Supervision to enhance educational and vocational guidance practice: A review

Supervision to support the work of career practitioners is evident in many countries, but is not universal. This author presents a literature review, intending to emphasise the prime importance of developing supervision for guidance work. The author also considers the issues facing those training to develop the role of supervisors in southeast England. It is hoped the issues discussed will be pertinent for educational and vocational guidance services in other countries where supervision is a marginal or developing activity.     

School inspections in low- and middle-income countries: Explaining impact and mechanisms of impact

Many efforts to implement and improve school inspections have been modelled on examples from high-income countries, and many studies on the effectiveness of such systems have also only been carried out in these countries. However, local contexts in low- and middle-income countries are very different from those in developed countries, and findings about the effectiveness of school inspections from Western studies are therefore not easily transferable to low- and middle-income countries. Existing literature portrays complex and varied links amongst governance context, policy, design of accountability systems, mechanisms of impact and school outcomes that make translation of conditions across studies challenging. This paper presents the results of a systematic review about the conditions under which school inspections lead to improvement in schools and to positive learning outcomes for schoolchildren in low- and middle-income countries, especially the poorest and most marginalised.     

Looking back to look forward: M��ori cultural values and the impact on career

The career stories of 22 M??ori in this study expressed the dynamic cultural contexts in which career processes have been enacted. A new typology of cultural career identities was developed focusing on diversity among M??ori on issues pertaining to what being M??ori means to them and the subsequent influence on participants?? career stories. The three types presented in this study provide a template from which to begin discussions on the intersection between culture and career.     

The views of primary pupils on school attendance at Key Stage 2 in Wales

This paper provides new empirical evidence on primary pupils’ views on school attendance in Wales at Key Stage 2. The research was conducted as part of the specific evidence commissioned by the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) for the National Behaviour and Attendance Review (NBAR) in Wales which was chaired by the lead author. The findings indicate that nearly every child and young person who participated in the specially convened focus groups, in practically every setting, had a good awareness of the benefits of attending school regularly. They were all acutely aware of the potential consequences of non‐attendance both within their current setting and as it could potentially affect their later chances in life. They also understood the law regarding school attendance. They were clear about the attendance regulations within their own school settings. They were however, particularly concerned about bullying in all its forms, the use of supply teachers and “boring” teaching styles. Rewards for good attendance were generally appreciated. The implications of the findings are considered. This paper is the first of its kind to be undertaken in Wales and in the field of school attendance and opens up considerable possibilities for further research.     

Improving Teaching in Higher Education: Student and teacher perspectives

Using a phenomenological approach, the study sets out to discover whether it can derive a concept of good teaching from a group of university lecturers and the extent to which it compares and contrasts with a corresponding student concept of good teaching. The subjects were all mature adults, usually postgraduate, and often practising professionals with a wide experience of the university system. A single concept of what the students thought of as good teaching, and two categories ('pre-existing' and 'reflective') of what the teachers thought of as good teaching were developed. The extent to which these concepts overlap-and fail to overlap even after reflection-is used to discuss the importance of developing appropriate metacognitive strategies in human adult learning so that each group (teachers and learners) becomes more aware of what the other is attempting to do. The importance of out-of-class behaviours is seen as particularly valuable in this respect.