional leader but not others. Originality/value The findings from this study provide some new insights into the principals’ instructional leadership practices in Malaysia. They also provide a basis for further, in-depth exploration that can enhance the knowledge base about principals’ instructional leadership practices in Malaysia.

A study of teacher confidence in teaching music within the context of the introduction of the Foundation Phase (3–7 years) statutory Education Programme in Wales

2014 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lara Baldwin ◽  
Gary Beauchamp
Keyword(s):  
Primary Schools ◽  
Education Programme ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Contributory Factor ◽  
Single Subject ◽  
Phase 3 ◽  
Creative Development ◽  
Teacher Confidence ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Teaching Music

This paper examines teacher confidence in teaching music within the context of the introduction of a Foundation Phase ‘curriculum’ in Wales for pupils aged 3–7 years. This involved a move away from music as a single subject to being part of creative development. The findings are based on a small-scale study of 12 teachers from four primary schools in south Wales. The findings illustrate that teacher confidence has improved since the Foundation Phase was introduced. The language used in the new documentation was a contributory factor as teachers found it more straightforward to understand what they were expected to do, and being able to combine music with other topics made it easier and more enjoyable to teach music. As a result, music (both indoors and outdoors) is a more regular occurrence and has become liberated from its perceived single subject status with the associated confidence issues.

scholarly journals Digital Literacy Learning In Higher Education Through Digital Storytelling Approach

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Banny S. K. Chan ◽  
Daniel Churchill ◽  
Thomas K. F. Chiu
Keyword(s):  
Digital Media ◽  
Digital Literacy ◽  
Digital Storytelling ◽  
Literacy Learning ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Digital Competence ◽  
Classroom Activities ◽  
Purposive Sample

It is necessary to develop digital literacy skills with which students can communicate and express their ideas effectively using digital media. The educational sectors around the world are beginning to incorporate digital literacy into the curriculum. Digital storytelling, one of the possible classroom activities, is an approach which may help engage and motivate students to learn digital literacy skills. To investigate this approach, the present small-scale study employs the methods including interviewing and analysing the artefacts of three students selected from a purposive sample on a multimedia course. The findings indicate that the three students have improved in terms of three aspects of digital literacy skills, namely, digital competence, digital usage and digital transformation regardless of their prior knowledge and levels of digital literacy. 

scholarly journals INFLUENCE OF TEACHERS’ TEACHING EXPERIENCE ON TEACHING OF LITERACY SKILLS AMONG GRADE ONE PUPILS IN MOMBASA, KENYA

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emelda Juma Olando ◽  
Margaret Mwangi
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Basic Education ◽  
Teaching Experience ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Extensive Experience ◽  
Head Teachers ◽  
Experience Teaching ◽  
Grade One

<p>Early childhood years are crucial in children’s literacy development since the development of language and literacy begins at birth and is a lifelong process. For early childhood education to be a success, teacher experience is imperative for teaching literacy. The teachers’ experience informs the necessary literacy skills for the child which include writing, reading, speaking, listening and drawing. Policies governing basic education in Kenya do emphasize the importance of skilled, experienced teachers in the classroom, including early childhood settings. However, such requirements have not been adhered to and therefore numerous early childhood teachers lack experience in children literacy issues. This study sought to determine how teacher’s experience influences the teaching of literacy skills in primary school in Mbaraki Zone, Mombasa County, Kenya. Descriptive survey design was adopted in the study. The target population for the study comprised of 20 head teachers, 800 Grade one pupils and 40 Grade one teachers of all the twenty primary schools in Mbaraki Zone, Mombasa County, Kenya. Purposive sampling approach was used to obtain the sample for the primary school head teachers and Grade one teachers because they are relatively small. Three learners were sampled randomly from each class that had a participating teacher. The study findings revealed that majority of teachers had more than five years of experience teaching literacy skills. The inferential analysis revealed that the teaching experience had a statistically significant influence on reading (p 0.014), speaking (p 0.021), listening skills (p 0.038) as well as basic skills (p 0.019). The study calls on the ministry of education and the schools to ensure that teachers assigned to grade one should have extensive experience teaching literacy skills to promote teaching of literacy skills in the classes.</p><p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0975/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

scholarly journals THE ENGLISH IMMERSION PROGRAM: MEASURING THE COMMUNICATION OUTCOMES

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 98
Author(s):  
Jane Lockwood
Keyword(s):  
Language Assessment ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Recent Experience ◽  
Entry And Exit ◽  
Intercultural Awareness ◽  
Immersion Experience ◽  
Language Assessments ◽  
Awareness Raising ◽  
Perceived Outcomes

This paper explores how language assessment is typically used to measure language gain as a result of the Immersion experience abroad. It also explores ways in which this might be improved. This study explores a recent experience where Australian immersion providers, participants and funders all report significant intercultural awareness raising and improved confidence in understanding and speaking in English as a result of the sojourn. However, it transpires that the immersion providers used traditional proficiency focused language assessment tools on entry and exit to measure communication outcomes across the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. It appears therefore, that there is a gap between what the perceived outcomes and value are of the Immersion experience, and how they are currently measured. This article reports on a small scale study exploring the perceptions of two immersion providers in Australia, one immersion coordinator in Hong Kong and four returnees on the language assessments they used and experienced, particularly probing on how well they felt these assessments measured their communication gains as a result of the immersion experience.Keywords: Language assessment, immersion, indigenous criteria.

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