Estimating the Financial Incentive for Caribbean Teachers to Migrate: An Analysis of Salary Differentials using Purchasing Power Parity (PPP)

The teaching stock within the Caribbean region has been eroded by migration to developed countries. Higher potential earnings are one of the motivating factors to move abroad, but little is known about the extent of the income disparity between countries in the Caribbean and popular destination countries. Teacher salary comparisons are undertaken between selected countries in the Caribbean; Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Lucia, and Jamaica and popular destination countries, namely; United Kingdom, United States, and Canada using a purchasing power parity (PPP) exchange rate. Results show that newly qualified teachers can earn substantially more abroad, with Canada paying over twice the PPP adjusted salary compared to that offered in Jamaica (133.1%) and Suriname (110.6%). The United States offers the highest earning increases for mid- and late career teachers at over three times that offered in Jamaica (214.5%) and Suriname (223.4%). Canada is a close second across all Caribbean countries, whilst the United Kingdom offers the smallest salary differentials at 153.6% for Jamaica and 64.8% for St. Lucia. The study further reveals that there are salary disparities within the Caribbean, which may be a motivating factor for intra-regional migration.

https://doi.org/10.46425/1902518021

One of the defining markers of Jamaican students’ academic success (for teachers and students) is their ability to speak Standard Jamaican English (SJE) fluently. However, SJE fluency is challenging for many majority-speaking Jamaican Creole (JC) boys who experience language conflicts within their social and educational contexts. Consequently, this study sought to investigate the impact of systemic negative perceptions of JC and its speakers on four inner-city adolescent boys (14-17 years old), who were dominant & JC-speaking—their perceptions of self, language ability, and attitudes toward English Language Learning (ELL). The study embraced a social constructivist approach, via use of multiple case studies, anchored within a narrative inquiry, over a period spanning three months. Within this period, the boys' lived language experiences were documented, through interviews, video diaries, and graphic novels. The study revealed that the boys experienced language complexities that left them feeling inadequate and disenfranchised, with systemic language practices that positioned them as deficit language learners. The study aimed to construct new knowledge to assist policymakers and educators in developing more inclusive language practices that can provide opportunities for all students to thrive.

Massive Open Online Courses: A Source of Effective Professional Development for In-service Teachers

The ever-changing needs of society justify the necessity for teachers to engage in continuous learning. Teachers are encouraged to participate in professional development activities that will help them develop the knowledge and skills that are required to meet the needs of a 21st century society. It is recognised that access to professional development has increased since Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) became an option for in-service teachers who traditionally found it difficult to access certain professional development activities because of distance and lack of convenience.A survey was administered to 72 respondents to capture the experiences of in-service teachers from the Caribbean, who participated in a MOOC offered by the Inter-American Teacher Education Network (ITEN). The survey explored the MOOC participants’ perception of the MOOC as a source of professional development, as well as the extent to which they applied the content learnt in the ITEN MOOC. The findings of this research show that 95% of the participants perceived the ITEN MOOC to be an effective source of professional development and were able to apply the content to their professional context. The findings further suggest that MOOCs across the globe provide an opportunity for in-service teachers to forge partnerships and establish learning communities that will improve their professional knowledge and skills.

Reviewing Science Education in Trinidad and Tobago through the Lens of the COVID-19 Pandemic

This paper explores how the COVID-19 pandemic can act as a lens for educators and scholars to more clearly define some of the issues hampering effective science education in one Caribbean territory. The pandemic clearly revealed certain phenomena in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) including: the poor state of public scientific literacy; limited public understanding of the nature of science; an antagonistic dynamic with respect to public trust in science; and the lack of comprehensive remote/online pedagogical options for science. These issues have implications for the teaching and learning of science in T&T. In particular, science educators are encouraged to consider: a border crossing approach to teaching science; explicitly teaching the nature of science; adopting a science in context approach to science education; and working on developing digital pedagogies for teaching science that honour inquiry and concrete hands-on experience with phenomena. While the article is primarily about Trinidad and Tobago, it may be relevant to those interested in the development of small island states, including other Caribbean territories.

Males and Tertiary Education in Jamaica by Herbert Gayle & Peisha Bryan

It is vexing. This review may be dismissed as an “angry feminist rant” about the recently published ode to hegemonic masculinity, Males and Tertiary Education in Jamaica. The book continues a rather curious peregrination into the so-called “crisis” of Jamaican masculinity. The authors, Herbert Gayle (a social anthropologist) and Peisha Bryan (a social sector specialist) examine the “plight of males” as it relates to their level of “investment” in education. Building on existing scholarly research on the low participation of men in tertiary education specifically, they dub this problematic in the book’s preface a “clash between Jamaican males and education” (p. xiv). But, are we dealing with a clash between Jamaican males and education, or the conflict-tending relationship between males and their sacredly held cow—the institution of patriarchy? Did the authors miss an opportunity to see the problem for what it truly is: patriarchy chipping away at its construction of masculinity as always and already manifested through independence and the shouldering of the economic burdens of women and families?

Problem Solving Within the Mathematics Classroom: Challenges and Recommendations

This research (the second part of a 2-part study) sought to investigate selected high school teachers’ knowledge and use of a problem solving approach to mathematics teaching and learning. It also examined the challenges that they experienced in implementing this pedagogical approach. A survey research design was used for this research whereby data were collected using a questionnaire with closed- and open-ended items. Thirty-one high school teachers from Jamaica participated in the study. The findings indicated that the teachers generally used a problem solving approach during instruction very regularly and felt extremely competent when using the approach. Some of the most frequently reported challenges included students’ lack of interest and tenacity in solving problems; teachers’ heavy workload; and the time consuming nature of the approach. One key recommendation to address the challenges raised is implementation of professional development for teachers to guide them in effectively incorporating problem solving as a teaching/learning approach in the mathematics classroom.

Investigating the Prevalence of Mathematics Anxiety and its Relationship to Gender Among Grade 7 Students in Jamaica

This paper presents findings from a quantitative, survey research study that investigated the prevalence of mathematics anxiety (MA) in two Grade 7 cohorts and how students’ MA compared by gender. The research sample consisted of 467 Grade 7 students (276 females and 186 males) from two high schools in Jamaica. The data were collected using the Modified Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale (mAMAS) and analyzed using descriptive statistics and a Mann-Whitney U test. The results showed that students experienced a range of MA (Low, Slight, Moderate, and High). Most students experienced Slight MA and 7.5% of the students reported High MA. Another key finding was that the MA distributions for males and females were not statistically significant. Considering the relatively high percentage of students who reported high MA, additional research involving more schools relating to prevalence of MA is warranted.

Primary School Teachers’ Experiences with Teaching Resources and Technology at a Primary and Junior High School in Urban Jamaica

This paper sought to explore primary teachers’ experiences with implementing Resource and Technology (R&T) and how these experiences influence successful teacher adaptability to educational change. The findings revealed a shared consensus among teachers that successful teacher adaptability is dependent on teacher preparedness, development of infrastructure, teacher support and the realities of their experiences among others.

Exploring Teachers’ Experience with the Implementation of the National Standards Curriculum in an Inner-City Primary School in Kingston, Jamaica

This research sought to explore teachers’ experiences with the implementation of the National Standards Curriculum (NSC) in an inner-city primary school in Kingston, Jamaica. The findings revealed that the teachers viewed the NSC as an excellent curriculum that allows students to think critically, connect to real life situations, and develop learning skills for STEM integration.

Teachers’ experiences implementing the National Standards Curriculum at the Riverbank High School

This paper explores teachers’ experiences implementing the National Standards Curriculum at a secondary school in Jamaica. During a phenomenological case study, structured and semi-structured interviews were completed with 16 participants and data collected subsequently analysed using constant comparison. The aim was to ascertain how teachers described their experiences implementing the NSC, what teachers saw as challenges with implementing the NSC and what they saw as strengths of the NSC. The findings showed that most teachers described their experience as challenging. Improving the process for implementing new curriculums and guiding efforts to address challenges teachers face in order to better facilitate institutionalization of the NSC are benefits to be derived from these findings.