Setting Aside Settings: On the Contradictory Dynamics of “Flat Earth,” “Ordinalization,” and “Cold Spot” Education Governing Projects

Place matters, and for schools located in the neighborhoods of towns and cities, place not only holds meaning for individuals, but shapes their experiences of school and education trajectories. This is not simply a question of meaning and identity. Rather, it is that education settings and their opportunity structures shape and are shaped by structural inequalities, in turn reproducing differences. In this paper, I make the case that the state plays an important role in producing inequality by the ways in which it governs, and that contemporary forms of governing on the global level exacerbate these differences whilst erasing the differences that matter. I explore these dynamics by focusing on socio-economic differences between schools in England, UK. I argue that a particular politics of state spatial power is at play, and that the national state and shadow sovereigns manage questions of authority and legitimacy through the use of ideologies (e.g., school effectiveness, social mobility), devices (such as rankings and league tables), and explanations of cause (such as aspiration gaps), with which one can re-express the problem of difference, not as structurally caused, but as a failure of individual effort, expectations, and aspirations.

The influence of life experience on leadership practices: A case study of Indonesian school principals

<p>The purpose of this research study was to explore how individuals’ life-stories impact on their leadership development and affect their educational leadership practices. The context for the study is the Nusa Tenggara Timur Province of Indonesia, where the overall educational achievement statistics rank very low compared to other provinces. There is currently a lack of appropriate educational policy or strategy in this province to enhance academic results. Previous research has identified that the quality of leadership may have an impact on school effectiveness and student outcomes, particularly the leadership of the school principals. Thus, this current research focuses on leadership practices of school principals. This qualitative study employed a case study design and semi-structured interviews and document analysis were used. Data were collected from six school principals from the highest achieving schools in Nusa Tenggara Timur Province, Indonesia and analysed used thematic analysis. Four factors identified from principals’ life experience that appeared to influence leadership practices were: childhood experiences; previous leadership experiences; learning from role models; and values. This study highlights the impact on life experiences on leadership practices such as setting goals and strategies, ensuring the quality of teaching, supporting teachers’ professional development, and creating healthy and safe environments. This study contributes to the existing literature regarding school principal leadership practices, and also makes recommendations to the Nusa Tenggara Timur Province government on the selection processes for educational leaders.</p>

The influence of life experience on leadership practices: A case study of Indonesian school principals

<p>The purpose of this research study was to explore how individuals’ life-stories impact on their leadership development and affect their educational leadership practices. The context for the study is the Nusa Tenggara Timur Province of Indonesia, where the overall educational achievement statistics rank very low compared to other provinces. There is currently a lack of appropriate educational policy or strategy in this province to enhance academic results. Previous research has identified that the quality of leadership may have an impact on school effectiveness and student outcomes, particularly the leadership of the school principals. Thus, this current research focuses on leadership practices of school principals. This qualitative study employed a case study design and semi-structured interviews and document analysis were used. Data were collected from six school principals from the highest achieving schools in Nusa Tenggara Timur Province, Indonesia and analysed used thematic analysis. Four factors identified from principals’ life experience that appeared to influence leadership practices were: childhood experiences; previous leadership experiences; learning from role models; and values. This study highlights the impact on life experiences on leadership practices such as setting goals and strategies, ensuring the quality of teaching, supporting teachers’ professional development, and creating healthy and safe environments. This study contributes to the existing literature regarding school principal leadership practices, and also makes recommendations to the Nusa Tenggara Timur Province government on the selection processes for educational leaders.</p>

SELECTED SCHOOL BASED FACTORS’ INFLUENCE ON VALUE ADDITION IN SECONDARY EDUCATION IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN RACHUONYO SOUTH SUB-COUNY, HOMABAY COUNTY, KENYA

<p>Educational accountability has mainly focused on final academic performance in judging schools’ effectiveness without regard to where the students started. Judging schools' effectiveness solely based on final academic performance is unfair to school systems. Hence, the need to determine value addition in secondary education taking into consideration KCPE scores as intake abilities and KCSE scores as exit abilities. Moreover, public secondary schools in Rachuonyo South Sub-County recorded the highest negative academic progresses, -3.262 and -3.745, in the secondary education of 2013 and 2014 cohorts in Homa Bay County. However, the cause of the negative academic progresses is unknown. Hence, there is need to examine selected school-based factors’ influence on value addition in the secondary education of the two cohorts. The objectives of the study are to examine performance appraisal’s influence on value addition in secondary education; to examine continuous assessments’ influence on value addition in secondary education and to examine classroom push and pull factors’ influence on value addition in secondary education. A conceptual model developed from the basic model of school effectiveness by Scheerens (2000) and a correlational research design guided the study. The sample of the study comprised 49 Deputy Principals, 49 Directors of Studies and 780 students randomly sampled. Primary data were collected using questionnaires. Findings revealed that TPAD (β=0.386, p=0.029) and CPP (β=0.364, p=0.034) have positive significant relationships with value addition, while CATs have insignificant relationship with value addition (β1=0.277, p=0.104) for 2013 cohort. For 2014 cohort, TPAD (β=0.633, p=0.000) and CATs (β=0.356, p=0.02) have positive significant relationships with value addition, while CPP has insignificant relationship with value addition (β=0.22, p=0.136). Moreover, findings revealed that school-based factors contributed to 19% and 38% variance in academic achievements of the 2013 and 2014 cohorts respectively. The findings of the study may be used as a tool for school improvement, checking school progress and accountability, informing policymaking, reporting to parents and the community about school.</p><p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0976/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

From the FORUM Archive: The Person-Centred School

The fourth article we are highlighting from the extensive FORUM archive introduces Michael Fielding's critique of practice and policy for school effectiveness, first published in 2000. In it, Fielding describes the disillusionment with New Labour education policies before setting out a well-made argument for the person-centred school to promote human fulfilment.

Developing School Leaders: Findings From a Randomized Control Trial Study of the Executive Development Program and Paired Coaching

Principals are the second-largest school-based contributor to K–12 students’ academic progress. However, there is little research evaluating whether efforts to develop principals’ skills improve school effectiveness. We conducted randomized controlled trial studies of the impacts of a professional development program called the Executive Development Program (EDP) and of the incremental effects of coaching to help principals implement the EDP curriculum. We find that the EDP alone influenced principals’ practices, but not student achievement, within 3 years. Coaching had a small positive effect on students’ English Language Arts achievement, but no effect on math achievement or on principals’ practices. Coaching had the largest effects in disadvantaged schools. We hypothesize that coaching enhanced the quality of implementation of recommended practices.

Hubungan Kepemimpinan Visioner Kepala Sekolah dan Kinerja Guru dengan Keefektifan Sekolah Dasar Negeri

The aim of this study is to describe visionary leadership, teacher’s performance, school effectiveness, visionary principals' leadership relationships and school effectiveness, relationship between teacher’s performance and school effectiveness, and the principal's visionary leadership relationship and teacher’s performance with school effectiveness. This study uses a quantitative approach, with a correlation research design. Sampling uses proportional sampling and area (cluster) sampling techniques with the acquisition of 86 teachers as respondents. The technique of collecting data uses a closed questionnaire. Analysis of the data used is descriptive analysis, and hypothesis testing using Pearson Product Moment correlation analysis and multiple correlation. The results obtained by the principal's visionary leadership, teacher’s performance, and school effectiveness in the medium category, there is a relationship between visionary leadership and school effectiveness, there is a relationship between teacher performance and school effectiveness, there is a relationship between visionary leadership and teacher performance with school effectiveness at SDN Lawang, Malang. Abstrak: Tujuan penelitian ini untuk mendeskripsikan kepemimpinan visioner, kinerja guru, tingkat keefektifan sekolah, hubungan kepemimpinan visioner kepala sekolah dan keefektifan sekolah, hubungan kinerja guru dan keefektifan sekolah, serta hubungan kepemimpinan visioner kepala sekolah dan kinerja guru dengan keefektifan sekolah. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif, dengan rancangan penelitian korelasi. Pengambilan sampel menggunakan teknik proporsional sampling dan teknik area (cluster) sampling dengan perolehan 86 guru sebagai responden. Teknik pengumpulan data menggunakan angket tertutup. Analisis data yang digunakan yaitu analisis deskriptif, dan uji hipotesis menggunakan analisis korelasi Pearson Product Moment dan korelasi berganda. Hasil penelitian diperoleh kepemimpinan visioner kepala sekolah, kinerja guru, dan keefektifan sekolah dalam kategori sedang, terdapat hubungan antara kepemimpinan visioner dan keefektifan sekolah, terdapat hubungan antara kinerja guru dan keefektifan sekolah, terdapat hubungan antara kepemimpinan visioner dan kinerja guru dengan keefektifan sekolah di SDN Kecamatan Lawang, Kabupaten Malang.