Assessing irreversibility of an E-Government project in Kenya: Implication for governance

This paper offers an exploratory analysis into the relationship between E-Government conceptualization and its intended impacts. By combining three independent research streams of technology transfer, information technology conceptualization and impacts, the expected national impacts of E-Government were theorized to influence how policy makers and implementers in developing countries conceptualize E-Government. The paper utilizes a qualitative research approach that is underpinned by critical realist assumptions. Actor–Network Theory was used as the meta-theory for the analysis. The findings point to a thinly-veiled control agenda by the Central Government bid to extend their control over local authorities through E-Government. The process of building an E-Government infrastructure is unfolding in an environment in which local actors' interests are weakly inscribed, while interests of the global actors are strongly inscribed. The overall implication is a trend in which the Central Government is enhancing bureaucratization through managerialization.     

Inclusivity and diversity in early childhood services in South Africa

There are unresolved tensions between achieving inclusivity and maintaining diversity in early childhood services in South Africa. While there have been substantial and impressive attempts to develop a comprehensive early childhood development policy as part of the new education planning in South Africa, there is a concern that indigenous traditions may be overlooked or lost in the process. Early childhood services, both governmental and those supported by non‐governmental organizations, have relied heavily,’ if not exclusively, on concepts and curricula drawn from Anglo‐American traditions. In order to illustrate these points this paper draws on material collected as part of a recent review of early childhood services in South Africa carried out for the Save the Children Fund.     

Teachers’ knowledge and confidence for promoting positive mental health in primary school communities

This paper reports an investigation into Australian primary school teachers’ knowledge and confidence for mental health promotion. Questionnaires were delivered to 1397 teachers. In-depth interviews were held with 37 teachers. Quantitative results showed that half to two thirds of teachers felt efficacious and knowledgeable about selected components of mental health promotion. Independent judgments by staff about students’ mental health status concurred with students’ scores on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire in about 75% of cases, indicating a good level of staff awareness about students’ mental health status. Exposure to the KidsMatter Primary mental health promotion initiative was associated with improvements in teachers’ efficacy, knowledge and pedagogy, with small to medium effect sizes. Qualitative analysis indicated that teachers’ subject-matter and pedagogical knowledge were heavily reliant on curriculum resources. Implications of the findings for the implementation of school-based mental health promotion initiatives are discussed.     

Bridging the Gap Between Degree Programme Curricula and Employability Through Implementation of Work-related Learning

This article investigates the gap between employers' requirements of graduates and the skills which graduates are furnished with through degree programmes in the higher education (HE) sector in the UK. A survey of 88 subject review reports prepared by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) for environmentally related units in the UK showed little emphasis on employability issues. Surveys of first destination statistics of a cohort of graduates from two biological degrees and from national data showed that a significant proportion of graduates were in non-science-based activities. The non-knowledge-based learning outcomes from one degree were investigated, and showed that employability aspects were partially covered in the programme, but were not always associated with secure assessments. The concept of work-related learning is defined and a conceptual framework for HE practitioners is presented that could be used when designing curricula to better map programme learning outcomes onto graduate employment.     

Teacher job satisfaction: lessons from the TSW Pathfinder Project

Government policy assumes that modernization and remodelling will be effective as external intervention mechanisms to improve job satisfaction. Based on data collected as part of the evaluation of the ‘Transforming the School Workforce Pathfinder Project’, an argument is presented here which suggests that internal management models may be more effective in improving teacher job satisfaction. By comparing the responses of teachers within primary and special schools with those from secondary schools, internal factors are identified which may be more relevant than externally imposed measures.     

Learners with behavioural,emotional and social difficulties’ experiences of reintegration into mainstream education

Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties (BESD) are a significant impediment to effective teaching and learning in England and Wales. Initiatives such as in-school Learning Support Units (LSUs) and off-site Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) aim to address BESD through short-term individualised learning programmes, followed by mandatory reintegration into mainstream education. This reintegration often fails due to post-reintegration regression contributed to poor-to-fit behaviour. The aim of the study was to analyse and describe the reintegration experiences of learners with BESD, followed by a resilience-based reintegration programme to aid policy makers and practitioners with the reintegration into mainstream education of learners with BESD. A qualitative research approach with a generic phenomenological enquiry within an interpretivist-constructivist paradigm was followed. A total of 13 learners with BESD from the London Borough of Waltham Forest and between the ages of 11 to 14 participated through completion of sentences and a life essay. Of the learner participants, four were invited to participate in unstructured interviews, alongside professionals with an interest in the reintegration of learners. Parents of the participants were asked to complete qualitative questionnaires and teachers were asked to respond to questions via email. In all, three main themes were identified: promotive and risk emotional experiences, promotive and risk relationship experiences and promotive and risk experiences based on the reintegration processes. The findings support guidelines for developing resilience-based reintegration programmes that include developing emotional competence, developing promotive relationships and implementing promotive reintegration practices.     

Reviews

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