The Relationship Between Long Working Hours and Stress Responses in Junior High School Teachers: A Nationwide Survey in Japan

Background: Long working hours and mental health problems among teachers are a concern in Japan. More specifically, it has been reported that junior high school teachers tend to work overtime. In this study, examined the working hours of junior high school teachers in public schools and investigated the association between overtime work and stress responses across job titles.Methods: From June to December 2018, 54,772 teachers in public junior high schools completed a web-based nationwide survey regarding occupational stress and submitted self-evaluated working hours per day of the previous month. Psychological and physical stress responses were assessed using the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire.Results: Results showed that 59.6% of the participants worked 11 h or more per day. Additionally, the length of working hours significantly differed across job titles (χ2 (30) = 5295.8, p < 0.001, Cramér’s V = 0.14). With respect to tenured teachers, sex (female), age, taking charge of the class, number of working years in the same school, working hours of 10 to 11 h, 11 to 12 h, 12 to 13 h, and 13 h or more were significantly associated with high stress, compared to those who worked less than 9 h per day. Moreover, for fixed-term teachers, sex (female), age, working hours of 9 to 10 h, 10 to 11 h, 11 to 12 h, 12 to 13 h, and 13 h or more were related with more stress as compared to those who worked less than 9 h per day. On the other hand, there was no significant relationship between long working hours and stress response among vice-principals, even though they tended to work the longest hours.Conclusion: We verified that Japanese junior high school teachers work long hours. Long working hours were associated with stress responses in both tenured and fixed-term teachers, but not in vice-principals. However, vice-principals work the longest hours among teachers, and we suggest that these long working hours may be a hidden problem that is often overlooked.

K-12 Educational Leadership and Autism

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that about 1 in 54 children have been identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Autism occurs among all ethic, socioeconomic, and racial groups. With this nationwide prevalence, educational leadership, Principals, Vice Principals, and parents must be in a continuous state of learning about autism and the unique needs of their autistic learners. The chapter is dedicated to helping parents and educational leadership to understand each other's roles and responsibilities in regard to serving children and youth on the autism spectrum. First, the chapter will explore literature regarding unique leadership characteristics needed to support youth on the autism spectrum. Next, an overview of literature available regarding educational leaders' perspectives and strategies in supporting youth on the spectrum. Finally, suggestions and strategies for developing educational leaders that understand and cherish youth on the autism spectrum are given.

SUPERIOR MADRASAH DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY IN MAN 2 MODEL MEDAN

<p>This study aims to determine the Development Strategy of Superior Madrasah in MAN 2 Medan Model and the Supporting and Inhibiting Factors of Excellent Madrasah Development Strategy at MAN 2 Medan Model. This study uses a qualitative research method that aims to understand a social phenomenon by prioritizing the process of deep interaction and communication between researchers and the phenomenon under study. The data obtained in this study are descriptive analysis, in which data collection is carried out by means of observations and interviews, and documentation studies. Then the data is presented in descriptive narrative form. The location of this research was carried out at MAN 2 Model Medan. The results showed that the superior madrasa development strategy carried out an effort to plan and manage madrasas that functioned to direct and develop madrasas in achieving their educational goals, because superior madrasas were intended as centers of excellence. The strategy for developing superior madrasah at MAN 2 Model Medan involves many related parties, starting from the guardians of students, teachers, madrasa heads and vice principals, as well as committees. A plan must have implementation, for the implementation of the strategy for developing the Madrasah Aliyah MAN 2 Medan Model is carefully calculated because implementation is one of the keys to the success of a superior madrasa development strategy so that the strategies implemented can run effectively so as to achieve success in program implementation For this reason, MAN 2 Model Medan has taken more actions to accelerate the implementation of the mutually agreed plan. Supporting factors in the superior madrasah development strategy are of course interrelated with the madrasa development strategy program, namely the partnership factor because partnerships have a very large effect on the development of madrasah.</p>

Good School Governance: An Approach to Principal’s Decision-Making Quality in Indonesian Vocational School

The purpose of this research is to examine the model of good school governance and to establish the correlation between good school governance and the principal’s decision making in Indonesian vocational school contexts. The samples of the present quantitative descriptive study are the vocational school principals, vice-principals, and teachers by considering the representation of all provinces in Indonesia. The data were gathered from a structured questionnaire survey of 838 respondents. The factor analysis was applied to bring out the latent variables representing the attributes, and later, the causality between these variables was established using structural equation modeling (SEM). The result of confirmatory factor analysis shown that good school governance was constructed by six principles, namely; transparency, accountability, responsibility, autonomy, fairness, and participation. Supported by empirical evidence, good school governance has have impacted positively on the quality of the principal’s decision making. The research has affirmed that good school governance facilitates the participation of teachers and educational staff in the decision-making process. Moreover, good school governance improves a decision-making quality through the empowerment of teachers, the delegation of authority, and encouragement of shared decision-making.

Quality Assurance of Education in Senior High School during Covid-19 Pandemic

During the Covid-19 pandemic, SMA Nurul Jadid, Probolinggo, East Java created a quality assurance system to survive and win the rivalry between educational institutions. This study aims to understand the meaning behind quality assurance activities at SMA Nurul Jadid, Probolinggo using a qualitative case study approach. Researchers conducted interviews with committees, principals, vice-principals, teachers, and observations and documentation were carried out in this research. Data gathering, data reduction, display, and conclusion are steps in the data analysis process. The findings revealed that SMA Nurul Jadid's quality assurance system was implemented and evaluated through systematic planning, including numerous school members and the community, quality assurance implementation, and evaluation. This study has implications for the significance of educational institutions maintaining excellence to sustain the public trust built up over the years.

Character Education Management in Improving Education Quality in State Senior High School

This study aims to identify and explain the management of character education in terms of planning, organizing, implementing, and monitoring in improving the quality of education in State Senior High Schools (SMAN). This research was descriptive qualitative. Sources of data in this study were principals, vice principals, and teachers. Data collection techniques were observation, interviews, and documentation, while data analysis techniques included data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing and verification. Based on data analysis, it was found that character education management is started from planning students’ character education by determining the goals, constructing programs or school activities, and integrating character values. Furthermore, the organization of character education is carried out by dividing the tasks and the person in charge of the activity or program. Next, the implementation of character education is through the integration of character values in all subjects, in the school daily activities, in school programs, as well as building communication and cooperation between schools and parents of students. Lastly, character education is done through supervision consists of observing students’ behavior and scoring mentioned in students’ discipline book.

Strategies of School Citizens in the Success of School Based Management Programs (MBS) for Achieving School Quality

This article was prepared with the aim of: (1) the views of school members on the importance of school quality; (2) the role of school members in trying to achieve school quality; and (3) supporting factors for the school community in trying to achieve school quality. This research was conducted using a qualitative descriptive approach, in order to obtain data in the field about the strategies of school members in the success of the SBM program in achieving school quality. Researchers conducted field studies and conducted interviews with principals, vice principals in curriculum, deputy principals of student affairs, and also teachers of Islamic Religious Education (PAI). Apart from conducting interviews, researchers also conducted a documentation study at SMP Negeri 1 Bojonegoro as a research location. The results of the research found by researchers at SMP Negeri 1 Bojonegoro are as follows: (1) the views of the school community on the importance of school quality; (2) the role of school members in trying to achieve school quality; and (3) supporting factors for the school community in trying to achieve school quality

Evaluasi Program Kelas Riset di MAN 2 Ponorogo Pada Masa Pandemi COVID-19

ABSTRACT This study aims to evaluate the implementatiton of the research class program at MAN 2 Ponorogo. The CIPP model was adopted as the evaluation model in this study. The sources of data information are vice principals of curriculum, vice principals of student, teacher of research, and students. The data in this study were collected through observation, interviews, questionnaires, and documentation. The findings showed that: (1) context, research class programs were very much needed to support the policy of establishing research schools; (2) input, the school had established a research class student selection system, and the provision of infrastructure to support program implementation; (3) the process, the research class service program ran smoothly even-though there were obstacles that hindered the running of the program (4) the implementation of the research class program had been achieved in accordance with the program's achievement criteria. Keywords research class, program evaluation, cipp model