A whole-school approach to positive behaviour in a girls' secondary school

This article discusses the first cycle of a whole-school behaviour initiative at a girls' secondary school in Malta. The aim of the project was to develop, implement and evaluate a whole-school plan of action which promoted good behaviour and effectively responded to challenging behaviour. A three-day in-service programme at the school led to the development of a plan reached by consensus amongst the whole staff. Once it was negotiated with the students, it was put into practice, with regular and continuous monitoring by the staff and students. An evaluation half-way through the scholastic year, showed a decline in the number of exclusions from school and an overall improvement in students' behaviour. Feedback from staff, senior management and students suggested that there was more positive behaviour at the school following the introduction of the behaviour project. The article examines both the process and the outcome of the first phase of the project and concludes with at attempt to delineate the key processes which made this initiative work.     

Supervising a social science undergraduate dissertation: staff experiences and perceptions

This article reports on a research project that investigated the experiences and perceptions of staff supervising final year social science undergraduates enrolled on a dissertation module in a post-1992 UK university. Using data from semi-structured interviews, the article explores staffs perspectives of the supervision process, the different approaches taken by staff to supervision and the challenges they face in supporting students through the dissertation journey. The paper offers a picture of the dissertation supervisors’ experiences and, it is hoped, will encourage other supervisors to interrogate their own supervision in light of the practice of colleagues.     

Realising the potential for evidence-informed policy and practice in primary schools

This article considers how primary school staff may be supported with developing their capacity for ‘evidence-informed policy and practice’ (EIPP) through partnerships involving academic researchers. It reports on one such partnership, a collaborative research project focused on improving the transition between key stages of the National Curriculum for pupils in the middle years of schooling. A case study of one participating primary school is presented. The headteacher opportunistically capitalised on the unexpected evidence emerging during the project that the vision for the school held by members of the senior management team had not been communicated to other teachers. The headteacher's response was to initiate a management review involving all staff. It is suggested that this sort of approach to collaborative research involving school staff and academic researchers holds great promise as a starting point for many initiatives to strengthen the evidence base informing school policy and practice.     

生物技术专业地方性应用型转型建设研究

以“地方性、应用型”办学定位为指导,以注重内涵、突出优势、强化特色的原则发展专业方向,改革并加强专业发展的重要环节如培养方案、专业课程体系、实习实训平台、应用型师资队伍和教学质量监管等,促进地方性应用型生物技术专业建设和人才培养水平的整体提升.     

The development of schools for all

Abstract

The article contains a support experiment in a series of schools, aimed at making them increasingly inclusive, i.e., capable of responding to all their boys and girls needs. The study follows the school improvement approach in which school assessment does not mean control or supervision but is a previous phase to the introduction of changes which improve how the school operates. The project, promoted by UNESCO, has been undertaken in eight countries located in different continents. In the article, particular emphasis is placed on the importance of each school context and the meaninglessness of attempting to carry out assessment and support processes for the improvement of schools within a totally homogeneous framework. In the project one of the support techniques shown to the teaching staff was the presentation of a series of scenes within schools in very varied countries, providing them with the opportunity to reflect on their practice by comparing it with others.     

What makes for a successful re-integration from a pupil referral unit to mainstream education? An applied research project

A qualitative research project was carried out in order to explore the views of Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) and mainstream school staff regarding the process of re-integration of secondary school age pupils from the PRU to mainstream school. The views of 11 PRU staff members, six mainstream staff members and a member of the Behaviour Support Service were sought through focus groups regarding the re-integration of pupils from the PRU to mainstream education. Thematic Analysis of the data suggested that effective re-integration is perceived to be most successful when particular factors at the child, family, school and systemic levels are in place, such as the child wanting to return to mainstream school, support from and engagement of parents and timely re-integration into a truly inclusive mainstream setting. Suggested developments to improve the process and practice of re-integration in the future were also identified. The implications of the research findings are discussed.     

Working with schools in identifying and overcoming emotional barriers to learning

This paper reports a case study on working closely with a secondary school, to enhance understanding of disruptive behaviour, through the use of bespoke Continuing Professional Development (CPD) materials. This project evolved from the researchers’ previous research on the extent to which teachers believe disruptive pupils can control their behaviour. A notable finding was the sizeable minority of teachers in both primary and secondary schools who appear to be unaware of the psychological underpinnings of disruptive behaviour. That is, that such behaviour frequently communicates unresolved emotional needs, rather than wilful defiance. The current project aims to develop, implement and evaluate CPD resources developed by the researchers, for a one-day staff training day at a secondary school in north England. Prior to training, school staff completed a questionnaire to “audit” their perceptions of disruptive behaviour in school. Following evaluation, the CPD materials will be made available to other schools. It is anticipated that the materials will enable greater mutual understanding and respect for the ways in which disruptive behaviour is perceived by practitioners and school staff. Moreover, they will provide an urgently needed means of facilitating a shared knowledge base and a shared language for addressing emotional barriers to learning.     

The ‘critical friend’ role in fostering reflective practices and developing staff cohesion: A case study in a new secondary school,New Zealand

This exploratory case study, arising from a longitudinal project into the establishment of a new secondary school in New Zealand, examines reflective practice through critical friend roles among staff. The paper describes, through the lens of Bourdieu's logic of practice, the implementation of a critical friendship approach linked to the school leaders’ vision and aim regarding learning within open classroom spaces as part of a modern learning environment. Reflective practice involves critiquing, rethinking and reframing existing professional practices, often through a critical friendship approach among school staff within a fostered collaborative and open culture. The researchers interviewed six participants (four leaders and two teachers), observed how the teaching and learning took place in the new open classroom spaces, and reviewed blog posts and the school's website. Findings reveal that critical friendship, as a way to develop staff cohesion, is fostered and supported by the school leaders’ vision and actions, while the physical geography of the new classroom spaces, and the redesign of learning, also make this easier to enact. Staff cohesion, trust and openness to peer scrutiny are hallmark of this emerging school culture. These emerging findings provide some insights into how one new school culture develops cohesion with its stated vision and mission.     

Que Luchen por sus Intereses (To Fight for Your Interests): Unearthing Critical Counter-Narratives of Spanish-Speaking Immigrant Parents

This article reports on findings from a year-long research project conducted during the 2012–2013 school year in a PK–12 school district, located in the Mountain West region of the United States, utilizing the Photovoice method. The findings in the project point to the important critical counter-narratives Spanish-speaking immigrant parents present to the larger school community when given the opportunity to have their voices and perspectives heard and recorded in written form. The article provides teachers, counselors, administrators, and support staff in schools and school districts with insight into the hopes and aspirations of Spanish-speaking immigrant parents and highlights educational practices that address issues of equity and access, as seen through the eyes of the participants in the study.     

The Selection and Professional Development of Trainers for Initial Teacher Training

Teacher training at school level, and in higher education colleges, is often perceived negatively. This has spurred change in the past decade. At school level there have been efforts to improve the quality of supervision and to achieve more effective liaison with colleges. Colleges have developed new programmes of pre‐service training at a time of low student recruitment, a greying staff and rising staff‐student ratios.     

Outdoor learning: primary pupils' experiences and teachers' interaction in outdoor learning

This paper draws upon research undertaken for the Outdoor Pedagogies project and explores the processes of teaching and learning at one outdoor residential education centre with children and staff from ‘Oliver’ Primary School. Data were collected through ethnographic research and include participant observation, interviews with teachers and centre staff and group interviews with pupils. Whilst the interviewed children reflected positively on the experience, we highlight the importance of the teachers' interaction with the children in providing for democratic, shared positive learning through the presentation of an extreme or ‘critical’ incident. We raise the issue of professional development for school teachers working with primary school children in outdoor, residential situations.     

21世纪初教育督学队伍存在的问题及对策研究

教育督导工作的顺利开展,是以强而有力的督学队伍为基石的,督学在督导工作中起着至关重要的作用．然而,当前督学队伍存在的问题较多,弊端逐步暴露出来,包括部分督学人员政策水平低下、队伍老化、任职要求不高、人员数量不足、工作作风不良、合作交流不够和专业化水平不高等七点不足．这些问题都成为21世纪初教育督导工作的巨大隐患,迫切要求我们加强对这方面的研究,去除这些阻碍督学队伍发展的绊脚石．     

Using insider research in MEd final projects to bridge the theory/practice gap

This paper aims to identify key issues involved in MEd final project supervision and to highlight the potential of supervision from an academic institution to change educational reality through the postgraduate student-teachers’ work-based final project as insider researchers in Israeli schools. It draws on analysis of case-study data from two supervision workshops for student-teachers (Although most students studying for MEd degrees in Israel are teachers or even principals with years of experience of teaching and sometimes management they will be referred to in this paper as student-teachers for uniformity and clarity.) in a master’s degree programme in Educational Leadership. It focuses on data generated from interviews with three supervisees. The paper’s findings highlight the supervision process, indicating stages of this process that assist students to develop their research skills in order to change school reality in different scopes and dimensions and to adopt inquiry as a stance. The student-teachers identify difficulties in schools and motivate and help to implement educational change. In short, the paper provides a model that can potentially enrich practice in the field with knowledge generated by academic research and bridge the gap between theory and practice.     

基于项目设置与监督组织机制因素对城市体育中考的影响分析——以广西城市体育中考调查情况为例

影响城市体育中考现状的因素较多,在对影响广西城市体育中考多项指标深入调查的基础上,重点选取了项目设置与监督组织机制对城市体育中考的影响进行分析.科学设定体育中考项目,统筹提高学生体质和满足学生体育锻炼兴趣之间的关系,规范体育中考监督机制,落实有关规章制度,减少人为操作几率,是解决体育中考存在的问题、完善、促进体育中考发展的对策.     

Changing organizational culture and instructional methods in elementary schools: Perceptions of teachers and professional educational consultants

The present study examines teachers’ perceptions of organizational changes in their elementary schools. These changes occurred following the implementation of a long-term comprehensive school improvement project (CSIP). One hundred and seventy one teachers who taught in six elementary schools located in two different school districts in Israel responded to a questionnaire both before and after a period of 3 years during which they participated in a CSIP. The teachers, assisted by six professional consultants, one in each school, studied cooperative learning as well as new forms of collaborative staff work. The study addressed two primary research questions: What changes in teachers’ perceptions of their schools’ organizational culture emerged from teachers’ participation in the project? How were the professional relationships between the schools’ supervisors and the teachers in the two districts reflected in the teachers’ perception of school organizational changes? Results indicated that teachers in three schools from one district recorded a significant improvement in their perceptions of their schools’ organizational culture at the end of the project, whereas the teachers from the other district indicated either no change, or a significant decline in their evaluation of their schools’ organizational culture. A cross-validation of the teachers’ data was performed through a content analysis of 500 reports written over the course of 2 years, submitted by six external consultants. The analysis yielded four categories: general difficulties to work with the school’s staff, problems implementing the project, teacher resistance, and cancellations of planned meetings. The analysis provided valuable information as to why the teachers from the two districts differed in their reactions to the project.     

Developing collaborative approaches to enhance the professional development of primary mathematics teachers

This research project promoted a collaborative model of professional development between lead teachers from three schools, supported by a project coordinator and a researcher from a local university. Each lead teacher worked with their head teacher to design, lead, and evaluate an innovative, personalised, and school-based mathematics continuing professional development (CPD) programme in their school. University staff helped to facilitate project meetings across the schools and monitored impacts within each school. Professional development meetings, involving all teachers and teaching assistants (TAs) from the schools (n?=?55), were designed to encourage a whole-school approach. The project also provided structured opportunities for the lead teacher to work with colleagues in the classroom, for example, through lesson observation and/or collaborative teaching. The outcomes from this project confirmed that collaborative models of CPD, as opposed to transmission, formal training, and ‘top-down’ models, were welcomed by teachers and head teachers – some of whom reported early indications of improvements in student performance. Commenting on what constitutes the most effective forms of CPD, there was a reiteration of the importance of combining peer and external support through a collaborative process.     

Information Technology Classrooms and Elementary School Principals' Roles: Turkish Experience

The aim of this research is to explore what elementary school principals' roles related to IT classrooms were, and how school principals perceived their roles as well as what expected from them. This research was conducted in a small city situated in the west Black Sea region of Turkey. Seventeen schools with information technology classrooms were selected for this research. The participants in this study included seventeen school principals and fifteen computer coordinators. One central office computer coordinator and a regional representative participated in the study as key informants. The primary sources of data included semi-structured interviews and official documents. The self-reported IT related roles of Turkish elementary school principals included facilitation, staff development, and communication. The expected roles, on the other hand, included leadership (instructional and technological leadership), supervision, communication, staff development, planning, coordination, public relation, empowerment, ethics, and security.     

Promoting staff support in schools: Solution Circles

The Solution Circle (SC) approach is a flexible tool which encourages participants to maintain a positive, creative approach to problem-solving. This project focussed on the introduction of this approach to staff in a primary and a secondary school. The rationale was to implement a problem-solving/discussion tool that would allow staff to utilise expertise present within the school before looking to outside agencies for support. In both schools staff participants reported positively about the process, highlighting its potential use to promote the inclusion of pupils with a wide range of needs.