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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David T. Gamage, Peter Sipple and Peter Partridge
Reports on a research project undertaken in 1992‐93, involving 66 state schools which aimed to ascertain the overall effectiveness of school‐based management in the Australian…
Abstract
Reports on a research project undertaken in 1992‐93, involving 66 state schools which aimed to ascertain the overall effectiveness of school‐based management in the Australian state of Victoria. Discusses the evolution of democratic devolution and reviews previous research.
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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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David T. Gamage, Jaratdao Suwanabroma, Takeyuki Ueyama, Sekio Hada and Etsuo Sekikawa
The purpose of the paper is to ascertain students' perceptions on quality of services provided by private universities in Thailand and Japan and how these affected decisions…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the paper is to ascertain students' perceptions on quality of services provided by private universities in Thailand and Japan and how these affected decisions selecting a university. A comparative study aims to focus on how cultural and economic factors affected their decisions.
Design/methodology/approach
Research design sought students' perceptions through empirical surveys on the type of factors which influenced their decisions in selecting a university. As the students needed to form their views on personal experience on services categorized into ten factors, the research sample included students with one‐four years of campus experience. The research instrument was a well validated questionnaire developed on a review of literature and a pilot study. For the main study, 1,900 Thai students from nine private universities and 703 Japanese students from two private colleges were invited to participate.
Findings
Findings suggest that in selecting a university campus the university's reputation, academic staff, quality of the programs and job‐placement were the most important factors that influenced student decisions. The comparative analyses reveal many similarities and some differences between the two groups while Thai students had a higher degree of satisfaction than Japanese counterparts which may perhaps be attributed to economic disparities.
Implications
Findings may not be generally applicable as the sample was limited and cultural contexts were somewhat similar. Yet, there were generic factors applicable to most universities.
Originality/value
These findings are valuable to university administrators and academics to improve the quality of services which are most important in influencing student perceptions in selecting a university.
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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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The final decade of the twentieth century saw a major shift to self‐governance for schools in many countries, including the UK and Australia. This trend is underpinned by the…
Abstract
The final decade of the twentieth century saw a major shift to self‐governance for schools in many countries, including the UK and Australia. This trend is underpinned by the assumption that greater autonomy will lead to improved educational outcomes. The impact of self‐management on principals and schools is now well documented but much less attention has been given to the implications for governance, a significant omission as the process of decentralisation transfers responsibilities to governing bodies rather than school principals. Reviews the main issues of governance and illustrates them from the research in England and Wales and in Australia. It joins the debate about the appropriate balance between governance and management for governing bodies and examines the lay/professional interface in school governance. It assesses governors’ role as representatives of school interest groups and concludes by setting out a research agenda for governance in self‐managing schools.
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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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Ashani Fernando, Chandana Siriwardana, David Law, Chamila Gunasekara, Kevin Zhang and Kumari Gamage
The increasing urgency to address climate change in construction has made green construction (GC) and sustainability critical topics for academia and industry professionals…
Abstract
Purpose
The increasing urgency to address climate change in construction has made green construction (GC) and sustainability critical topics for academia and industry professionals. However, the volume of literature in this field has made it impractical to rely solely on traditional systematic evidence mapping methodologies.
Design/methodology/approach
This study employs machine learning (ML) techniques to analyze the extensive evidence-base on GC. Using both supervised and unsupervised ML, 5,462 relevant papers were filtered from 10,739 studies published from 2010 to 2022, retrieved from the Scopus and Web of Science databases.
Findings
Key themes in GC encompass green building materials, construction techniques, assessment methodologies and management practices. GC assessment and techniques were prominent, while management requires more research. The results from prevalence of topics and heatmaps revealed important patterns and interconnections, emphasizing the prominent role of materials as major contributors to the construction sector. Consistency of the results with VOSviewer analysis further validated the findings, demonstrating the robustness of the review approach.
Originality/value
Unlike other reviews focusing only on specific aspects of GC, use of ML techniques to review a large pool of literature provided a holistic understanding of the research landscape. It sets a precedent by demonstrating the effectiveness of ML techniques in addressing the challenge of analyzing a large body of literature. By showcasing the connections between various facets of GC and identifying research gaps, this research aids in guiding future initiatives in the field.
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Aishwarya Singh Raikwar and David T. Easow
Indian Ocean region (IOR) is a coveted maritime space in the international arena because of its unique positioning and importance. The third largest water body on the planet Earth…
Abstract
Indian Ocean region (IOR) is a coveted maritime space in the international arena because of its unique positioning and importance. The third largest water body on the planet Earth holds great economic significance and sustains the livelihood of its people. While the blue economy (BE) approach gains momentum worldwide, following this for the responsible consumption of ocean resources, India too pursues and has developed a draft policy on the BE. Maritime and coastal tourism is one of the prime areas contributing to this framework of BE. This study will explore the advances in BE prospects of Indian Tourism and highlight the elements of branding a BE Destination in the region. India being a key player and an emerging economy, situated at a transitional maritime position is strategic in nature. India as a country is a strong contestant for the title of tourism hotspot but with its highly regarded destinations, it surprisingly attracts fewer tourists. The paper examines secondary sources of data and attempts to review the untapped potential of the brand India in this vast maritime space. There is enough literature available on destination branding but this paper stands out with its unique and innovative approach that combines economic aspects with maritime sustainability and surely add value to this field of knowledge. This chapter presents the recommendations for BE-led repositioning of India tourism in the IOR. To achieve higher productivity and sustainability, a socioeconomic transformational shift is required in the segments of the tourism sector.
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The findings of the Steering Group on Food Freshness in relation to the compulsory date marking of food contained in their Report, reviewed elsewhere in this issue, has brought…
Abstract
The findings of the Steering Group on Food Freshness in relation to the compulsory date marking of food contained in their Report, reviewed elsewhere in this issue, has brought within measurable distance the Regulations which were, in any case, promised for1975. The Group consider that the extension of voluntary open date marking systems will not be sufficiently rapid (or sufficiently comprehensive) to avoid the need or justify the delay in introducing legislation.