Education Policy Research Articles

Experienced autonomy in the curriculum and Didaktik traditions

ABSTRACT This study investigates Finnish and Californian (US) elementary and secondary school teachers. The main objective of the study is to explore the experienced autonomy in different educational policy regimes. The ideologies and traditions that these two countries represent can be called Didaktik tradition and curriculum tradition. The research question is: How do the teachers’ perceptions of curriculum traditions in the two country contexts differ concerning experienced autonomy, and what might the theoretical and methodological implications of such comparison be? A total of 17 Finnish and 15 US teachers were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. The results show that both groups of teachers experienced a lot of autonomy despite of the fact that the US teachers operate in a more restricted accountability policy than the Finnish teachers. This raises some methodological and theoretical implications and limitations of self-reporting comparative studies on teacher autonomy.

More Bilingual Programs, No Matter What

Since 2011, the New York City (NYC) Department of Education (DOE) has engaged in a campaign to increase the number of bilingual programs it offers. This case presents the experiences of a principal who was asked by her superintendent to open a new Dual Language program. Having been a principal for only 1 year, and with little expertise about English Language Learner compliance and instruction, the principal engaged in a learning process that illuminated significant complexities not just about bilingual education policy, but also about the DOE’s bureaucracy, policy implementation in NYC, and the ambiguity of the principalship.

Tertiary education as social policy: Comparative theoretical perspectives

Abstract In this paper, we conduct an in-depth review of and commentary on two frameworks for international comparative work focused on education systems and skill formation – specifically, welfare regime and production regime approaches. We focus on how tertiary education is understood to function relationally within a national policy repertoire and explore the interplay between education and economic systems. Whereas the welfare regime literature illuminates why some regimes are conducive to human capital production and create more equitable educational and labour market opportunities, the production regime literature focuses on the ways that actors such as government, educational institutions, and unions optimise skill formation. These two theoretical perspectives offer both rival and complementary explanations of varying patterns in public investment, differentiation in education systems, and participation rates in tertiary education across countries. Our analytical account provides useful insights for understanding different national education policies and framing future research, including informing these perspectives with the more recent theoretical contributions of the social investment approach. In relation to changing conceptions of the knowledge economy, education, skill development, and the nature of employment, these two theoretical perspectives continue to provide useful conceptual lenses to examine the education/skill /employment nexus.

The 2017 Curriculum Change in Ecuador: Representations From the School Culture

Aim: The aim of this study is to analyze the social representations related to the 2017 curriculum change and the educational policies implemented for curriculum development in Ecuador, evaluating the perspective of teachers, educational administrators and academics. Theoretical Framework: The research is based on theories on social representations, educational change and school culture. These theories provide a framework for understanding how the perceptions of educational actors influence the implementation of curricular reforms. Method: A qualitative approach was employed with a descriptive phenomenological design. In-depth interviews were conducted with teachers, an educational administrator from Zone 4 of the Ministry of Education, and academics to capture their experiences and perceptions. Results and Discussion: The results revealed that cultural resistances within the educational institutions hindered the fulfillment of the pedagogical objectives of the reform. Interrelationships were observed between social representations that affect the implementation of the curriculum. Implications of the research: This research highlights the importance of actively involving educational stakeholders in curriculum change processes to overcome cultural barriers and achieve successful educational reform in Ecuador. Originality/value: The study contributes to the understanding of the influence of social representations on school culture and how they impact the implementation of curriculum policies, offering new perspectives on the promotion of educational change in the country.

The Influence of Multiple Factors on Musicology Doctoral Students’ Academic Performance: An Empirical Study Based in China

As doctoral education evolves globally, the focus intensifies on doctoral candidates’ academic performance and psychological well-being. Previous research has studied the effects of individual, societal, and environmental factors on students’ academic achievements. However, there is still a lack of investigation into how these factors interact, especially in the domains of arts. This study surveyed 213 Chinese musicology doctoral students and adopted Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to evaluate how various factors affect academic and mental health outcomes. The analysis shows that factors including teacher support, student engagement, and well-being positively influence academic performance, while academic anxiety negatively impacts academic performance. Moreover, variables help diminish academic anxiety, encompassing self-efficacy, parental support, time management skills, and student engagement. Meanwhile, enhanced doctoral students’ well-being is related to robust teacher support, facilitating conditions, and active student engagement. Notably, students who experience academic anxiety about their studies generally have lower well-being. These findings indicate that alleviating academic anxiety, refining academic resources, and reinforcing mental health supports can foster academic and psychological outcomes for doctoral students. Our study contributes vital empirical data to developing higher education policies, benefiting doctoral students’ mental health and academic success.

A short history of careers education policy in England

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Exploring Teachers' Role Changes in an Informationalized Teaching Environment

With the rapid development of information technology, the field of education is undergoing a profound change. In this context, the change of teachers' roles has become the key to promote educational innovation and improve teaching quality. Through an empirical study of teachers' role change under the application of modern educational technology, this article discusses how teachers can adapt to the new teaching environment and promote the comprehensive development of students' abilities through technology integration, instructional design, learning guidance and lifelong learning. The article aims to provide reference and inspiration for educational policy makers and frontline teachers.

Educational Strategies For Healthy Habits in Secondary School: Promoting Integral Health

Objectives: This article aims to integrate positive habits in secondary education, focusing on students' mental and physical health. It aims to promote self-care practices and emotional resilience. Theoretical Framework: It is based on theories of emotional education, active learning, and public health, highlighting the importance of training in healthy behaviors for students' physical, emotional, and social well-being. Method: A mixed method was used, using interactive activities, awareness-raising workshops, and digital technologies. Periodic evaluations were carried out to measure the impact of the interventions and encourage the active participation of teachers and students. Results and Discussion: Implementing the educational strategies improved physical activity intervention and reduced risk behaviors, such as substance use. Research Implications: The findings suggest that promoting positive behaviors in secondary education increases academic achievement and contributes to students' overall development. They highlight the need for educational policies that support these initiatives and encourage collaboration between school, family, and community. Originality/Value: It offers an innovative educational proposal that prioritizes students' personal growth and creates an environment conducive to learning. It fosters active collaboration between students and teachers and develops socio-emotional skills that strengthen the sense of community and belonging.

Empowering Diverse Faith Communities through Engagement in Participatory Science

Developing successful strategies that promote meaningful dialogue between scientific and religious communities is arguably one of the most urgent issues of our time. Perceptions of science as hostile to religion have led governments to adopt educational policies that are not in the best interest of communities and adversely affect participation in science by people of faith, disproportionately excluding minorities and women (e.g., Bolger and Ecklund 2022; Barnes and Brownell 2018; Ecklund et al. 2019). Diversifying science requires respectfully and constructively engaging with diverse worldviews and cultures. One way this can be accomplished is through collaborative projects that facilitate building relationships across communities that might not otherwise interact.

Australian primary school teachers’ responses to students with same-sex/gender parents

ABSTRACT As part of their everyday experiences in schools, primary school teachers will engage with same-sex/gender parents. This study seeks to explore Australian primary school teachers’ experiences in which they have engaged same-sex/gender parents and the ways in which they have responded. Concepts of childhood innocence, hetero-cis-normativity and visibility/invisibility can reproduce cultural norms of ‘mum and dad’ families, but in the real world there is great variation in family make-ups including same-sex/gender parents. Teachers’ decisions about how to respond to same-sex/gender parents vary depending on personal, institutional and/or cultural beliefs and practices. We argue that teachers and schools need time, resources, and support to a) unlearn social norms about ‘family’ and b) to create practices that are socially just for children and their same-sex/gender parents. All children and families should be recognised in education policy and practice.

Impact of Articulated Management Models on Educational Quality in Peru: A Systematic Review

This study aimed to analyze the impact of articulated management models on improving educational quality and equity in Peru. Through a systematic review of the literature with a qualitative approach that applied the PRISMA methodology in the search in the databases: Scopus, SciELO, Redalyc, Dialnet, and the library of the César Vallejo University, various studies are identified that explore the characteristics, implementation and results of these models. The results showed that articulated management models have significant potential to improve the quality of teaching and learning, especially when the participation of the educational community is promoted and transformative leadership is available. However, challenges are identified such as lack of resources, resistance to change and the need for continuous teacher training. It is concluded that articulated management models represent a promising way to improve education in Peru, but their implementation requires a comprehensive approach and educational policies that support them.

POLÍTICAS PÚBLICAS EDUCACIONAIS NO AMAZONAS: UM ESTUDO DAS ESPECIFICIDADES REGIONAIS

This article discusses the implementation of Public Educational Policies in the State of Amazonas, addressing its particularities and the challenges faced in one of the richest regions in diversity, but also marked by educational inequalities. Although the Federal Constitution of Brazil, in articles 6 and 205, guarantees the right to education, the Amazonian reality reveals the need for a more in-depth look at the quality of education. The research investigates whether secretariats and technical teams are properly prepared to create and implement policies that transcend mere access to education. The central hypothesis is that the lack of qualified professionals in the State compromises the effectiveness of these policies, which requires an approach that prioritizes the interests of the school community and students, promoting quality education that meets local specificities.

Peran Media Sosial dalam Mempengaruhi Kebijakan Pendidikan

This research aims to analyze the role of social media in influencing education policy in the digital era. This research uses a mixed approach, namely qualitative and quantitative, involving 300 respondents from various stakeholders, including students, parents, educators, and government officials. The data collection techniques that will be used in this research include surveys, interviews, and content analysis. The analysis used in this research employs SPSS for descriptive data and thematic analysis methods for interview results. The research results show that social media serves as an effective tool in disseminating information related to education policies, with 89% of respondents agreeing with this. Additionally, 70% of respondents stated that social media facilitates public participation in the education policy-making process. There is doubt about the extent to which input from social media is considered by policymakers, with 40% of respondents expressing skepticism about this. An analysis of the content of 300 posts related to education policy revealed that issues such as educational gaps, curriculum, and access to technology in online learning are top concerns for the community, with 75% of posts showing negative sentiment towards existing education policies. These findings show the importance of increasing digital literacy and creating a more inclusive mechanism so that people's voices on social media are more accommodated in policymaking

Faith at International Policy Tables: The G20 Interfaith Forum

This essay highlights the role and ten-year evolution of the G20 Interfaith Forum (IF20), which works to engage religious communities, worldwide, in shaping and responding to policy agendas within the mandates of the G20. Building on the growing networks of religiously affiliated communities working internationally, the IF20 serves as a “network of networks” to bring the numerous and diverse positive insights and experience of religiously linked action to policy tables. The broad agendas include poverty and hunger, health and education policies, climate action, and peace and social cohesion. IF20 highlights the core, continuing commitment of religious communities to give priority attention and support to the world's most vulnerable communities.

School administrators’ and teachers’ pedagogical responses to demographic change based on their meaning-making of multicultural students in South Korea

ABSTRACT Public schools in South Korea have faced unprecedented changes because of demographic shifts, particularly the influx and growth of three types of ‘multicultural students’: children of married migrant women, foreign workers, and North Korean refugees. In this situation, teachers are challenged to implement educational policies and a standardised national curriculum for those unfamiliar with the Korean language, culture, and education system. This study, conducted between Fall 2022 and Summer 2023, involved interviews with 16 elementary and secondary school administrators and teachers from urban and rural regions. It revealed that teachers’ perceptions and biases about multicultural students significantly influenced their educational practices, resulting from interpretive processes and problematic framing. The data indicate that teachers’ meaning-making and pedagogical responses to multicultural students are insufficient for systematically addressing the structural inequalities and social injustices faced by these students. Ultimately, these teachers’ responses and practices fell short of providing equitable education that South Korea’s multicultural education policies aim for. The study concluded that comprehensive teacher training in cultural competence and bias awareness is essential for bridging the gap between policy and practice. It recommends the development of reflective practices, continuous professional development, and the creation of supportive school environments to enhance multicultural education’s effectiveness.

Understanding English learners’ experiences of their teacher’s self-directed navigation of education policies

ABSTRACT This study reports on students’ experiences of their instructor’s self-directed enactment of education policies. Informed by a qualitative study approach, the study drew on diverse data sources related to an English reading class and an English writing class taught by the same instructor at a Chinese university. The data sources included interviews with students, students’ reflections, and field notes on students’ learning activities. The qualitative analysis of the data showed that when their instructor was continually overcoming the constraints of the local institution and making self-directed efforts in line with national policies during his teaching, the students, on the whole, gained positive experiences through the in-class teaching and their own learning. However, they seemed to focus their attention primarily on the actual teaching and learning rather than caring about the policy and the strategies employed to enact it, and their experiences were sensitive to diverse factors. The study sheds light on the students’ positive yet complex experiences when they were exposed to the instructor’s self-directed attempts to bridge the gap between education policy and teaching in a local context.

Teacher's view of the educational relationship between teenagers and smartphones in Spain

ABSTRACT Beyond being classified as an educational tool, mobile phones are an inescapable part of teenagers’ lives, the interface for their “expanded self”. In Spain, the educational policy regarding the use of mobile phones in schools is vague, so it is interesting to know what teachers think about the educational relationship between mobile phones and adolescents. A qualitative approach was used to analyse the content of 10 focus groups in 10 Spanish secondary schools, in which 72 teachers participated. Six thematic cores were identified that characterise the educational image of mobile phones: regulations, their use in the school environment, students’ digital literacy, teachers’ digital competence, teachers’ demands for good use, and insights for the future. In conclusion, for teachers, mobile enhanced learning may remain a pipe dream unless young people are educated in digital literacy and the current educational policies regarding the use of these devices (for, against or indifferent to it) are clarified. As things stand, they represent an obstacle to be overcome in the Spanish education system.

Impact of Learning Styles on Students’ Retention of Information

This study investigates the impact of Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic (VAK) teaching methods on student retention within the context of China's evolving educational landscape. Acknowledging the country's significant strides in educational reforms and technological integration, the research aims to empirically determine the effectiveness of these teaching methodologies have on enhancing student engagement and information retention. The study is of critical importance as it seeks to inform educational practices and policies, with the goal of improving instructional strategies to align with diverse learning preferences. The research fills a notable gap in the empirical literature regarding the comparative impact of VAK methods on student retention in China, where traditional lecture-based methods are still predominantly employed. Findings from this study could influence teacher training programs and contribute to the development of a more inclusive educational system that caters to the varied learning styles of students. Through a synthesis of existing literature and the researcher's observations of differing engagement and retention rates with traditional versus varied teaching methods, the study provides valuable insights into the potential benefits of integrating visual, auditory, and kinesthetic elements into teaching practice. The research aligns with a body of studies that have demonstrated the effectiveness of VAK methods in enhancing learning outcomes, although it acknowledges the variability in outcomes based on context, subject matter, and individual learner differences. This paper also recognizes the importance of ongoing assessment and customization of teaching strategies to meet the specific needs of students in diverse educational settings.

Fifty years of teacher education in South Africa: towards systematic learning and social transformation

ABSTRACT The article tracks key moments in teacher education policy and curriculum in South Africa from the 1970s to the present day. Political and social features of education in each decade are outlined, from a racialised and fragmented system of teacher education, to the imagining of alternatives, and the imperative for educational transformation. The article pays special attention to the role of teacher education in a national agenda of social reconstruction within the goals of the 1996 Constitution of South Africa, to establish a post-apartheid society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights. Drawing on a conception of teaching as organising systematic learning, we track ways in which changes in teacher education policy have enabled or restricted opportunities for systematic learning for students in different social contexts, and towards advancing equity. We argue that insights from strong theoretical frameworks create conditions of possibility for student teachers to analyse and interrogate their observations and experiences within the existing schooling system. In so doing, they potentially become agents of transformation, as they imagine practical possibilities for improving teaching in and beyond their immediate school and contextual realities. At the same time, we note the limitation of too narrow a focus on systematised knowledge, without sufficient attention to the life histories and aspirations of student teachers themselves. We suggest that a crucial way forward is to consider how personal development, teacher knowledges and classroom experiences and interactions work symbiotically to support student teachers’ pedagogic learning, even against the enduring challenges of severe inequalities in South Africa. This requires attention to how knowledge informs teaching, how curricula can support the process of learning to teach, and how systematic learning can be nurtured in the pursuit of social transformation.

A new guided flipped learning model for lifelong learning

ABSTRACT Flipped learning model is currently implemented where conventional lectures take place before class hours, while in-class time is used for hands-on activities and problem-solving under the teacher’s guidance. However, students’ inability to fully engage and complete their learning activities before the class hours and the lack of clear instruction during in-class learning activities can greatly hinder the learning experience. Under this circumstance, a new flipped model, named guided flipped learning (GFL) model, was proposed by embedding study-summary-quiz and think-pair-share strategies into the conventional flipped learning process to overcome the current challenges. To investigate the effectiveness of the proposed GFL model, a quasi-experimental study was conducted. The results showed that GFL significantly enhanced students’ engagement (behavioural, agentic, and emotional) and learning achievement. The proposed GFL model strengthens the quality of the pre-class learning activities and provides clear instruction for in-class learning activities. The results provide educational policy makers the means to effectively revise the conventional flipped model with GFL for lifelong learning.