Centralized Education System Research Articles

The role of lead teachers in instructional leadership: A case study of environmental learning in South Africa

AbstractSouth Africa has a fairly centralised education system with a national curriculum. To expect that its instructional guidance system will be formal and centralised is thus not far-fetched. For the most part, that is indeed the case with most curriculum leadership vested formally in the various education specialists located at the national, provincial and district levels. Environmental Education (EE), however, is one area of learning that bucks the trend, where instructional guidance seems to be mostly decentralised to the schools and teachers. This article presents two qualitative case studies that illustrate the role of lead teachers in curriculum leadership for EE in primary schools. The cases suggest that instructional leadership is first and foremost a distributed practice that involves not only leaders in formal positions. Second, that in spite of the centralized education system in South Africa, instructional leadership may be decentralised to the schools in some of the subjects such as EE. T...

Policies and problems of online higher education in China: what we can learn from the development of “internet colleges”

PurposeThe relatively short history of internet colleges in China offers a glimpse of the potential of online education in the country and also reveals many of the problems involved in institutionalizing online education in an established system. This paper aims to present the development of online higher education in China by reviewing the development of “internet colleges”, examine the unique features of online higher education and the challenges it faces, and discuss the future directions of online higher education in China.Design/methodology/approachBy reviewing major policies on online education in China and the development of “internet colleges” in the past two decades, this paper reviews the development of online higher education in China.FindingsThe development of online higher education in China has unique features: central control and the support from learning support centers affiliated with “internet colleges”. To further develop online higher education in China, it has to address two major challenges it is facing now: perceived low quality and prestige, and limited opportunities for international collaboration. Some of the problems are universal, such as quality assurance and the perception of quality and prestige. Some are unique to China, such as the direct involvement of the Ministry of Education in setting guidelines and regulations about online educational programs (though similar problems could arise in other centralized education systems where the government, rather than the market and the public, plays a major role).Originality/valueThe vast educational market in China and the potential of online education also present interesting opportunities for foreign higher education institutions.

Teacher perspectives of school-based assessment in a secondary school in Kuala Lumpur

School-based assessment is a new policy venture in the highly centralised education system of Malaysia. One area that has been subjected to this change initiative is the Oral English Assessment (OEA). A qualitative study was conducted to explore teacher perspectives of the implementation of school-based OEA among the Form 1 (Year 7) students in a secondary school. Semi-structured interviews were conducted on two English Language teachers and their oral English assessment sessions were observed. Data were coded, clustered, and categorized into themes. Analysis indicated that both teachers generally agreed that school-based assessment is the way forward in assessment provided the fundamentals are in place. Issues such as grading guidelines and implementation procedures must be ironed out before successful implementation can happen. Cross-case analysis revealed three major themes: insufficient guidelines on the implementation process, lack of teachers’ knowledge base, and lack of external monitoring of school-based OEA. The inherent implication of the themes is that greater attention is required in the implementation of educational policies with effective alignment of the relevant tools. School-based assessment, teacher competency, policy implementation, Malaysia

Educational decision making in a centralised system: the case of Greece

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the decision‐making process in the Greek education system, as an indicator of the design and implementation of educational policy.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses a case study approach to identify limitations in educational decision making in Greece. Specifically, it examines the case of the decision‐making process that led to the establishment of All‐Day primary schools in the country.FindingsThe decision to establish All‐Day schools was not based on collaboration among stakeholders. Due to the centralisation of the Greek educational system, important decisions are made at the level of the Ministry of Education. Moreover, it appears that the central educational administration did not follow a specific action programme for the establishment and operation of All‐Day schools.Practical implicationsThe findings indicate that policy proposals for educational reform in Greece are controlled by a small group of bureaucrats. This results in a decision‐making process that fails to take into account the interests of different stakeholders and broader societal needs.Originality/valueThis paper attempts to explore the limitations of a centralised education system in relation to decision making and the formulation of educational policy. It takes a critical approach to present practices in an attempt to improve educational decision making in Greece.

Goals, components, and factors considered in university development

It is generally known that the general goals of universities are to produce high-quality graduates for the job market, to continuously advance the frontier of knowledge in all the disciplines, and ultimately to advance human civilization. There can, however, be numerous specific goals which differ from one university to the other. Whatever it is, in order to achieve the desired goals, universities need to design a realistic strategic development plan, which must include, among others, the important logistical components and factors of university development. In Malaysia, little is known about university development planning process as a subject area. Annual reports and calendars published by universities do not provide sufficient information about the elements and aspects of high priorities in their strategic development plan. As such, we decided to conduct a study on eleven (11) foremost public universities in Malaysia—a country with a centralized education system—in order to examine the goals, components, and factors considered by university top-management in planning university development. We administered a checklist to 296 respondents, comprising deputy vice-chancellors or deputy rectors, registrars, deans, and directors. The checklist required the respondents to rate the consideration level on a scale of 1 (least considered) to 5 (highly considered) for each of the items on goals, components, and factors. This article reports the main findings of our study. Among other things, the most obvious result revealed by the study was that universities were very concerned with the relevancy of academic programs offered and their performance in research. It was rather surprising, however, that the top-management of public universities in Malaysia placed the goal of providing quality infrastructure and facilities at the lowest ranking. Also, this study revealed that the government, as a factor, exerted its prominence only in terms of university budget and research grants and the execution of some policies of national interest, but university expansion and development was largely driven by the university organization itself, i.e., on where, what, and how it wants to expand and grow. In this regard, public universities in Malaysia still enjoy a large degree of academic autonomy and a strong support by the government.

What does citizenship mean? Social studies teachers' understandings of citizenship in Singapore schools

One of the challenges of teaching citizenship is that it can be understood in a variety of quite different ways. Singapore has a centralized education system, where political leaders wield direct influence over citizenship education. Social studies is a major vehicle for citizenship education, with a focus on nation‐building. The official discourse on citizenship, while clearly articulated, has still to be implemented by teachers. In a context made complex by globalizing forces, how do teachers understand citizenship? This article reports on social studies teachers' understandings of citizenship in Singapore schools. The study utilized a qualitative case study approach of eight teachers to provide depth and insight into their understanding. Findings revealed four themes, namely identity, participation, awareness of the nation's past, and thinking citizenry, located within the nationalistic, socially concerned and person oriented stances. This reflected a citizenship education landscape in Singapore that, despite tight controls, was not rigid, prescriptive or homogenous.

Nation Building, Democratization and Globalization as Competing Priorities in Ukraine's Education System*

One of the greatest challenges currently facing the new states in Central and Eastern Europe is educational reform. After obtaining independence in the early 1990s, these states were confronted with the immense task of transforming an outdated centralized education system, which was aimed at delivering a loyal communist workforce, into a modern system that would be much more responsive to consumer demands and would recognize and further individual talent. The immensity of the undertaking lies in the fact that three discourses make simultaneous demands on the education system: nation building, democratization and globalization.

Teacher autonomy and centralised control: The case of textbooks

Abstract This paper analyses teachers’ attitudes towards the use of textbooks as a means of understanding what happens in a heavily centralised education system. Whilst the research is based on a particular country, the lessons can be applied to many parts of the globalised education system. The research question here is to find out whether the teachers have freedom in varying their teaching methods or not. The main research method used was semi-structured interviews. The factors that decide this freedom are discussed in detail. Whilst the particular circumstances are peculiar to Jordan, they can be likened to the centralised national curriculum and an authoritative inspection regime in the UK.

The Compliance Tradition and Teachers' Instructional Decision-Making in a Centralised Education System: A Case Study of Junior Secondary Geography Teaching in Changchun, China

This paper reports a case study of how junior secondary geography teachers in Changchun, China, planned and delivered their lessons. From the observation and interview data, it was found that teachers in the China mainland were strongly influenced by a compliance culture and uncertainty avoidance stance. It is argued that these cultural traits among teachers have significant implications on the implementation of the present wave of curriculum reform that encourages teachers to adapt curriculum for their students.

From centralization to decentralization in Chinese higher education

Since the late 1970’s, the Chinese government has been gradually changing its traditional policy for providing higher education and has begun to emphasize the comprehensiveness of the universities. Interdisciplinary cooperation and the synergization of resources are being promoted, and institutional autonomy is gradually increasing. Schools and faculties have been restored in universities, and new research institutions, research schools, research centers and the like have been established. From a unitary three-level model— university/department/ teaching and research group—before the reform, the organizational structures of the universities have developed a new organizational structure that is more flexible and more open. This more adaptable structure is intended to meet the developmental demands of modern universities with close links being created between their work and regional economic and social development. China has moved from a very centralized educational system in which the main decisions were taken by the central government to a decentralized educational system. This reform is also taking place within the institutions of higher education, and their internal organizational structure has also become more decentralized.

Parent?School Partnership Formation through the School Council in Korea

Official involvement of parents in school education has been very limited until recently within the highly centralized educational administration and school management system in Korea. But, the educational reform in 1995 has brought fundamental changes in educational administration and school management system of Korea. The main approach of the reform is decentralization, which tries to turn over the power of the central government in educational administration and school management to the hands of regional education offices and site schools. According to the reform, the school council was introduced to enforce autonomous and responsible school-based management through broad participation of various stakeholders of education. In this article, I examined the background, roles, and characteristics of the school council, focusing on the new pattern of parent–school participation formation. And based on the findings, I discussed the issues of parents’ participation and future prospects of the school council and suggested policy implications for better implementation of parent–school partnership through the school council.

Class Size and Eighth-Grade Math Achievement in the United States and Abroad

Using data from the Third International Math and Science Study (TIMSS), we examine the relationship between class size and eighth-grade math achievement in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Korea, Iceland, Singapore, and the United States. Class sizes tend to be greater and more homogenous in centralized education systems compared with those in decentralized systems. The United States seems to be unique among the countries in our study. After controlling for possible confounding characteristics of the teacher, school, and classroom, in no other country than the United States did we find a beneficial effect of small classes. Contrary to our expectations, we also found little evidence that smaller or larger classes differ in the amount of curriculum taught or in the instructional practices of teachers. Except for the case of Hong Kong, neither curricular coverage nor instructional practices mediates the relationship between class size and math achievement.

Teachers’ receptivity to a proposed system‐wide educational change

This study investigates teacher receptivity to a proposal to relocate Year 7 primary classes to secondary schools in the Western Australia Catholic school system. The proposal has not yet either been formally promulgated to schools, parents and students or adopted by the Catholic Education Commission. A general model of teacher receptivity to a major planned change in a centralised education system, during the adoption stage, was used to guide the study. The dependent variable, receptivity, was measured in two aspects ‐ an evaluative attitude and behaviour intentions. Three independent variables, general beliefs about the secondary school and perceived readiness to leave primary school, perceived practicality of the change, and the perception that fears and concerns associated with the change will be alleviated, were measured. The environment in which teachers work was measured through the teacher (age, gender, experience, area of expertise and school size) and the school (primary or secondary, size and location), as situation variables, related to the independent variables. Receptivity was found to be strongly and positively related to the perceived practicality of the change and moderately, positively related to perceived readiness of Year 7 students for secondary school. The results are combined with other studies to provide advice to educational administrators about how to adopt and manage this proposed change.

Understanding teachers′ receptivity to system‐wide educational change

Reports the results of a qualitative, cross‐sectional study involving a survey of 549 teachers′ perceptions of the Unit Curriculum system in 22 metropolitan state senior high schools in Perth, Western Australia, in the context of system‐wide change, within a centralized educational system. Surveyed perceptions of six general variables applied to the specific case of the Unit Curriculum system. These variables are: perceived cost benefit to the teacher; perceived practicality in the classroom; alleviation of fears and concerns; participation in school decisions on aspects affecting the classrooms; perceived support from senior staff; and feelings towards the previous system compared to the new system. Suggests these variables offer pointers to educational administrators on how best to tailor system‐wide changes so that teachers will be more receptive to the changes in the implementation stage.

Implementing Reforms in a Centralised Education System: the case of Israeli education

abstract The aim of this paper is to identify the mechanisms which have constrained the implementation of educational reform in a centralised education system. The case study relates to the 1968 educational reform in Israel. Analysis of the relevant documents reveals that even in a centralised education system decision‐makers have to look at reform implementation not just as an administrative follow‐up on policy, but in order to be able to mobilise an effective response to client needs and to unite political interest and pressure groups in support of the reform to ensure its successful implementation.

Boundaries as a topic in geographic education

Abstract The educational system works to influence ideology and determine beliefs and values transmitted in the socialization process. This paper examines the way in which Zionist ideology has used the discipline of geography to create certain beliefs relating to the boundaries of the territory from the beginning of the century until the present day. The means by which the ideas and beliefs were transmitted were through curricula and textbooks prepared for the highly centralized educational system in Israel. The findings show that the educational system has transmitted dual and confused messages on the question of Israel's boundaries. The presentation of borders is imprecise and indeterminate and there is a sophisticated avoidance of any discussion of this value-loaded question. The relations between ideology-power-knowledge in Zionism have produced a situation in which Israeli citizens of the present acquired political beliefs in the past from which each has built his/her ‘mental map’. These maps will influence their decisions at the ballot box on the question of the future borders of the state.

Bureaucracy, professionalization and school centred innovation strategies

This paper examines an attempt to promote a school centred innovation strategy within a highly centralized educational system.

The introduction of school-based curriculum development in a centralised education system: A possible tactic

It is suggested that, despite the problems surrounding school-based curriculum development, there is a sufficiently large pool of teachers' experience that must be used if a mature educational system is to be developed within a country. The circular argument for not giving teachers more autonomy because they do not have experience of working on their own can be broken, it is suggested, using a 10% model. Giving teachers full responsibility for 10% of their work and enabling them to work at those areas of curriculum development in which they feel most capable or have the most interest will enable them to display and develop their various talents. Such a system, it is suggested, will also play an important role in providing a more needs oriented, school based in-service education provision.

Identifying the strategies of curriculum development within a highly centralized educational system

This paper develops a framework for analysing the strategies of curriculum development used in a highly centralized educational system. The argument is supported by an analysis of the strategies used to introduce four curriculum changes in Hong Kong secondary schools. It is argued that curriculum development strategies can be usefully analysed by reference to three variables: the decision-making groups, the linkages between superordinate and subordinate groups, and the nature of the resources provided.

Processes of Secondary Curriculum Innovation in Kenya

Previous articleNext article No AccessProcesses of Secondary Curriculum Innovation in KenyaKevin M. LillisKevin M. Lillis Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Comparative Education Review Volume 29, Number 1Feb., 1985 Sponsored by the Comparative and International Education Society Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/446490 Views: 281Total views on this site Citations: 13Citations are reported from Crossref Copyright 1985 The Comparative and International Education SocietyPDF download Crossref reports the following articles citing this article:David Golding, Kyle Kopsick The colonial legacy in Cambridge Assessment literature syllabi, Curriculum Perspectives 39, no.11 (Jan 2019): 7–17.https://doi.org/10.1007/s41297-018-00062-0Lesley Bartlett, Frances Vavrus Testing and Teaching, (Jan 2013): 93–113.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6209-224-2_6S. Hynds Literature, (Jan 2010): 447–452.https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-044894-7.00077-4W. van den Bor, I. Wallace, G. Nagy, C. Garforth Curriculum development in a European context: an account of a collaborative project, European Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension 2, no.11 (Jun 1995): 1–16.https://doi.org/10.1080/13892249585300031Birgit Brock-Utne Cultural conditionally and aid to education in east Africa, International Review of Education 41, no.3-43-4 (May 1995): 177–197.https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01255552Fiona Leach Expatriates as Agents of Cross‐cultural Transmission, Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education 24, no.33 (Jan 1994): 217–231.https://doi.org/10.1080/0305792940240303Chandra Gunawardena Linking Education with the World of Work in Sri Lanka: the experience of two decades, Educational Review 43, no.11 (Jul 2006): 79–88.https://doi.org/10.1080/0013191910430107Jonathan Jansen Curriculum reconstruction in post-colonial Africa: A review of the literature, International Journal of Educational Development 9, no.33 (Jan 1989): 219–231.https://doi.org/10.1016/0738-0593(89)90053-9Jon Lauglo, Anders Närman Diversified secondary education in Kenya: The status of practical subjects, and effects on attitudes and destinations after school, International Journal of Educational Development 7, no.44 (Jan 1987): 227–242.https://doi.org/10.1016/0738-0593(87)90021-6Kevin M. Lillis, John Lowe The Rise and Fall of the Schools Science Project in East Africa, Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education 17, no.22 (Jan 1987): 167–179.https://doi.org/10.1080/0305792870170206P. Morris Identifying the strategies of curriculum development within a highly centralized educational system, International Journal of Educational Development 6, no.33 (Jan 1986): 171–182.https://doi.org/10.1016/0738-0593(86)90015-5Gerard Guthrie Current research in developing countries: The impact of curriculum reform on teaching, Teaching and Teacher Education 2, no.11 (Jan 1986): 81–89.https://doi.org/10.1016/0742-051X(86)90006-5Diane Brook Napier Implementing Educational Transformation Policies: Investigating Issues of Ideal Versus Real in Developing Countries, (): 59–98.https://doi.org/10.1016/S1479-3679(04)06003-7