Towards an operationalized and effective school self-evaluation system: An ongoing action research study in Chinese secondary schools since 2011

School self-evaluation (SSE) is an effective mechanism that helps schools to put in place strategies to improve an aspect of school quality. By implementing an action research study of SSE in 24 Chinese secondary schools across seven cities since 2011, the present study generalizes and proposes an operationalized and effective SSE system to illustrate how to operationalize SSE effectively. The system was developed in three essential parts: (a) constructing the measurement model of SSE, which included identifying the framework and indicators to determine the primary evaluation contents, and designing operational evaluation modules to apply SSE indicators to school practices and integrate them into routine school operations; (b) establishing a cooperation mechanism between internal SSE groups and external “facilitative friends” to conduct SSE with different roles allocated; and (c) summarizing detailed implementation procedures and key strategies to implement a cyclical, regular and sustainable SSE process step by step.     

具临界Sobolev指标的奇异椭圆方程在RN上解的存在性

文章克服了无界域上嵌入Hr1(RN)→L2*(RN)的非紧性困难及μ≠0时解的奇性问题,运用没有(PS)c条件的山路引理证明了一类具有临界Sobolev和Hardy指标的椭圆型方程的非平凡解的存在性问题.     

Seven keys for implementing the self-evaluation,periodic evaluation and accreditation (AVA) method,to improve quality and student satisfaction in the Italian higher education system

This paper develops a theoretical framework that could facilitate the application of the Autovalutazione, Valutazione periodica, Accreditamento (AVA) method in Italian universities, trying to simplify the use of this approach, and to cover the existing gap between Italy and others European academic institutions. The new competitive environment in the academic system has created a reality where customers compare the ‘knowledge value’ that they are likely to receive in each academic institution. Quality in education is nowadays fundamental and student satisfaction is one of its main dimensions. There is an emphasis on service that meets the students’ needs and expectations, problem-solving processes based on facts, feedback systems and statistical methods and improvement of processes and systems by collaboration and involvement. Starting from 2013, all Italian universities are obliged by law to adopt the AVA method [Self-Evaluation, Periodic Evaluation and Accreditation], a system of activities carried out by the National Agency for the Evaluation of Universities and Research Institutes (ANVUR).     

Drivers for student and parent voice in school self-evaluation activities: A cross-country analysis of Flanders (Belgium), Ireland and Portugal

School self-evaluation (SSE) has become a key strategy in terms of safeguarding educational quality. In order to reach its full potential, it is argued that parents and students should be given a role in an SSE process, as they can help understand the complex environment in which schools operate. However, little is known about how different education systems include parent and student voice in SSE activities, and what driving factors at the individual, system and organisational level can foster this. This study reports on an international survey among school management team members in Flanders (Belgium), Ireland and Portugal. The results show statistically significant differences between countries in terms of parent and student voice in SSE. In particular, driving factors at the system and organisational level are found to explain differences in parent and student voice inclusion in SSE. The paper discusses the implications for researchers, policymakers, and the field of practice.     

Diversity in Basic Education in South Africa: intersectionality and Critical Diversity Literacy

The notion of essentialised racial difference was a keystone of apartheid education which served to cement white supremacy in South Africa. More recently there is a need for socially-just education that requires a robust analytical orientation in interrogating power, privilege and difference. Therefore this article engages the following questions: What are the philosophical, epistemological and pedagogical underpinnings of diversity in education in South Africa?; and What is the possible role of diversity literacy in fostering an active and participatory citizenship in the years ahead? We engage conceptually with the understanding of diversity in education in South Africa, followed by the presentation of a framework – Critical Diversity Literacy (CDL) – and a series of curricular questions emerging from this framework that might be pedagogically useful when engaging issues of power, privilege and difference in teacher training. CDL potentially addresses the weaknesses in previous approaches to engaging with issues of diversity in education and offers grounded, contemporary, and authentic opportunities for decolonising classroom content and practice.     

Critical Religious Education (CRE) in practice: evaluating the reception of an introductory scheme of work

Critical Religious Education (CRE) is a contemporary pedagogy of religious education developed by Andrew Wright and various colleagues over the past two decades. There has been widespread academic discourse about the pedagogy in theory but increasingly commentators have called for examples of it in practice. Over the past seven years a writing group associated with The Forum of Religious and Spiritual Education at King’s College London have been developing practical materials aimed at supporting teachers in embedding the pedagogy in practice. Of particular relevance to this paper is the development of an introductory scheme of work, aimed at year 7 students, which has been trialled in a number of schools in and around London. In 2013, focus group interviews took place in four of these schools in order to ascertain the reception that the materials had received. The data suggests a very positive response to the introductory scheme of work and the CRE approach in general, partially dispelling some criticisms levelled at it in academic discourse. The author has thus suggested that the approach and the work of the writing group need further exposure, especially in schools, at conferences and on initial teacher education programmes.     

Complexity and then some: Theories of action and theories of learning in data-informed decision making

This article presents a synthesis of the complexity of using data in education and highlights some of the promise and challenges of adequately understanding data use across the continuum of accountability to instructional influence in the classroom. Several common themes around the complexity of data use were identified: (1) The nature of the data used, (2) the importance and difficulty of educator data capacity building and sense-making, (3) the importance of characteristics of collaboration, (4) the influence of contextual factors of schools, districts and international settings, (5) the potential negative influence of data use in equity considerations, and (6) the difficulty of determining impact of data use and discerning explanations of why data use initiative work some of the times were examined across the articles. This synthesis concludes with a call for an approach to research in data use in education that concurrently engages multiple aspects of the educational system with a focus on multiple levels of theories of learning that address students, teachers, and organizations.     

Facilitating action research: reflections on the challenges and opportunities faced by a doctoral researcher engaged in education for sustainable development

ABSTRACT

Many universities have signed international and national declarations that have publicly committed them to embed sustainability within education, research, outreach and management operations. To date, research has focused on examples of good practice and case studies. Little research exists that has looked at the change process itself. This paper is based on a doctoral study conducted at the University of Southampton in which a doctoral student was engaged as a facilitator and critical friend for a period of more than one and a half years working with a group of staff and students trying to embed sustainability within the institution. In this paper, evidence is provided on the impact and contributions made by the critical friend and facilitator role, and reflections presented on the challenges and opportunities the doctoral researcher encountered during the research.     

Institutional racism and anti-racism in teacher education: perspectives of teacher educators

This paper focuses on the issue of institutional racism in the Irish education system. Drawing on insights from Critical Race Theory, the views of a sample of teacher educators in the Republic of Ireland were sought in relation to the existence of institutional racism in the Irish post-primary system and the extent to which anti-racism permeates teacher education programmes. Findings suggest the need for a form of deep engagement with anti-racism issues in the education of student teachers and the difficulties of doing so in the current structure of the Postgraduate Diploma in Education.     

Conceptualisations of multicultural education among teachers: Implications for practice in universities and schools

This study examined teachers' conceptualisations of multicultural education (MCE) within the setting of a laboratory school affiliated with a university campus in south eastern USA. This unique setting provided the researchers with an opportunity to study multiculturalism as a whole-school construct and in terms of how universities teach multicultural education. The analysis of data collected from a school-wide survey and group interviews with teachers revealed a) the importance of how language is used in teachers' conceptualisations of MCE, b) patterns of congruence and divergence in these conceptualisations and c) the implications of these conceptualisations for the teaching of MCE in universities and its implementation as school-wide practice.     

Dimensions of student success: a framework for defining and evaluating support for learning in higher education

ABSTRACT

The capabilities students need for success during and beyond higher education extend far beyond specific discipline skills to include the development of productive mindsets, the management of life circumstances and the way they relate to others and identify with their profession. The provision of support for these capabilities at university can be both diverse in scope and diffuse in delivery. Consequently, the development of streamlined and integrated evaluation strategies to measure the extent to which these capabilities are being successfully delivered can be challenging. This paper describes how one Australian university used a collaborative process to design an evaluation framework for student learning services. The framework, a first for this university, represents the breadth of student support, including a typology of support for learning: connectedness, mindsets, self-management, professional identity and academic capabilities. These terms, coined as dimensions, form the scaffold of university-wide delivery of support for learning initiatives.     

我国幼儿园师资保障质量评估与提升策略

本研究以来自全国5省区的100所幼儿园为样本,采用中国学前教育研究会编制的《走向优质——中国幼儿园教育质量评价标准》中的“师资保障”子标准,运用描述性统计分析、多因变量方差分析和多元回归分析等方法,对当前我国幼儿园师资保障质量进行评价。结果显示,我国幼儿园师资保障质量总体上不容乐观,其中,工资待遇质量较差,能力建设和师资配备质量一般,只有教师伦理质量较好。不同性质幼儿园的师资配备和能力建设质量差异显著,城乡幼儿园的工资待遇质量差异显著。师资保障质量中的能力建设、教师伦理和工资待遇质量对课程促进质量具有显著影响,其中能力建设质量的影响最大。为了提升幼儿园师资保障质量,应依法保障教师工资待遇,使公办园教师逐步实现同工同酬;在提高师幼比及在场师幼比,优化教师职称结构;应加强教师培训量化管理,保证培训的针对性和实效性;对教师的激励与评价应契合教师需要,为其专业发展提供方向和动力。     

Preventing violent extremism: Resourcing,stakeholder strategies and fostering belonging and connection in Australian schools

Countering violent extremism (CVE) continues to be a topic of national and international concern as well as media interest. In the field of CVE, educational institutions have an important role to play, but precisely how educators and policymakers should best respond to extremism within schools remains unclear. This article draws on interviews with multiple stakeholders implementing a small-scale nationally funded grant in Australian schools to guard against behaviours leading to violent extremism through developing restorative justice (RJ) practices. In foregrounding their accounts, we draw attention to the complexity of negotiating the CVE space by resisting dominant narratives that could be considered ‘exaggerations’ regarding both the manifestations of and motivations behind violent or extreme student behaviour. To conclude, we highlight how—in important ways—the money and resourcing allocated for CVE in local settings simply recycles what are already established to be best practices for fostering belonging and connection in schools, particularly in socio-economically disadvantaged communities.     

The role played by grandparents in family support and learning: considerations for mainstream and special schools

The twenty‐first century family faces many demographic changes. Despite this, the importance of intergenerational relationships remains. This article initially reviews the literature surrounding the role that grandparents play in their children's families, highlighting a growing body of research demonstrating the important support role that grandparents play in the lives of families with non‐disabled children. In contrast, there is limited research on the role played by and support needs of grandparents to families with disabled children. Recognising the significance of ‘family’ rather than purely ‘parent’‐based partnerships in UK schools, this article considers the role and importance of grandparents in schools; in particular, intergenerational learning, and how schools can begin to include grandparents and also provide support to meet grandparents' own support needs. Despite a limited literature on schools working specifically with grandparents of children with SEN, some policy and practice issues are discussed and areas for future consideration suggested.     

Capacity for (quality) instruction: a framework for understanding the use of resources to promote teaching and learning in schools

Abstract

The inception of no-fee schools and a school-fee exemption policy has become a contentious issue but also an exciting one for school managers in South Africa. Managers opposed to the policy have cited amongst others things, academic standards dropping, as well as parents who can afford to pay jumping on the bandwagon and refusing to pay. While the advocates for no-fee schools argue that it is not only a moral obligation for the authorities to ensure that every child is able to get basic education, it is also a basic human right. Notwithstanding these contrasting views, an overwhelming majority (62%) of the purposively sampled principals of public schools in the Free State Province expressed relief and agreement with this decision to declare poor school nofee schools. This article, therefore, intends to explore not only the background to the policy but also the possible impact of this decision on overall school performance as perceived by the school principals.     

新《课程要求》与大学英语教师的角色转换

新《课程要求》顺应当今社会对大学英语人才的要求，体现的不仅是教学活动或教学手段的改变，更重要的是教学观念和教师角色的转换。在新《课程要求》所倡导的以学生为中心、培养学生语言综合应用能力以及自主学习能力的新型教学模式下，教师角色转换的重要标志是教师更新教育观念，为学生提供心理支持和技术支持。     

Professional learning community process in the United States: conceptualization of the process and district support for schools

Abstract

As the Professional Learning Community (PLC) process becomes embedded within schools, the level of district support has a direct impact on whether schools have the ability to re-culture and sustain highly effective collaborative practices. The purpose of this article is to share a professional learning community conceptual framework from the US, and to highlight recent findings relating to district level support for the PLC process in schools. The professional learning community conceptual model is organized around five dimensions: shared and supportive leadership, shared values and vision, collaborative learning and application, shared personal practice, and supportive conditions. The overarching question guiding this qualitative research study is: How do school district personnel (central office staff) support schools in the professional learning community process? Findings reveal the importance of transformative and proactive district involvement, and the use of transparency, trust, accountability, and autonomy in school re-culturing. It was also found that developing leadership capacity, embedding professional development, and focusing the culture on student success were critically important. As districts provide support for the PLC dimensions and themes, school leaders will have a foundation of curricular strategies, collaborative skills, and necessary resources to serve teachers and students through continuous school improvement.     

Pilot study for the fidelity,acceptability, and effectiveness of a PBIS program plus mental health supports in under‐resourced urban schools

This paper describes implementation (fidelity, perceived acceptability) and tier 1 and Tier 2 outcomes of school‐wide positive behavior interventions and supports approach including mental health supports at Tier 2 in two K‐8 urban schools. Interventions for Tier 2 consisted of three manualized group cognitive behavioral therapy (GCBT) protocols for externalizing behavior problems, depression, and anxiety. Tier 1 and Tier 2 interventions were implemented with fidelity but program feasibility for Tier 2 was in question because school personnel needed a great deal of external support to implement the interventions. Tier 1 interventions were associated with a decrease in office discipline referrals. Students participating in GCBT showed a significant decrease in mental health diagnostic severity at posttreatment. A discussion of perceived and actual implementation barriers and how they were addressed is provided. Implications for practice in low‐income urban schools are discussed.     

Activity theory: a framework for understanding multi-agency working and engaging service users in change

This article discusses the quality of professional relationships between educational psychologists (EPs) and other professionals who work around children, young people and their families as part of a multi-agency team (MAT). The perceived barriers to, and facilitators of, effective multi-agency working are explored in relation to their potential impact upon the process of engaging service users in change. The actions that take place within a MAT are analysed from the systemic perspective of sociocultural activity theory (AT), and supported by examples drawn from behaviour and education support teams (BESTs). The implications for professional practice are discussed.     

Variability analysis for effectiveness and improvement in classrooms and schools in upper secondary education in Slovenia: Assessment of/for Learning Analytic Tool

From 1995, data on students' achievement in schools (i.e., teacher's grades) and all data on achievement in the 5-subject group certificate – the Matura exam – have been systematically gathered for the entire yearly cohort of students in upper secondary education in Slovenia. This paper describes an on-line data selection system and data analysis tool designed for national subject testing committees, schools, and teachers as feedback for analyses of effectiveness, for the improvement of teaching in the classroom and for better learning. The use of data to influence teacher planning of future instructional activities for new groups of students (or for adjustment of policies) can in the long run lead to systematic improvement. This might be considered a secondary level of formative assessment – a key step in a continuous PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) process to establish and assure the quality of education.