The purpose of this paper is to examine the current school‐based management (SBM) policy reform in Indonesia, with an emphasis on the impacts of shifting authority and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the current school‐based management (SBM) policy reform in Indonesia, with an emphasis on the impacts of shifting authority and responsibility to school level, as well as challenges confronted by the school council members, followed by remedial measures to minimize the problems.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper employed a mixed‐method research design comprising an extensive empirical survey followed by semi‐structured and focused group interviews and examination of relevant documents. The data reported here are on the basis of an empirical survey involving 504 school council members from Ngada‐Flores, followed by 42 interviews and focus group discussion (FGD) with all relevant stakeholders.
Findings
The research findings demonstrate how devolution of power and authority to school level can create partnership in participatory school decision making in terms of setting a school mission, shared‐vision, annual programs, school budget, school textbooks, school buildings, school‐based curriculum and even students’ discipline policies. In turn, devolving power and authority to school level has created several changes in schools, including in‐school culture changes, and increased participation of school communities. These factors have led to the improvements in teaching‐learning environments and student achievements.
Research limitations/implications
The findings of this study are specific to the context of Ngada‐Flores, Indonesia. The possibility for the general applicability of the findings is limited by the scope, the sample, and the cultural context of this study. Accordingly, even though there could be common features, the findings may not have general applicability to other systems.
Practical implications
The paper suggests that capacity building in school level is required for the effective implementation of SBM policies and programs, including in‐service training, regular professional development sessions and workshops on effective school leadership and management, as well as school development planning.
Originality/value
This paper could be significant because of the absence of similar studies in the Indonesian context. The findings could be helpful in informing practitioners, the local and national authorities and all those interested in school education on how SBM with devolution of power and authority to school‐level decision makers assists in‐school improvements and student achievements, as well as problems and challenges confronted by school leaders in the implementation of SBM.
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Kakon Montua Ajua Shantal, Leena Halttunen and Kanervio Pekka
Quality educational leadership preparation has positive influences on practices of graduates. In the Finnish decentralized education system, little is yet known about the sources…
Abstract
Quality educational leadership preparation has positive influences on practices of graduates. In the Finnish decentralized education system, little is yet known about the sources of principals’ practices. This research explores the sources of principals’ self- assessed leadership practices in Central Finland and identifies areas for more emphasis. Respondents were selected by purposive sampling. This multiple case study employed eight semi-structured individual interviews as means of data collection. Inductive content analysis was performed. From the findings, besides personal experiences, knowledge from course, and field work, leadership and networking are also major sources of principals' practices. Training positively enhances the practices of principals as they engage in more collaboration and trust. Notwithstanding, professional development is essential for principals to stay relevant to the contemporary world of today and to be confident to face future challenges. Methods of course delivery, management of human and financial resources, as well as creating and sustaining local and international collaborations with other training institutions should be prioritized to improve on training.
The purpose of this paper is to explore the key determinants of effective school-based management (SBM) for improved teaching−learning environments and student achievements, while…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the key determinants of effective school-based management (SBM) for improved teaching−learning environments and student achievements, while identifying the major reasons as to why poor implementation of SBM is associated with lower student achievements.
Design/methodology/approach
Both dimensions of quantitative and qualitative research were applied for the purpose of this study with active participation of 334 school stakeholders, including principals, teachers, parents, and school council members. In addition to the survey, 33 Interviews and FGDs were conducted with the participation of 61 key informants. These were followed by an examination of school documents, including students’ national examination results.
Findings
This study concludes that SBM drives the emergence of decision-making authority of principals, the presence of participatory school decision-making, and high involvement of school council for better teaching and learning environments. In turn, effective implementation of SBM policy is associated with healthier teaching−learning environment and better student academic achievements. However, less effective implementation of SBM is due to lack of proper understanding of the school stakeholders that resulted in lower academic achievement.
Practical implications
Adequate provisions of training on the part of school council members and school principals are required for significant results of SBM policy and programs for improved teaching–learning environment and increased student achievements. The training focuses on, among others: school leadership, school development planning and changing roles of school leaders under SBM reform.
Originality/value
This study builds on global and Indonesian developments of the decentralized education through SBM model. This study is highly significant in addressing the current debates in existing literature about whether or not SBM has resulted in school improvements and higher student achievements. Practically, this study provides adequate insight to educational leaders, policy makers and international donor agencies in demonstrating why SBM is effective in particular school settings as well as why SBM policy and programs are not effectively implemented in other schools that resulted in lower student achievements.
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This chapter describes the experiences of a researcher involved in creating a new evaluation policy for the Ministry of Education and Culture in Cyprus. This included reforms to…
Abstract
This chapter describes the experiences of a researcher involved in creating a new evaluation policy for the Ministry of Education and Culture in Cyprus. This included reforms to school evaluation and school self-evaluation. How was it informed by scholars, by previous policy, and by recent developments in several EU and non-EU countries? What was the role of different stakeholders in it? While designing the new evaluation policy, different education policies and practices were studied, and all stakeholders had the opportunity to voice their opinions, challenges and needs. From this approach, it was evident that change is no linear process, and it involved constant readings and discussions to revisit major points presented by each stakeholder, thus allowing a holistic view. This became a critically important feature of the approach as it allowed the members of the committee to examine and re-examine different aspects of all stakeholders' opinions. It is evident that it was not enough to study factors associated with the success or failure of the latest policy to solve the change challenge. The evaluation itself is a controversial issue where scholars and scientists intend to approach it from a different angle than government officers, policymakers, citizens, school leaders, who themselves approach it differently than the evaluatee. For this reason, the committee preferred to approach this matter by merging top-down and bottom-up opinions and acting in a collegial way.
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Julien Barrier and Christine Musselin
Facing intense global competition and pressure from public authorities, several universities in Europe have engaged in merger and concentration processes. Drawing on two in-depth…
Abstract
Facing intense global competition and pressure from public authorities, several universities in Europe have engaged in merger and concentration processes. Drawing on two in-depth case studies, this paper considers university mergers as an opportunity to explore the processes involved in the creation of a new organizational structure. In line with recent scholarly calls to revisit the notion of organizational design, we combine insights from three different research streams to address the functional, political, and institutional dynamics that shaped the organizational architecture of the merged universities. Two main results are presented and discussed. First, although these mergers were initiated largely in response to the diffusion of new global institutional scripts, these scripts had little influence on organizational design: deeply institutionalized local scripts prevailed over global mimetic pressures. Second, while these institutional scripts provided many of the basic building blocks of the new universities, in both cases their design was also heavily shaped by time pressures and power games. While a few powerful actors used the merger as an opportunity to promote their own reform agenda, some of the key features of the two merged universities stemmed from choices by exclusion, whose primary aim was the avoidance of conflicts.
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Diosdado M. San Antonio and David T. Gamage
The paper aims to examine the effect of implementing participatory school administration, leadership and management (PSALM) on the levels of empowerment among the educational…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to examine the effect of implementing participatory school administration, leadership and management (PSALM) on the levels of empowerment among the educational stakeholders.
Design/methodology/approach
A mixed method approach, combining the experimental design with empirical surveys, interviews and documentary analysis, was used. Survey respondents (735 for the first survey and 603 for the second survey) were school heads, teachers, students, alumni, parents and community leaders coming from 76 public secondary schools in one provincial school division in the Philippines.
Findings
Stakeholders who implemented PSALM reported higher levels of empowerment compared with the control group; school heads and teachers felt more empowered than the other stakeholders after one year of PSALM implementation; there was a trend for the younger and 51 years + participants to feel less empowered after implementing PSALM. The stakeholders faced challenges in implementing PSALM but they overcame them by opening communication channels and manifesting supportive behaviours.
Research limitations/implications
Only people who indicated willingness to implement PSALM were involved, so there was no way to determine how stakeholders who are hesitant to practice the experimental intervention would react.
Practical implications
It is suggested that the Philippine public schools should expedite the implementation of PSALM via school councils as a way to improve the school system.
Originality/value
The paper presents evidence, drawn from a management experiment, that establishes the link between PSALM and empowerment levels of stakeholders.
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The purpose of this paper is to explore how the process of implementation of school‐based management (SBM) has worked within the public school systems in the Australian Capital…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore how the process of implementation of school‐based management (SBM) has worked within the public school systems in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and Victoria in Australia. The period covered was 1976‐2006.
Design/methodology/approach
The approach adopted was the mixed methodology which included empirical surveys, interviews with stakeholders and documentary analyses including Parliamentary acts, statutes, school board or council constitutions, research reports, parliamentary and official reports.
Findings
The findings suggest that both systems had a strong commitment to the proper implementation of SBM towards the improvement of school outcomes and student achievements. Whenever problems arose stakeholders were keen to sort them out and move forward by covering the gaps to avoid the repetition of similar problems. Both systems have succeeded in strengthening their own model of SBM and are satisfied with the achievements through SBM.
Research limitations/implications
In the context of school systems in the ACT and Victoria, all relevant stakeholder groups and political parties were committed to the implementation of SBM and schools have been able to build a high degree of trust and confidence between the internal and external constituencies in a gradual process. But, it may not be the case in other contexts.
Originality/value
The paper's value is in attempting a comparative study of SBM within two different school systems in Australia since the mid‐1970s, highlighting the distinct approaches taken for the introduction and implementation of the concept including constrains and impediments confronted in some cases.
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The recent Australian reforms in higher education envisaged thecreation of a unified national system at the expense of the binarysystem with a smaller number of larger…
Abstract
The recent Australian reforms in higher education envisaged the creation of a unified national system at the expense of the binary system with a smaller number of larger institutions through institutional mergers. The Green Paper quoted the La Trobe‐Lincoln merger as an example. Based on an evaluation of relevant archival material and interviews with most of the key personnel of both institutions and the merged university, examines the key issues which delayed the merger for seven years, the goals and the academic rationale set with outcomes of this process within the first two years after the formal merger along with future trends.
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This paper aims to focus on a study of the effectiveness of head teacher leadership within TAFE NSW.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to focus on a study of the effectiveness of head teacher leadership within TAFE NSW.
Design/methodology/approach
Quantitative and qualitative methods were employed to identify and measure the effective leadership attributes of the head teachers. The research sample consisted of head teachers and teachers.
Findings
The results suggest that the effectiveness of head teachers' leadership needs to be improved substantially. More specifically, there was a significant difference between the self‐perceived leadership effectiveness of the head teachers and the leadership effectiveness perceived by the teachers. The study also showed that the effects of gender, length of service as a head teacher, length of service in the position and the educational discipline area did not have a substantial effect on head teacher leadership effectiveness. However, emergent issues such as workload, lack of support and training, and the gap between the head teacher and higher‐level management were significant factors affecting head teacher leadership.
Practical implications
The findings suggest leadership development programs should be initiated to assist in developing the leadership areas in need of improvement, and additionally the need for better succession planning of the organization.
Originality/value
A study of the nature and scale, focused on the head teacher leadership effectiveness has not been undertaken before, within the Australian context, and this paper presents some useful information for future workforce planning of VET institutions and significant addition to the existing stock of knowledge.
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Santosh Rupa Jaladi, Hema Doreswamy and Radhika Uttam
The COVID-19 pandemic pushed academic institutions to rapidly transition from tradition classroom teaching to online teaching methods globally, leading to huge disruption in the…
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic pushed academic institutions to rapidly transition from tradition classroom teaching to online teaching methods globally, leading to huge disruption in the academic world. Online teaching makes education accessible to people who may have struggled to attend the traditional classes. This transition is facilitated by advancement in technology, fuelled by tools like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). Higher education institutions are leveraging on these tools to enhance student learning process and student engagement. However, stakeholders are raising genuine concerns about ethical issues surrounding these platforms like plagiarism, reduced attention span of students. Reliance on these tools may limit the creativity of faculty and students. Usage of tools for regular administrative and academic tasks like grading and marking attendance can increase the process effectiveness at the same time. This will help in identifying strengths and areas for improvement of every student and offers feedback also based on those observations. Though concerns about the usage of AI tools in the classroom persist, the benefits offered by these tools cannot be undermined. It is important to study various ways of integrating these tools in the teaching pedagogy by being conscious of the ethical aspects. The study focuses on detailed analysis of AI tools applicable in education and research domain and the innovative methods of integrating the same in the classroom teaching. The study is based on qualitative data collected from secondary sources. Findings can be used by high education institutions for leveraging technology for better student engagement and improving performance.