Modelling the effects of principal leadership and school capacity on teacher professional learning in Hong Kong primary schools

Over the past 30 years, school principals have been exhorted to articulate a clear vision as a key tool for stimulating the improvement of teaching and learning in their schools. Over the past decade, as school systems have sought to distribute leadership more broadly within schools, the same imperative has applied to middle-level leaders. Indeed, a key assumption underlying the move towards sharing leadership responsibilities more broadly has been the belief that this would strengthen collective efforts and reduce the gap between goals and outcomes. Yet, to date, there have relatively few investigations of the extent to which middle-level leaders are contributing to school improvement efforts. This study sought to understand how shared vision within school management teams (SMTs) impacts teacher commitment and teacher support for students through school alignment and coherence. Dyad survey data were collected from 411 SMT members and 559 teachers at 32 primary schools in Hong Kong. Results indicated that shared vision in SMTs is positively related to teachers' perception of school alignment and coherence, teachers' commitment and teacher support to students. Theoretical and practical implications of findings are discussed.     

Measuring learning quality in Ethiopia,India and Vietnam: from primary to secondary school effectiveness

Abstract

This paper examines the way in which learning quality has been conceptualised and measured in school effectiveness surveys conducted by Young Lives, a longitudinal study of child poverty. Primary school surveys were conducted in Vietnam in 2010–11 and Ethiopia in 2012–13, and surveys at upper-primary and secondary level were conducted in Ethiopia, India and Vietnam in 2016–17. The paper discusses the design of cognitive tests to assess Maths and reading at primary level, and then focuses on the development of cognitive tests to assess Maths, functional English and transferable skills at upper-primary and secondary level. In particular, the paper explores how learning quality can be conceptualised and measured in relation to ‘twenty-first century skills’, which are increasingly seen as an important outcome of secondary education. The challenges of designing cognitive tests to measure and compare learning quality across three diverse country contexts are also explored.     

Measuring perceptions of the learning environment and approaches to learning: validation of the learn questionnaire

While focus on quality in Danish higher education has been growing in recent years, limited attention has been devoted to developing and thoroughly validating instruments that allow collecting data about university students’ perceptions of the teaching-learning environment. Based on data from a large sample of Danish university students, a Danish version of the Learn questionnaire was validated using confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis. Analyses confirmed the existence of three scales reflecting students’ approaches to learning and six scales reflecting students’ perception of the teaching-learning environment. The results suggest that the Danish version of Learn is a valid instrument to be used for evaluation of the teaching-learning environment as well as for research into Danish university students’ learning strategies.     

Authoritative schools: A test of a model to resolve the school effectiveness debate

School effectiveness research has fueled debate on the importance of a press for academic excellence versus communal values. Research on parenting styles offers a theoretical framework that may resolve the debate. We hypothesized that dimensions of parenting styles—demandingness (academic press) and responsiveness (communal values)—predict students’ mathematics achievement, engagement, and locus of control. HLM analyses of NELS: 88 data on 19,435 eighth-graders partially supported the hypothesis: Students’ perceptions of school responsiveness predicted their engagement and internal control. In addition, students in responsive schools had smaller differences in mathematics achievement and internal control attributable to SES, suggesting that responsive schools may increase equity. We offer suggestions for further investigation of the model in hope of resolving the debate.     

Development to learning: semantic shifts in professional autonomy and school leadership

In the digital age, technology is playing an important role in changing the nature of professionalism. Newer forms of professional learning stand in contrast to more traditional forms of professional development. The shifting paradigm has implications for school leaders in all contexts. This study sought to qualitatively examine how a sample of eight school leaders worked to support professional learning in their school communities and leverage tools in areas such as content aggregation, media creation, blogging and social media. In one-on-one and focus group interviews, participants discussed how technology is changing professional learning in their context and reflected on how their leadership has evolved in response to perceived challenges. Findings suggest that school leaders are aware of the importance of supporting professional learning through multiple device platforms, online networks and opportunities to play, and experiment with technology. Current issues identified include the need to shift from “buyer” to “driver” mindsets and to respond to the increasing role of popular thinkers whose ideas are amplified through online channels, such as social media.     

Affordances of teacher professional learning in secondary schools

It is commonly understood that teachers in secondary school should develop throughout their career in order to stay as an essential factor in student learning. Schools can offer opportunities to link teachers’ professional learning to their school practice with a positive impact on teachers’ motivation to learn and the effectiveness of their learning. In this field study, teachers, school leaders, policy-makers, educational consultants and educational scholars were asked for their perceptions of conditions for teacher learning in school and of interventions in school to enhance teacher professional learning. These conditions and interventions were understood as affordances in schools that enable and support teacher professional learning. The main affordance in school these stakeholders mentioned was an open, but critical way in which teachers share their practices, collaborate and reflect upon their teaching practice. Collaborative practices seem to stimulate many interventions of teacher professional learning in school. Two implications of this finding are discussed. First, we suggest that the maximum teaching time should be reduced, team teaching should be more implemented or classes should be scheduled in such a way that teachers can meet. Second, distributed leadership approaches match with our findings about the role of school leaders in teacher professional learning.     

Enhancing school climate through social and emotional learning: effects of RULER in Mexican secondary schools

Learning Environments Research - We investigated the impact of RULER—an evidence-based approach to social and emotional learning—on school climate. Students and teachers from 37 Mexican...     

Establishing schools as professional learning communities: perspectives from Malta

Over the last decade, Malta has been moving away from a highly centralized and bureaucratic system to one that encourages broader involvement in policy‐making and more collaboration among stakeholders. As a result, educators and schools have greater responsibilities to determine the way forward and to develop schools as learning communities. Whilst the road towards increased collaboration amongst teachers and between the schools in which they work can be a long, arduous and tortuous journey, it can also be a vehicle for positive change and development. This paper explores a theoretical rationale for a teacher‐led approach to school improvement. It then explores the initial collaboration between the author and one local school. It presents the main findings of a strategic analysis undertaken to understand the current situation facing the school. This case study helps to highlight the importance and positive effects behind capacity building and shared leadership.

Durant les 10 dernières années, Malte s'est éloignée d'un système fortement centralisé et très bureaucratique pour tendre vers un système qui encourage un plus grand engagement dans les prises de décisions et plus de collaboration chez les participants. En conséquence, les éducateurs et les écoles ont des responsabilités plus importantes pour déterminer l'avenir à long terme et pour développer les écoles afin qu'elles deviennent des communautés d'apprentissage. Bien que le chemin menant à une collaboration croissante entre les enseignants et les écoles avec lesquelles ils travaillent puisse être long, ardu et tortueux, il est également un véhicule de changement et de développement positif. Cet article explore en premier lieu les raisons théoriques d'une approche où l'amélioration des écoles serait confiée aux enseignants; il étudie ensuite la collaboration initiale entre l'auteur et une école locale. Cet article présente enfin les principaux résultats d'une analyse stratégique entreprise pour comprendre la situation actuelle de l'école. Cette étude de cas aide à mettre en évidence l'importance et les effets positifs de la formation des aptitudes et du partage des responsabilités.

Durante la pasada década, Malta ha pasado de un sistema altamente centralizado y burocrático a otro que fomenta una mayor implicación y una mayor colaboración en materia de política educativa. Como resultado, educadores y escuelas tienen ahora una mayor responsabilidad a la hora de decidir las líneas a seguir por las escuelas y de contribuir al desarrollo de éstas como comunidades de aprendizaje. Si bien es verdad que las nuevas directrices fomentan la colaboración entre profesores y centros y esto supondrá un proceso largo y laborioso, también es cierto que conllevará cambios en positivo y un mayor desarrollo. Este estudio investiga las posibles líneas en que los profesores puedan llevar a cabo una mejora en los centros. Por ello parte de la colaboración inicial entre el autor del estudio y una escuela local. Presenta los resultados más relevantes de un análisis estratégico llevado a cabo para entender la actual situación con que se enfrenta la escuela. Este estudio de casos nos ayuda a valorar la importancia y los efectos positivos que se hallan tras el fomento de capacidades y el liderazgo compartido.

Da in den letzten Jahren die Anforderungen an Schulreformen in Malta gewachsen sind, wird, wie wir feststellen konnten, Qualitätsfragen mehr und mehr Aufmerksamkeit geschenkt. Dementsprechend fördern die Schulämter – dank hauptsächlich zweier politischen Initiativen [der Einführung eines Nationalen Kernlehrplans (NMC, National Minimal Curriculum) und der Schulentwicklungsplanung] – eine Dezentralisierung der Verantwortungsstrukturen, die vor allem die Eigenverantwortung der Lehrer in pädagogischen Entscheidungen stärkt. Der Weg hin zu einer intensiveren Zusammenarbeit unter den Lehrern und zwischen den Schulen, in denen sie arbeiten, war lang, mühsam und umständlich. Gleichwohl kann die Zusammenarbeit ein Vehikel für positive Veränderungen und Entwicklung darstellen. Dieser Artikel untersucht theoretische Grundlagen für einen lehrerzentrierten Ansatz der Schulreform. Anschließend wird die anfängliche Zusammenarbeit zwischen den Autoren dargestellt. Schließlich werden die Hauptergebnisse einer strategischen Analyse vorgestellt, die auf ein besseres Verständnis der aktuellen Situation abzielt, in der sich das Schulwesen befindet. Die vorliegende Fallstudie trägt dazu bei, die Wichtigkeit und die positiven Wirkungen herauszustellen, die von der Stärkung der Eigenverantwortung und von kooperativen Führungsstrukturen ausgehen, und welcher Maßnahmen es hierzu bedarf.     

Elements affecting the development of professional learning communities in schools

This article focuses on the development of professional learning communities (PLCs), which are communities within schools, composed of voluntary participating teachers facilitated by school principals with a specific task to accomplish as part of a larger innovation project. Four PLCs were observed during 3 years by using questionnaires and participatory research. The questionnaires revealed that PLCs differed in their group characteristics, collective learning processes and outcomes. Through participatory research, we explored seven elements affecting the development of PLCs, namely, task perceptions, group composition, tensions between roles, beliefs about alignment, reflective dialogues, socialisation and ownership. Beliefs about alignment, ownership and socialisation had sufficient impact on the development of the PLCs. A case study including two contrasting PLCs indicated interrelations between task perceptions and ownership by members and between ownership and socialisation activities. Regarding implications, this research suggests to explicitly create and facilitate reflective dialogues and ownership over time for PLCs to flourish.     

困境与超越:专业学习共同体下的学习文化构建

专业学习共同体把管理者和教师联结在一起,相互交流,共同学习,以提高专业教学效率,达到学生、教师、学校共同发展的目的。以专业学习共同体为视角审视学校学习文化,发现校长带头学习的示范效应差、教师共同探究与反思的意识不强等问题。要建设学习文化,可以采用强化校长的学习、分享及对教师的支持,促进教师个人和教师团队持续不断地学习,理解和高度关注学生的学习等策略。     

Aggression in primary schools: the predictive power of the school and home environment

In this study, we analyse the predictive power of home and school environment-related factors for determining pupils’ aggression. The multiple regression analyses are performed for fourth- and eighth-grade pupils based on the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2007 (N = 8394) and TIMSS 2011 (N = 9415) databases for Slovenia. At the national level, the Lestvica agresivnosti aggression scale was administered in both TIMSS cycles. For home environment variables, we included those related to socio-economic status, pupils’ educational aspirations, parental activities with their children and pupils’ free time activities. The results show that the variables related to socio-economic status, spare time activities and parental activities are significant predictors. The results differ in both analysed data-sets. For school environment variables, we include those related to the school climate, pupils’ attitudes towards school and school subjects and pupils’ achievement in mathematics. We find that the variables related to school climate and students’ self-confidence are significant predictors. These results are stable in both years. The predictive power of the school characteristics model (including only the school environment variables) is larger (based on the proportion of explained variance) compared with the home characteristics model. The hierarchical linear model of data from 2007 to 2011 shows small differences in aggression between schools. The inclusion of two data cycles collected in two time- periods allows us to observe changes in aggression predictors over time. Practical implications are finally included.     

Measuring the effect of charter schools on public school student achievement in an urban environment: Evidence from New York City

This paper uses student level data from New York City to study the relationship between a public school losing enrollment to charter school competitors and the academic achievement of students who remain enrolled in it. Geographic measures most often used to study the effect of school choice policies on public school student achievement are not well suited for densely populated urban environments. I adopt a direct approach and measure charter school exposure as the percentage of a public school's students who exited for a charter school at the end of the previous year. Depending on model specification, I find evidence that students in schools losing more students to charter schools either are unaffected by the competitive pressures of the choice option or benefit mildly in both math and English.     

Measuring systematic long-term trajectories of school effectiveness improvement

The objective of this study was to identify trajectories of school improvement experienced by Chilean elementary schools over the last decade. Using econometric analysis and controlling for potential confounding factors, we created an index of school performance combining outcome indicators focused on different school dimensions, and estimated the 2002/2010 evolution of school improvement for all Chilean schools with available data. Broadly, we estimated an average increase in the school performance of about 0.19 SD; nevertheless, while 41% of the schools increased their educational performance by at least 0.1 SD, 25% of the schools decreased it during the same period; we also found that improving school effectiveness was more probable among schools with lower student socioeconomic status (SES). Finally, we found that the observed school improvement trajectories tended to be non-linear; thus, we estimated that only 13.4% of the schools improved their performance in a systematic way during the entire decade.     

Creating foundations for collaboration in schools: Utilizing professional learning communities to support teacher candidate learning and visions of teaching

Despite widespread acknowledgment of the power of professional collaboration, the norm in most schools is teachers working in isolation. Our study examined the impact of multiple layers of professional collaboration intentionally integrated into a one-year preservice teacher education program working in two elementary schools. Analysis of 23 teacher candidates' written reflections, focus group interviews, and classroom observations indicated that supported by collaboration with colleagues, they developed the skills and commitment to teach each student for understanding. Based on our research, we propose a shift in teacher education toward collaborative inquiry about teaching and learning within school/university partnerships.     

Providing school-based learning in elementary school mathematics: the case of a professional development school partnership

Abstract

School–university partnerships also known as professional development school (PDS) partnerships provide potential for universities and schools to establish partnerships that can benefit university faculty, school teachers, university students, and school students. This study examines the impact of a PDS partnership in which the author served as a school-based mathematics coach for two years in a high-need elementary school. Data sources included interviews, surveys, and field notes from classroom observations. Inductive qualitative analyses which were situated in a multi-level framework for researching professional development found that teachers posed more cognitively demanding mathematical tasks and high-level questions in year two compared to year one of this project. Further, student achievement was noted on both state-wide and district-created assessments. Also teachers reported that the school-based approach to professional development led to some teachers taking on more informal leadership roles to support their colleagues’ mathematics instruction. Implications for school-based learning opportunities across the world include the need to establish specific university–school partnerships, and carefully designing research studies to examine the impact of these learning opportunities.