Evaluating the Impact of (WASH) Program on Education in the New Juaben North Municipal of Ghana: Evidence from SDA College Demonstration Basic Schools

The study assessed the causes of inefficiencies in the WASH programme at the Demonstration Basic Schools in the New Juaben North Municipal Assembly; examined the effects of the inefficiencies on the learners at the schools, and suggested appropriate strategies to improve the WASH programme. The researcher employed a qualitative approach to achieve these objectives. The population included headteachers, teachers and learners for the study. The study used purposive sampling technique to select 8 participants. This comprised three head teachers, two teachers and three learners from the school. The findings of the study showed that challenges that confront the WASH programme at the schools were inadequate water supply, poor sanitation and hygiene systems, lack of adequate handwashing points, unclean and not properly maintained toilets, lack of quality toilet facilities, lack of menstrual hygiene management (MHM), inadequate sanitary materials, and unhygienic toilet conditions. It is recommended that the government and authorities should improve the WASH system in the school. Moreover, adequate WASH facilities should be provided considering the various guidelines for WASH to ensure that facilities are adequate, sufficient, accessible, and safe for use by learners. Also, the Ghana Education Service should infuse sanitation education into the new or existing curriculum.

Good practices in collaboration between mainstream and special school

The study addresses an element of the support for inclusive education that can be spotted in the sphere of possible relations between mainstream and special school. This mostly aims at presenting some good practices in collaboration between these schools, identified in the author’s own research. An additional aim is to confront the collected information with the concepts and assumptions/proposals formulated in this area in the literature on the subject. The research was conducted within the project: Badanie praktyki ogólnodostępnych szkół podstawowych w zakresie edukacji włączającej [Studying the practices of mainstream primary schools in the field of inclusive education], financed by the Ministry of National Education and commissioned to the University of Silesia in Katowice in 2020. The data were collected with the use of focus group interview technique. The study group consisted of mainstream school head-teachers, teachers, specialists, non-teaching staff, students of public schools and their parents. The study comprised over two hundred respondents from forty schools. The research results reveal a limited scope of good practices in collaboration of both types of school. The greatest number of examples occurs in the area of common organization of ludic and educational events. Much fewer cases of collaboration can be spotted in the field of methodological support and of creating self-education groups in counties or municipalities. The first part of the study is a presentation of the own research concept. The second part comprises some identified practices in collaboration between special and mainstream school, which have been confronted with a few suggestions for partnership of both these types of school presented in the literature on the subject. The whole article is completed with final conclusions.

Quality Education and Educational Facilities in Secondary Schools: A Nexus

This study examines the educational facilities which are important in providing quality education at secondary schools. The researcher examined the appropriateness of physical infrastructure, teaching-learning material, library, computer laboratory, and science laboratory at secondary schools to find out nexus of quality education with these provided educational facilities. The research design of the study was quantitative in nature. The research population included 194 secondary schools in Bahawalnagar, 194 head teachers, and 3739 SSTs. The sample of the study was comprised of over 45 head teachers and 90 sets of all the secondary schools of Tehsil Bahawalnagar selected by using cluster random sampling technique. A questionnaire was developed on a 5- point Likert scale to examine & analyze the educational facilities including teaching-learning material, computer laboratory, and library and science laboratory. An observation checklist was also developed and used for the collection of data. The further checklist was divided into three options yes, no and status further divided into two options useable and unusable, appropriateness, and inappropriateness. Data was collected & analyzed using descriptive statistics including percentage and frequency to examine the appropriateness of educational facilities. Quantitative data was analyzed using computer-generated software SPSS. Results revealed that the majority of the respondents were agreed with educational facilities. The study concludes that the researcher observe the educational facilities through a checklist maximum facilities were present, useable and appropriateness of these was also registered. Research study recommended that more opportunities for students may be available for experience science being exposed to more practical’s work in labs which may enhance better performance in science subjects.

Strategies and Approaches in Teaching Values Education Among Public Secondary School In The Division Of Zambales

ABSTRACT The research aimed to look into the strategies and approaches in teaching values education among public secondary schools in the Division of Zambales, SY 2020-2021. The researcher used the quantitative descriptive-survey research design with questionnaire as the main instrument in gathering data from the population of three hundred (300) values educational teacher. The study revealed that the majority of Values Education teachers are female. The teachers always used Inculcation Approach as strategy in teaching Values Education. The respondents strongly agreed that the strategies in teaching Values Education was the most difficult dimension in teaching Values Education. There is significant differences on age and religious affiliation towards inculcation approach and significant on age towards Awareness Approach. No significant differences on moral reasoning approach, value clarification approach and evocation approach. Moreover, it was found that there is significant difference on age towards difficulty on contents while no significant differences on strategies and assessment respectively. There is negligible relationship between the academic performance and the strategies and approaches used in teaching values education. There is negligible relationship between the academic performance and the difficulties in teaching Values Education. The training design is hereby proposed entitled: Training Design in Values Education on Teaching Strategies and Approaches Amidst COVID 19-Pandemic. Based on the salient findings, the researcher recommended that head teachers and teachers in Values Education should make innovations on how Inculcation Approach in teaching the subject be more useful and effective; head teachers, principals, education specialist on Values Education of Division of Zambales may focus their In-service Trainings ways how teachers enhance the utilization and effectiveness of approaches; the teachers should look and utilize suitable techniques for Inculcation, Moral Reasoning, Awareness, Value Clarification and Evocation approaches; and head teachers and teachers are encouraged to attend national and international trainings and seminars for better understanding and improved skill in selecting appropriate strategies, on the development of learning content and assessment procedures in Values Education.

Exploration of Head teachers’ Attitudes towards Special Education Institutions’ Internal Efficacy: A Mix Method Approach

Head teachers are an important part of the educational system. They work hard, motivate their subordinates, keenly observe their teachers, students, and tried their best for the smooth running of institutions. Head teachers of special education schools possess constructive attitudes in this regard.

Teaching and Learning in COVID-19 Lockdown in Scotland: Teachers’ Engaged Pedagogy

This paper reports on a study of teachers’ perceptions of teaching and learning in Scotland during the COVID-19 pandemic through the lens of engaged pedagogy and the ideas of bell hooks. It aimed to explore the different ways that teachers experienced teaching and learning during this time and the impact this may have had on teacher identity. Sixty teachers and head teachers were interviewed using MS Teams in the period April-June, 2020. For this paper, 18 transcripts were analyzed by members of the research team. Four key themes emerged from the interview data: Working from home, parental engagement, teacher identity, and changes in pedagogy. Each of these themes were discussed in terms of concepts such as engaged pedagogy, agency, self-actualization, recognition and boundary transgression situated in the work of bell hooks. The idea of boundaries wove itself throughout our data as teachers expressed how the transgression of boundaries was occurring in multiple, and often contradictory, ways in pedagogical, professional, institutional and personal spaces and systems. We see in our data evidence of a shift in practice not just in the way teachers are ‘doing’ education but also, perhaps, in the way that teachers are ‘being’ as educators as they adapt to different ways of knowing. This study provides a unique exploration of a time and space in Scotland during 2020. However, the themes and understandings that emerged are of relevance to educators internationally. Schools across the world were impacted by various lockdowns imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic and teachers faced a common set of challenges that were resolved via re-negotiation and recognition of individual and collective agency to create new pedagogies.

Integrity triad as doubled edged sword for head-teachers’ integrity: a case from Nepal

Headteachers in the community schools are responsible for academic and administrative activities. They are considered role models for integrity practices. However, the situation is different on some occasions. For instance, political interest plays more important roles than qualifications, training, work experience, etc., in school affairs. In this context, a qualitative study was carried out in the purposefully selected two schools – an urban and a rural – to explore the elements that influence school integrity practices. Data collected from the schools were analyzed and interpreted. The findings show that nepotism, unhealthy party politics, and impunity (integrity triad) influence the school integrity practices in Nepal.

Managing educational institutions: School heads’ leadership practices and teachers’ performance

School heads are agents of change who contribute a major impression on the educational milieu through their information-sharing methods, creating supportive social connections, participating in mentoring programs, and fostering progress. Hence, this study ascertained the interrelation between the public school head’s leadership practices and teachers’ performance. As correlation research, simple random sampling was used to calculate the sample size for teachers, while total enumeration was used for school heads. A structured questionnaire was developed to gather the necessary information that reinforced the theme of this analysis. Weighted mean was used to ascertain the level of leadership practices of school heads and the level of teacher performance. T-test, F-test, post-hoc test, and Pearson <em>r</em> were employed to establish the degree of association between and among variables. This study concluded that the variation in leadership practices experienced by school heads and teachers is absolutely vital, confirming that their reactions are fundamentally better. Teachers' performance is consistent irrespective of age, educational achievement, or significant contributions. In terms of teaching status and number of years of experience, head teachers have improved teaching efficiency than teachers and master teachers. Teachers with shorter relevant experience showed poorer educational quality relative to those who spent more time in the school system. School heads who have obtained their doctorate degrees get a greater level of leadership practices than the holders of master's degrees. The very productive performance of teachers stays the same, regardless of whether the school heads exhibit a very high degree of authentic leadership.

Value-added Evaluation System for Vocational School Students Construction and Practice Research

Student evaluation in the new era should be rooted in the educational macro background of "cultivating people by virtue" and comply with the overall policy orientation of educational evaluation reform. This research focuses on the construction and implementation of value-added evaluation system. Combined with the characteristics of vocational school students, this paper constructs a four-level index system and refines the student evaluation standards. The evaluation subjects are students, head teachers, teachers, parents and enterprise managers. Through the development of the related APP, it is convenient for each evaluation subject to input information, and finally use K-line chart to visually present the change process of the appreciation in students' literacy. A value-added evaluation system with strong timeliness, objectivity, motivation and operability is constructed.