Using Implementation Science Active Implementation Frameworks to Implement an Instructional Framework to Increase Teacher Capacity for Instructional Access for Students With Disabilities

This article discusses the use of the Active Implementation Frameworks (AIF; Fixsen et al., 2005; Fixsen & Blasé, 2011) in a grant-funded project to implement the use of Universal Design for Learning as an instructional intervention to improve the access to quality instruction for students with disabilities. The discussion is based upon data specific to the AIF Implementation Drivers that facilitate and ensure the success of initiatives. The data illustrate the extent that characteristics of the respective schools and districts participating in the project impacted the fidelity of implementation processes and their associated outcomes.

Proposing the Introduction of Personalised Learning and Differentiated Learning into Saudi Arabian Education: مقترح إدخال التعلّم الفردي والتعلّم المتمايز في التعليم السعودي

Personalised learning and the differentiated curriculum are ideal strategies to explore the needs of students and take full advantage of students’ abilities so they can achieve better outcomes in the learning process. This study focuses on the differentiated curriculum and explores its suitability for Saudi Arabia considering the country’s current education policies and vision. The study consists of three stages: reviewing the global personalised learning and differentiation literature, investigating the current education policies in Saudi Arabia, and reviewing the available differentiation literature conducted in Saudi Arabia. The findings suggest that despite the obstacles found in the application including low family participation and resistance from teachers this teaching strategy is suitable for Saudi Arabia. The Saudi vision for education and the country’s current policies do not conflict with the principles of differentiation, although success may require patience and building teacher capacity. With only a limited number of studies about differentiation in Saudi Arabia, more research about the impact of school management on the implementation of the differentiated curriculum is necessary.

Urban Literacy Leadership: Examining One Principal’s Vision and Practice: A Sociocultural Investigation of One Principal’s Practice

School leadership research offers prescriptions for strong instructional and culturally relevant leadership for diverse and urban adolescent populations, yet little evidence describes how school principals impact adolescents’ in-school reading experiences. This qualitative inquiry sought to understand how one urban secondary principal perceived and enacted his role in a school’s effort to teach reading. It also investigated how staff and students perceived his actions. Framed by sociocultural perspectives of reading and a distributed leadership perspective, data analysis revealed that the principal made time and nurtured relationships to grow teacher capacity, support and participate in independent reading, and attend to individual readers and teachers. This study affirms the importance of context in shaping urban adolescents’ reading experiences and raises implications for the urban school principal’s role in their literacy instruction.

How school leadership practices relate to student outcomes: Insights from a three-level meta-analysis

The present study aims to generate broad insights from the large corpus of literature on the associations between a comprehensive range of school leadership practices and student outcomes in different school contexts. Three-level meta-analysis of 493 independent effects from 108 studies published since 2000 showed that the mean effect size was small at r = 0.14. Effect sizes for leadership practices ranged from r’s = 0.10 to .26. Results underscored the importance of different types of leadership practices related to instructional management, enhancing teacher capacity, and engaging external stakeholders to improve student outcomes. School leadership practices were significantly associated with students’ academic achievement (in different subjects except science) and learning attitudes/processes but not attainment. Moderator analyses showed that school leadership effects were significant in studies using a school-level analysis but not in those using a lower-level of analysis. Additionally, school leadership effects were significant at different grade levels (G1–G6, G7–G12) and in research reported in different study types (articles, dissertations) and in different years (2000–2009, 2010–2018).

Grounded Framework for Culturally Relevant and Responsive Music Teaching

Building upon the work of Ladson–Billings, Lind and McKoy, and Shaw, our proposed framework takes into consideration the depth and breadth of musical experiences and contexts, musical content, and the diversity of musical cultures. The proposed framework includes four quadrants: (a) teacher competencies, (b) informed choices, (c) authenticity, and (d) holistic and comparative lessons. The framework provides K–16 teachers with tangible, accessible, and actionable methods for implementing a teaching pedagogy that has often been misunderstood or implemented without fidelity, and therefore ineffective. Each quadrant’s description and detail provide educators with guidance, supporting their individual musical growth, facilitating authentic relationships with students, authentic performances, and careful idea development for lesson planning that is inclusive of multiple musical perspectives and origins. Muñiz and Richards et al. acknowledged that community support and teacher capacity are essential for culturally relevant pedagogy to be implemented effectively, thus increasing students’ academic growth.

Optimizing Teacher Capacity Building Through MGMP Activities at SMPN 1 Banjarbaru

Guru menjadi pilar dalam pelaksanaan belajar dan pembelajaran di dalam kelas, sebagai elemen terpenting inilah kemampuan para guru dalam melaksanakan pembelajaran juga berimbas terhadap evaluasi dan remedial dari yang dianggap kurang berperan terhadap perkembangan peserta didik. Oleh sebab itu dari MGMP yang dilaksanakan oleh SMPN 1 Banjarbaru untuk meningkatkan kemampuan dan proses evaluasi pembelajaran. Artikel ini bertujuan untuk mendeskripsikan dari perkembangan para guru dalam meningkatkan kemampuan belajar mengajar yang dilaksanakan melalui MGMP di SMPN 1 Banjarbaru. Menggunakan Penelitian Tindakan Sekolah (PTS) dengan metode deskriptif dengan menggunakan siklus-siklus yang telah dilakukan guna menjelaskan hasil temuan, teknik pengumpulan data dengan langkah-langkah berikut 1) Perencanaan Tindakan; 2) Pelaksanaan Tindakan; 3) Pengamatan (Observasi). Hasil temuan 1) menjelaskan bahwa pada siklus 1 masih siklus 1 ke siklus 2, pada siklus 1 ada 3 aspek pengamatan yang belum mencapai persentase 100% dalam beberapa aspek penilaian terlebih ada yang tidak bernilai sama sekali. 2) sementara pada siklus 2 hanya 2 aspek pengamatan yang belum mencapai persentase 100%, sehingga supervisor melakukan evaluasi kepada para guru untuk meningkatkan aspek-aspek tersebut dengan langkah refleksi terhadap kegiatan evaluasi dan remedial yang dilaksanakan dalam MGMP.

Coping with Covid-19: Forging Creative Pathways to Support Educational Continuity Amidst the Pandemic

The pandemic has forced all educational institutions to grapple with challenges. Throughout this time Symbiosis International University (SIU) in India has been proactive in leading change not only at the university but also in K-12 schools. While the university transitioned to virtual teaching and learning, a methodical approach was laid out in assisting its eight elementary and senior secondary schools in both urban and rural areas, through the Symbiosis Schools Central Directorate (SSCD), to adapt to the needs of a public health crisis. While connectivity challenges continue to haunt schools, especially in rural areas, training and capacity building of K-12 teachers and administrators by university professors and experts has been a saving grace in navigating the pandemic.The focus of this case is understanding the parallels and the partnership between SIU and its K-12 schools. It reflects a bottom-up approach in dealing with the pandemic where Symbiosis Society, the non-profit organization that has established the schools as well as the University, invested in teacher capacity building at its elementary and secondary schools through its Symbiosis Schools Central Directorate (SSCD) in both rural and urban areas to ensure continuity of teaching and learning while adapting to this new normal. The investment in teacher capacity building has enabled the leadership to address the emerging circumstances, stimulate momentum to create or demand needed change at their institutions, inspire peer learning, and foster innovation in strategy and practice for the greater benefit of its stakeholders including students and parents.This case study reflects on SIU experiences in dealing with the dynamic circumstances such as training and capacity building with respect to supporting teachers in developing skills to adapt their content to virtual mode, blended learning, and integrating Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) into the curriculum. In addition, SIU had to counsel students and parents to adapt to this new way of learning. SIU’s experience encompasses a coordinated approach of working with internal and external stakeholders to develop a response to the crisis, short-to-medium-term strategic planning in the face of uncertainty, exploring technology solutions, partnership management, and effective communication processes with its stakeholders. Special emphasis has been put on ensuring the mental and physical wellbeing of the learner, constant communication and guidance to parents, and virtual activities to promote community engagement to mitigate the loss of physical social interactions at this crucial time.

MENGEMBANGKAN KAPASITAS GURU DALAM MENINGKATKAN MOTIVASI BELAJAR SISWA (PENDAMPINGAN DI MI AL HIDAYAH MARGOREJO SURABAYA)

Capacity building is a process that occurs within the community itself.Outsiders cannot develop people, organizations, or communities, but it is the people,organizations or communities themselves who can develop themselves. Outsiders canonly support by facilitating the process to accelerate their development, and help findaccess to the resources and inputs needed .Currently, improving the quality of learning isthe dream of all teachers. The existence of an active role from all components willrealize learning that is truly quality and also of high quality. The quality of learning canbe realized and achieved when teachers are able to, among others, boost students'learning motivation. Motivation is a psychological condition that encourages someone todo something. Ibtidaiyah madrasas in the city of Surabaya, the majority of their learningquality is still far from expectations; and this is due to the low capacity of teachers.Thus,mentoring at MI Al Hidayah Margorejo Surabaya to develop teacher capacity inincreasing students' learning motivation is urgent and significant in order to equip themto be later applied in learning activities for the convenience of achieving competence forstudents. This assistance can contribute in the form of developing teacher capacity inincreasing student learning motivation at MI Al Hidayah Margorejo Surabaya.

Teachers’ use of ICT in implementing the competency-based curriculum in Kenyan public primary schools

The use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education has been widely advocated as much needed 21st-century skills by governments and policymakers. Nevertheless, several challenges in integrating ICT into the curriculum have been reported in previous research, especially in studies on Sub-Saharan African countries. Focusing on the case of Kenyan public primary schools, this study investigated the availability of ICT facilities; teacher capacity to integrate technology into their lessons; and teacher perceptions towards technology in schools. In particular, the study is premised on the constructivist learning theory and the Technology Acceptance Model. A total of 351 teachers completed an online questionnaire. Teachers perceived that ICT facilities were inadequate in schools, which presented a challenge in the integration of technology during the implementation of the new curriculum. Most of the teachers answered that they received only basic computer literacy training. Although teachers perceived the use of computers as necessary, they faced difficulties integrating technology in their lessons. The effect of age and gender on teacher capacity was also investigated in inferential statistics, specifically with Welch tests and Games-Howell post hoc comparisons. Teachers in their 40s had a higher perception of usefulness than teachers in the 30s. Implications of the study are discussed as well as future research topics.