Education Authorities Research Articles

Psychological immunity among kindergarten teachers 1445 AH 2024 AD

The current research aims to identify the level of psychological immunity among kindergarten teachers in the city of Mosul and its right and left sides, and the research sample reached (95) kindergarten teachers in the city of Mosul, on the right side (45) teacher and the left side (50) teacher, and the researcher adopted the psychological immunity scale (Zidane, 2013), which was confirmed to be true and consistent, was applied to the research sample and obtain data and after processing them statistically using the arithmetic mean, standard deviation and Pearson correlation coefficient, And the T test for one sample, and the hypothetical mean, the results showed that there is a statistically significant difference in the level of psychological immunity of kindergarten teachers for the arithmetic average and the hypothetical average and in favor of the arithmetic average. Taking into consideration the findings of the study, the researcher delivered a collection of recommendations and proposals, which included the following: Benefiting from the psychological immunity scale prepared in the current research of the concerned educational authorities, especially the General Directorate of Education in Nineveh Governorate. Psychological immunity among primary school teachers and its relationship to their self-efficacy in light of some variables

Global prescriptions and local adaptations: the role of political culture in shaping governance strategies for university funding

ABSTRACT This article explores the influence of New Public Management (NPM) reforms on local higher education (HE) governance in the context of globalisation, focussing on the funding mechanisms of universities in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Through the development of an analytical framework for governance strategies, the study examines the principles underlying funding allocation and distribution decisions in these regions. The findings show that, although both regions adopt performance-based funding aligned with NPM principles, significant differences emerge due to their distinct political cultures and societal expectations. Taiwan’s strategy is characterised by regulatory oversight driven by societal shifts and electoral pressures, while Hong Kong’s approach is market-oriented, reflecting its British colonial heritage and alignment with industry demands. This study highlights the role of path dependency in shaping localised adaptations of global governance models, demonstrating the diversity and adaptability of HE governance strategies. The paper concludes by proposing directions for further research into the interplay between political culture and HE governance, advocating for the development of context-sensitive frameworks that address evolving governance strategies.

Evaluation of the Obstacles Encountered by South African International Students in Tertiary Educational Institutions

The South African higher education system has seen a gradual rise in the number of international students, mainly from African countries but not exclusively confined to other nations. Although the number of international students has significantly risen in recent decades, there is less knowledge about the obstacles they face and the potential effect of these issues on them. This research aims to comprehensively evaluate the difficulties encountered by international students at higher education institutions, providing insight into the complex obstacles that affect their academic, social, and cultural assimilation. The study utilizes a qualitative approach, incorporating a questionnaire as the research design to collect perspectives from international students. The findings indicate that communication, finances, environment, access to resources, and administration are factors that contribute to the obstacles encountered by international students. This highlights the necessity for specific support mechanisms and policy adjustments to improve the overall educational experience for this expanding demographic. The results of this assessment provide important insights for educational institutions, governments, and stakeholders that want to promote inclusive and supportive settings that facilitate the achievement and well-being of international students in higher education.

School efficiency in Latin America before and after the COVID-19 pandemic: New evidence from PISA 2018 and 2022

The efficiency of schools can be measured as the ratio between the outputs produced (achievement) and the inputs utilised (human and technical resources). Once efficiency levels are obtained for each school through Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) techniques, one can assess how an education system as a whole is either far or close to a maximum efficient educational frontier given available resources. Further, one can rely on this estimated frontier to gauge the importance of students, family and school factors pushing efficiency in different directions, and whether the efficiency-equality trade holds. This exercise is relevant to the realities of education systems of the global south where resources are limited and inequalities are vast. In this paper, we present novel evidence for the Latin America region (9 countries) by using the latest two waves of data from PISA (years: 2018 and 2022), a pooled sample of 4969 schools. Importantly, given the surveys’ timing, we are able to compare efficiency before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, contrasting leading determinants. We find that, at regional level, efficiency slightly increased from 0.75 to 0.78, and only being constant in three (Brazil, Chile and Colombia) out of the nine countries. Barriers of efficiency hold across the two waves overall, with systemic factors such as ICT access and school type and location being more empirical relevant post-pandemic. Also, the link between low access to minimum knowledge and efficiency, as well as inclusion, worsened post pandemic in half of the countries. During the pandemic, school efficiency was found to be boosted −among others− by higher school support, better stock of ICT at home and communication with teachers, whereas lack of coordination with education authorities was found to be a barrier.

Promoting Cyber Ethics Compliance among Teachers in Tanzania: What should be done?

The invention of digital ICT devices is one of the most important developments in the history of humankind, and education can greatly benefit from it. However, cyber ethics violations by teachers have become prevalent and are expected to increase unless measures are taken. This study explored education stakeholders’ perspectives on ways to promote teachers’ compliance with cyber ethics in Tanzania. It employed a qualitative case study design involving three secondary schools and 27 participants selected purposively in Kinondoni Municipality in the Dar es Salaam region. Data were sought through semi-structured interviews and document reviews and subjected to thematic data analysis. The findings indicated that teachers’ compliance with cyber ethics requires training of teachers on the pedagogical uses of technology, the inception of a specific national policy for the responsible use of technology in schools, integration of the cyber ethics aspects of the Teachers’ Code of Conduct, improvement of teachers’ living and working conditions, and promotion of teachers’ awareness of the Cyber Crimes Act of 2015, among others. The study recommends that policymakers and education authorities implement the suggested initiatives to promote cyber ethics compliance among teachers for education excellence in Tanzania, and, possibly, elsewhere.

Examining the Impact of Intercultural Education on the Levels of Intercultural Sensitivity of Primary School Teachers: Evidences From North Macedonia

The research aims to examine whether the intercultural education teachers’ previous experience affects their level of intercultural sensitivity. The research results show that prior intercultural education significantly affects the levels of ethnocentrism and ethnorelativism of teachers. Considering the results, which show that intercultural education does not impact teachers’ substantive knowledge and perceptual understanding, educational authorities should seek alternative ways to enhance it.

Antecedents of academic actual help-seeking behaviour and support services utilisation among distance education students.

The purpose of the study was to unravel the determinants that necessitate academic help-seeking intentions and promote the utilisation of support services among distance education students. This study adopted a quantitative approach based on cross-sectional survey design. The target population of the study comprised all distance education students of the College of Distance Education, University of Cape Coast. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select a sample of 290 respondents for the study. The main data collection instrument was a questionnaire and the data was collected from June to December, 2023. Descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) were used to analyse preliminary data, while the main data was analysed by structural equation modelling technique. The study found that social support, subjective needs, and availability of help were the antecedents of actual academic help-seeking behaviour among distance learners. Depressive needs were not considered as an antecedent of help-seeking behaviour. Thus, social support, subjective needs, and availability of help were significantly related to actual help-seeking behaviour among distance learners. The study further found that actual help-seeking behaviour among distance learners was also significantly related to the actual use of support services available to these learners. Finally, actual help-seeking behaviour among distance learners significantly mediated the relationship between social support, subjective needs, availability of help, and actual use of support services available to distance students. It was therefore recommended that authorities of distance education should make support services available to distance learners online and in-person to be able to meet the needs of different categories of students as well as the provisions of platforms for building social support systems among distance learners.

Artificial Intelligence's Impact on Employment: Challenges, Potential Consumers, and Policy Responses Through Automation and Workforce Rehabilitating

Abstract: The employment market has undergone an enormous shift as a result of the rapid progress of artificial intelligence (AI). This transformation presents both significant challenges and opportunities. This paper examines the ways in which AI-driven automation is transforming a variety of industries, resulting in employment displacement in sectors that rely on routine tasks and the creation of new roles in technology, data management, and AI maintenance. Addressing the growing disparities between those who benefit from AI and those who are left behind, as well as managing large-scale employment displacement, are the primary challenges. This is particularly true for low-skilled workers. AI, however, also offers chances to boost creativity, productivity, and the creation of highly skilled jobs in cutting-edge industries. In order to alleviate adverse consequences, this investigation underscores the necessity of proactive measures, such as educational reform, reskilling and upskilling programs, and collaboration among educational institutions, governments, and industries. By prioritizing these strategies, the employment market can adjust to the transformative potential of AI, thereby fostering economic development and inclusive job creation by balancing the reduction of traditional roles with the emergence of new opportunities.

Teacher ethical regulation policies and teacher autonomy in China

ABSTRACT This article explores the interaction between local government’s regulation of teacher ethics and teacher autonomy in X District in China’s Shanghai. A case study was conducted, with documents collected from X District education authority on teacher ethics, semi-structured interviews with three local education bureau officers, eight school leaders, and ten teachers, and a survey of 42 school teachers between January and June 2023. The findings show that the local government tightened its regulation of teacher ethics and restricted both individual and collegial autonomy of teachers. Meanwhile, different from the view that Chinese teachers have little autonomy, teachers and schools responded to local government’s control and developed multi-level autonomy. This article presents a “Yin-Yang” framework for understanding the coexistence, development, and change interaction between government regulation and school teachers’ autonomy in teacher ethics in China and responding to international concerns on tensions in the teaching profession’s ethical regulation and aspirations.

Integration of Teaching Resources for English Majors under Local Autonomy: Collaboration and Development

In the process of local social governance, educational resources are the basic conditions for social governance, so the integration of English education resources has become the main research aspect of local governments and educational institutions. The integration of key educational resources needs to be supported by local education policies, education systems and education laws, and the corresponding regulations and laws should be improved, and the English cognitive level of the public and the environmental governance of education need to be intervened by local governments, as well as the extensive participation of the public. Laws and regulations should be improved under the guidance of the government to provide support for the integration of English education resources, and the public should widely participate in the integration of educational resources of English majors under the publicity of educational resources, so as to form a good interactive relationship to provide support for local education governance. Therefore, the necessary conditions for the integration of local governments, legal institutions, education departments and the general public, military and local English education resources play a role in promoting the development level of English and the creation of a social environment.

What’s under attack: Activism and institutional conflict within US higher education

Within the United States, the targeted efforts against Critical Race Theory, political machinations against higher education governance, and the use of surveillance on liberatory protests, reveals a complicated nexus regarding educational activism and institutional navigation. Through the Actors, Contexts, Tactics, and Strategies (A.C.T.S.) Framework, we offer an expansive understanding of the who, what, how, when, and where of activism. By applying this framework to three distinct yet interrelated examples on legislative fights against diversity, tenure and governance, and pro-Palestine activism, we illuminate the role of institutional mechanics to reimagine the institutional fatality of ‘this is just how things are’ and an inevitable political tide. In doing so, this manuscript offers a robust analysis of institutionalism, opposition, support, and transformation.

Comparison of EQ-5D-Y-3L Utility Scores Using Nine Country-Specific Value Sets in Chinese Adolescents.

This study aimed to assess and compare the measurement properties of EQ-5D-Y-3L utilities derived from available countries' value sets (Chinese, Japanese, Slovenian, German, Spanish, Hungarian, Netherlandish, Belgian, and Indonesian), among Chinese adolescents. From July to September 2021, a large-scale cross-sectional survey was administered across 16 cities in Shandong, China, with the objective of assessing the health status of junior high school students aged 10-18 years. Supported by the educational authorities, quick response (QR) codes and questionnaire links were disseminated to schools. A total of 97,413 junior high school students completed the questionnaire. Agreement, convergent validity, and known-group validity were determined in the nine country-specific value sets. The Indonesian value set demonstrated the highest mean health utility score (0.970), followed by the Japanese (0.961), Chinese (0.960), Netherlandish (0.948), Hungarian (0.942), German (0.938), Belgian (0.932), Slovenian (0.926), and Spanish (0.926) value sets, respectively. The utility scores derived from Asian value sets were higher than those from Europe. Good or excellent agreements (intraclass correlation coefficients >0.7) were found between each paired value set. In Bland-Altman plots, the 95% limits of agreement for any two value sets were 0.046-0.348. A strong relationship (Spearman's correlation coefficients >0.99) between any two value sets was found. The EQ-5D-Y-3L utility scores discriminated equally well for the nine value sets across three known groups. The effect size and the relative efficiency statistics showed the Chinese value sets were more sensitive in general. Referring to the Chinese value set, all the relative efficiency values in each value set were similar across three known groups, ranging from 0.9 to 1.0. A total of nine country-specific EQ-5D-Y-3L value sets showed an overall high level of agreement, strong correlation, and good known-group validity. However, the utility scores derived from nine EQ-5D-Y-3L value sets were different and the country-specific value sets were not interchangeable.

Implementation of K-Means Clustering in Mapping Teacher Distribution Using Geographic Information System

The placement of teachers in Indonesia has not been evenly distributed across several regions due to inaccurate recruitment and placement processes. The quality of education, particularly in rural areas, is negatively impacted by this uneven distribution. Teachers play a crucial role in enhancing education, making it essential to address this issue. This study seeks to equilibrate the allocation of teachers in Langsa City using the K-Means Clustering method based on the number of teachers, students, and study groups at the Madrasah Ibtidaiyah, Madrasah Tsanawiyah, and Madrasah Aliyah levels. The clustering results are then mapped using the Quantum Geographic Information System. The study identifies 20 schools with a shortage of teachers, 7 schools with sufficient teachers, and 3 schools with a surplus. The utilization of the K-Means Clustering method demonstrated a high accuracy rate of 92.8%. The implications of these findings suggest that educational authorities can use the clustering results to strategically address teacher shortages by reallocating teaching resources more effectively, thus potentially improving educational outcomes in underserved areas. Moreover, the GIS mapping offers a practical tool for ongoing monitoring and decision-making regarding teacher distribution.

Self-Sovereign Identity-Based E-Portfolio Ecosystem

In Taiwan, traditional student assessments, covering academic and extracurricular achievements, have shifted from paper to electronic portfolios (e-portfolios). However, limited trust among institutions restricts students from freely sharing and using their educational data. This paper introduces a self-sovereign identity-based infrastructure aimed at enhancing personal data security within the e-portfolio ecosystem. The proposed system includes two core components: (1) a decentralized identity chain, aligning user identities across platforms and granting users full self-sovereign control; and (2) an e-portfolio application chain to manage user interactions and access permissions within the ecosystem. A trusted educational authority also audits data sources, ensuring data integrity and reliability. This infrastructure empowers users to control who can access their data, safeguarding their security, with the identity chain preventing unauthorized access and the application chain recording authorization statuses to restrict data visibility to approved parties only.

The Paths of Ecological Civilization Construction under the Concept of Sustainable Environmental Education

Ecological civilization is a new stage of human civilization development after industrial civilization, and it is an inevitable choice to cope with the global ecological crisis and achieve harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. With the deepening of China's ecological civilization construction, sustainable development education has gradually become an important means of cultivating public ecological awareness. This article first elaborates on the connotation of ecological civilization and its relationship with education, analyzes the current situation of ecological education in schools and society, and points out the existing problems. We must adhere to the integration of ecological civilization and sustainable development education, the integration of ecological civilization and educational governance, and develop education with the people as the center, building a path for the development of ecological civilization.

Tax Saving Strategies And Financial Planning For Salaried Employees

This study explores tax-saving strategies and financial planning among salaried employees in India, finding moderate awareness of tax-saving options and a preference for investments in insurance, mutual funds, and post office schemes. The research highlights a need for improved financial literacy and advocates for educational reforms and government support to help employees manage taxes effectively and secure their financial future.

We are clueless: The voices of jordanian teachers untrained in conflict-sensitive pedagogy

This study examines Jordanian teachers’ experiences navigating the complexities of teaching amidst the Israel-Palestine conflicts without receiving formal training in conflict-sensitive pedagogy. Through in-depth interviews, themes emerge, illuminating the challenges, practices, and perspectives of educators in conflict-affected classrooms. The teachers perceive significantly limited formal training in conflict-sensitive pedagogy among Jordanian teachers and express a pervasive disillusionment with educational authorities. However, they demonstrate proactive approaches, attempting to integrate war-related topics into their curriculum, promoting critical media literacy and fostering peaceful expression. This study provides a foundation for future research to explore practical pedagogical approaches and support mechanisms in conflict-affected contexts.

Implementation of basic education management in Grobogan district: Analysis and model development

Law Number 20 of 2003 on the National Education System states that citizens have the right to obtain basic education for children aged seven to fifteen years. In addition, it is also a commitment to the implementation of Grobogan district’s regional regulation No 5 of 2019 on education implementation, especially article 12 related to the obligation of local governments to ensure the implementation of basic education according to their authority. The purpose of this study is to determine the implementation of the basic education management program in Grobogan district; analyze the factors that support and hinder the implementation of the basic education management program in Grobogan district; formulate a model for implementing the basic education management program in Grobogan district. The method used in this research is qualitative. This method was used to analyse the phenomenon of policy implementation of the basic education management program in Grobogan district. The research site was in Grobogan district. The informants are policy actors who know a lot about the basic education program in Grobogan district. The results show that the implementation of the Grobogan district education office’s policy on basic education management consists of three areas, namely (1) equalization and expansion of access to education; (2) improvement of quality, relevance and competitiveness; (3) education governance and accountability. These three areas aim to achieve the national standards of education and the minimum service standards of education.

How the Relationship of Cultural Intelligence and Social Connectedness Fosters Psychological Well-Being Among International Students in Northern India?

Studying abroad is a popular option for students, but it is unclear yet how the links between connectedness and cultural intelligence might enhance their experiences. To fill this knowledge gap, the current study develops a conceptual model based on ‘contact theory’. This study has examined the relationship between social connectedness, cultural intelligence and psychological well-being. Data were collected from 361 international students enrolled in various northern Indian universities. In the study, consistency-based structural equation modelling was used to test the proposed model. The results of the study showed that social connectedness has a significant influence on psychological well-being, and cultural intelligence partially mediated the relationship between social connectedness and psychological well-being. Additional research recommended a number of theoretical and practical conclusions to assist higher educational institutions, government and society in developing policies for international students.

"It's Just Really Important for Us All to Be on the Same Page": Qualitative Evaluation of Factors That Influence Written Mobility Communication.

Poor interdisciplinary team communication is a known barrier to increasing inpatient mobility. Understanding why and how clinicians from different disciplines communicate about mobility would help inform communication improvements. This qualitative interview study aimed to describe and explore clinician perceptions about written mobility communication and perceived barriers and enablers to this communication. A rapid deductive qualitative approach was used to efficiently capture information for local improvement. Clinicians (physical therapists, nurses, physicians, and occupational therapists) working on 3 internal medicine wards in a metropolitan teaching hospital in Brisbane, Australia were purposefully sampled and invited to participate in individual interviews. Questions were based on the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using deductive and inductive thematic methods. From 17 interviews, key themes identified that written communication about patient mobility is important and valued by clinicians; clinicians learn documentation on the job, often from physical therapists; clinicians are not aware of organizational responsibility for mobility communication; multiple purposes for written communication contribute to multiple locations and inconsistency; and clinicians perceive that improvement would require a multidisciplinary and multilevel approach. Suggestions for improvement included the use of a common language, consistent use of existing bedside communication tools, and clearer responsibility for written communication about mobility. Written communication about patient mobility was valued by clinicians, and a range of barriers to effective interdisciplinary communication was identified. Clear professional roles and responsibility for written mobility communication are important. Suggestions for improvement included an interdisciplinary language supported by multidisciplinary education and organizational governance. Written communication about patient mobility is recognized as critical to safe, high-quality hospital care. Our findings suggest that successful mobility communication improvements must involve multiple disciplines and include clear organizational governance to support staff training, clear role responsibilities, and quality monitoring. This study found that staff on a medical ward think writing about mobility is important for patient and staff safety. Having clear roles and responsibilities for writing about mobility is important and consistency may be improved through education and training.