Evaluation of curriculum and student learning needs using 360 degree assessment

This research used a 360 degree assessment tool modelled from the competing values framework to assess the curriculum. A total of 100 Master’s of Business Administration students and 746 of their work colleagues completed the 360 degree assessment tool. The students were enrolled in a course on leadership and management. The results of the assessment demonstrated similar patterns of strengths and development needs between the mean self-assessment of the students and those of their work colleagues, although work colleagues tended to assess the students slightly higher. The patterns revealed development needs in soft skills such as conflict management and mentoring, as well as in strategic management and project planning. Gender effects were evident with women needing particular development in competencies related to developing and communicating a vision, setting goals and objectives and designing and organising. The results provide evidence-based approach to assessing curriculum. As many programmes use a variety of assessment tools in their programmes, collecting data across cohorts can be a valuable evidence-based strategy to assess and evaluate curriculum content against real learner needs.     

Diglossic needs of illiterate adult women in Egypt: a needs assessment

In light of the rarity and unavailability of academic publications on literacy/illiteracy in the Arab world, this study attempts to determine the linguistic needs of illiterate adult women in Egypt in the context of informal adult basic education. The purpose of this study is to understand illiterate adult women’s daily linguistic needs in relation to diglossic de‐contextualization in Arabic, the comprehension gap between colloquial and standard Arabic that contributes negatively to the process of reading and writing acquisition in standard Arabic. The present study, based on participatory action research methodology, was conducted in Egypt where 11 adult female literacy classes, five (139 subjects) in Cairo (urban) and six (151 subjects) in Menia (Upper Egypt/Northern Egypt) were group‐interviewed. The results of the group interviews clearly define the functional context of adult female illiteracy (i.e. age and immediate linguistic/literacy needs) and enforce a diglossic dichotomy, entailing ‘reading’ and ‘writing’ categories. If considered by literacy authorities, diglossic integration in adult literacy programmes/curricula will certainly help Egyptian illiterate adult women to integrate easily in their environment, the ultimate goal of all involved in the fight against adult illiteracy in the Arab world.     

Paternal involvement in the statutory assessment of special educational needs

There are manifold benefits of parental involvement in a child’s education, but there is evidence of gender imbalances in parental involvement. This article describes research into fathers’ involvement with educational psychologists (EPs) working with children undergoing statutory assessment. A content analysis of children’s files from one educational psychology service was conducted to assess the level of paternal involvement in EPs’ work, and semi‐structured interviews with eight fathers were used to identify factors that affected their involvement with EPs’ work. Fathers were less involved than mothers, and a number of factors affecting fathers’ involvement was identified. The discussion of findings is informed by Community Psychology, Ecosystemic Theory and the Theory of Planned Behaviour, and strategies to promote paternal involvement are identified.