District Education Research Articles

Enhancing Educational Practices during a Pandemic: Examining Teachers' Journey with Blended Learning in Rural High Schools

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools and institutions all over the world utilised blended learning during the mandatory lockdowns that were imposed by their respective governments. This acted as a spur for educational reform. This study investigated teachers’ experiences with the implementation of blended learning in rural high schools during the COVID-19 era in one educational district in South Africa. The social constructivism theory served as the theoretical lens for this study. This study employed the qualitative case study design. Purposeful and convenience sampling were used to select participants for the study. The data were collected using semi-structured interviews. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analysed using a thematic analysis approach. This study found that teachers perceived blended learning as easy to use, simple, user-friendly, straightforward to navigate, and offering creative modes of instruction. This study further found that teachers developed a positive perception of blended learning and its potential use in teaching and learning in the post-COVID-19 era, as blended learning promoted students’ independence and engagement in the teaching-learning process. However, the participants also experienced challenges, such as a lack of pedagogical knowledge on the use of blended learning, in their respective subjects, connectivity issues, electricity cuts, and network and internet issues. This study suggests that schools implement blended learning in the post-COVID-19 era to evaluate its impact on the teaching and learning process.

The Behavioural Problems among Elementary School Students in the State of Kuwait during the Newly Discovered Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic

This study aimed to reveal the degree of behavioural problems among students of the elementary stage in the State of Kuwait during the Newly Discovered Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The study sample was selected by using stratified random sampling method consisted of (992) students from the 1st – 5th grades, they were chosen from two schools in Hawali educational district during the scholastic year 2020/2021. The behavioural problems scale has been built and identified its reliability and validity. The results revealed that the mean of behavioural problems among students of the elementary stage in Kuwait during the Newly Discovered Coronavirus (COVED-19) pandemic reached to (1.91) with a low degree. There were statistically significant differences in the means of behavioural problems attributable to gender in favor of male students, and there were no statistically significant differences in the means of behavioural problems Attributed to the classroom.

Psychosocial elements as correlates of academic disposition of adolescents living with grandparents

Academic excellence from students is desirable to parents, but recently the passion to strive for such success seems to be dwindling among female adolescent secondary school students hence the need for this study which examined psychosocial elements as correlates of the academic disposition of adolescents living with grandparents. A correlational research method was applied. Three research questions were raised and three hypotheses were formulated. The population comprised 253 female students randomly selected from nine senior secondary schools from four Local Government Areas of Education District III. Instruments used for data collection were the Rosenberg self-esteem scale and a self-developed questionnaire by the researcher tagged Academic Disposition and Sexual Proneness Questionnaire (ADSPQ). Data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient, and Multiple Regression. Findings revealed that adolescent students living with grandparents in Education District III do not necessarily get involved in sexual activities because of their living conditions. One recommendation made was grandparents should be encouraged to engage in sexuality and sex-related conversations with their children as early as possible. Keywords: academic excellence; Adolescents; female students; grandparents; sexual-proneness

THE EFFECT OF LOCAL REVENUE COLLECTION ON IMPLEMENTATION OF UNIVERSAL PRIMARY EDUCATION IN KIBOGA DISTRICT. A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY.

Background: The study intended to investigate the effect of local revenue collection on the implementation of universal primary education in Kiboga district. Methodology: The study targeted a population of 71 respondents comprising of 6 district Technical Planning Committee Members, 5 Sub-county Executive Committee members, 6 Sub-county Technical Planning Committee Members, 6 head teachers, and 48 School Management Committee Members. Simple random sampling was used to select School Management Committee Members who were the main respondents. The analysis was conducted in SPSS. Results: In the study it was found that the majority of the respondents represented by 62% were male respondents whereas 38% of the respondents were found to be females with ages ranging from 20 years and above the study was carried out on a 5 Likert scale where 4.47 strongly agreed that schools do budgeting and 4.65 also agreed that schools constitute finance committees, 4.31 strongly agreed that school finance committees are fully functional 2.45 disagreed that budgeting in schools is participatory, 4.01agreed that schools implement budgets,4.39 strongly agreed that that school budgets are monitored in schools, and finally 4.21 agreed that schools evaluate budget performance. This totals an average mean of 4.10 strongly agreeing to the study. Conclusion: The study revealed that sub-counties in their local revenue budgets don’t cater to schools at all. Recommendation: District and sub-county councils should consider allocating local revenue to schools to supplement the capitation grant which is always inadequate to meet the school needs. This will help to solve the problem of lack of pupils’ lunch that has led to defying the UPE policy and presidential directive which criminalizes collection of any fee from parents.

IMPACTS OF LEARNING INTEREST AND PARENTAL SUPPORT ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS OF ISLAMIC STUDIES IN LAGOS

This study investigates the impacts of learning Interest and parental support on academic performance of secondary school students in Islamic Religious Studies in Lagos State. The study descriptive survey with the population consisting of all 68 public senior secondary schools in Lagos state Education District V and 31,703 Islamic Religious Studies Students. A Sample of 400 SS II Islamic religious studies students were selected using Krejcie and Morgan Sampling Template in 10 randomly selected schools for this study. Descriptive analysis was used to answer the research questions and lineal Regression was used to test hypotheses. The study found that the level of learning interest, parental support and academic performance were all high among senior secondary schools Islamic Studies Students in Lagos State. Also, the learning interest and parental support does not have significant influence on the Academic Performance of senior secondary schools Islamic Studies Students in Lagos State. Based on these findings, it was recommended among others that students should show high level of learning interest and commitment in the study of Islamic studies; Parents and guardians should show high level of parental support to their children, in order to reinforce learning and enhance their academic performance.

A study of secondary vocational school in the context of the realities of modernization changes in late imperial Russia. Review of the book: Magsumov T.A. Secondary vocational school of the Kazan educational district in the conditions of modernization of domestic education at the end of the XIX – beginning of the XX century. Kursk: Zakrytoe aktsionernoe obshchestvo «Universitetskaya kniga», 2022,

A review of the book by T.A. Magsumov: «Secondary vocational school of the Kazan educational district in the conditions of modernization of domestic education at the end of the XIX – beginning of the XX centuries». The authors concluded that this study is a worthy scientific contribution to the study of secondary vocational education of late imperial Russia. The relevance of the work is determined not only by the insufficient knowledge of a number of issues relating to the field of vocational education in the context of modernization changes, but also by the potential opportunity to use the educational experience accumulated in the Russian Empire at the turn of the XIX – XX centuries to solve currently existing problems in the field of vocational education. T.A. Magsumov consistently and thoroughly presents the development of secondary vocational education in the context of imperial modernization processes during the period under study.

A Study on Attitude of Parents Towards Inclusive Education in Kamrup Rural and Nagaon Districts of Assam

A Study on Attitude of Parents Towards Inclusive Education in Kamrup Rural and Nagaon Districts of Assam

Obstacles to Senior High School Teachers’ Collaboration in the Libode Education District, South Africa

Obstacles to Senior High School Teachers’ Collaboration in the Libode Education District, South Africa

Why is there a gap in self-rated health among people with hypertension in Zambia? A decomposition of determinants and rural‒urban differences

BackgroundHypertension affects over one billion people globally and is one of the leading causes of premature death. Low- and middle-income countries, especially the sub-Saharan Africa region, bear a disproportionately higher share of hypertension globally. Recent evidence shows a steady shift in the burden of hypertension from more affluent and urban populations towards poorer and rural communities. Our study examined inequalities in self-rated health (SRH) among people with hypertension and whether there is a rural‒urban gap in the health of these patients. We then quantified factors driving the health gap. We also examined how much HIV accounts for differences in self-rated health among hypertension patients due to the relationship between HIV, hypertension and health in sub-Saharan Africa.MethodsWe utilized the Zambia Household Health Expenditure and Utilization Survey for data on SRH and other demographic and socioeconomic controls. District HIV prevalence information was from the Zambia Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment (ZAMPHIA) survey. We applied the Linear Probability Model to assess the association between self-rated health and independent variables as a preliminary step. We then used the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition to identify self-rated health inequality between urban and rural patients and determine determinants of the health gap between the two groups.ResultsAdvanced age, lower education and low district HIV prevalence were significantly associated with poor health rating among hypertension patients. The decomposition analysis indicated that 45.5% of urban patients and 36.9% of rural patients reported good self-rated health, representing a statistically significant health gap of 8.6%. Most of the identified health gap can be attributed to endowment effects, with education (73.6%), district HIV prevalence (30.8%) and household expenditure (4.8%) being the most important determinants that explain the health gap.ConclusionsUrban hypertension patients have better SRH than rural patients in Zambia. Education, district HIV prevalence and household expenditure were the most important determinants of the health gap between rural and urban hypertension patients. Policies aimed at promoting educational interventions, improving access to financial resources and strengthening hypertension health services, especially in rural areas, can significantly improve the health of rural patients, and potentially reduce health inequalities between the two regions.

An Evaluation of the Implementation of the Social Studies Curriculum in Ghana: A Case Study of the Asante Akim North District

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Social Studies Curriculum for Senior High Schools in Ghana to determine whether the subject has attained its goal(s). The study took place in the Asante Akim North District. The population for study were all Social Studies teachers and students in the district. The multi-stage sampling technique was adopted for the study and the sample size was 120, made up of 100 students and 20 teachers. The concurrent mixed method approach was adopted. The main instruments used for collecting data were questionnaires, interviews (focus group and semi-structured interview) guide, observation and documentary analysis. Quantitative data were tabulated, organized, analysed and interpreted to draw sound conclusions and generalizations. The data were presented in the form of tables and percentages. Words were used to interpret the tables and percentages for easy understanding. The qualitative data responses were described and explained in the form of themes. Sometimes responses were quoted verbatim to authenticate claims made. The study revealed that most of the teachers who are the curriculum implementers have forgotten the subject's general objectives. Therefore, they teach the subject without any cognizance of the attainment of these objectives. Concerning the findings of the study, it is recommended that the district education directorate should organize periodic workshops, in-service training and seminars for teachers teaching the subject. This will help Social Studies teachers acquire the relevant knowledge and the pre-requisite skills needed to effectively implement the Social Studies curriculum in the Asante Akim North District.”

Teachers' Levels of Professional Commitment

The aim of the study is to examine whether the levels of teachers' commitment to the profession differ according to various variables. Survey model, one of the quantitative research methods, was used in the research. The sample of the research consists of 608 teachers working in primary, middle and high school schools affiliated to the Ministry of National Education in Yakutiye, Palandöken and Aziziye districts of Erzurum province. As a data collection tool in the research; 'The Personal Information Form' and 'The Teachers’ Professional Engagement Scale’ were used. In the analysis of the data, descriptive analyzes, Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis H test were used. It was seen that the teachers' level of commitment to the profession did not show a significant difference according to the variables of age, marital status, professional seniority and graduated faculty, but showed a significant difference according to the variables of gender and teaching level. It has been obtained that the teachers' level of commitment to the profession is very high. It has been determined that female teachers have higher levels of commitment to the profession. It has been concluded that primary school teachers' level of commitment to the profession is higher than that of high school teachers. There was no significant difference according to age, marital status, professional seniority and graduated faculty variables.

Indigenous Pedagogy for Developing Essential Life-Skills of Children in Masaka District, Uganda

Contemporary education practice is widely seen as practices that blend conventional approaches with either new innovations or culturally tested practices. In a situation where being cultural or modern has its own drawbacks, towing the middle position becomes an inevitable choice. The paper presents findings from an exploratory sequential study that examined the influence of Indigenous Pedagogy (IP) on developing children's life skills in Masaka District, Uganda. It was anchored on Lewin's (1922) change theory; likened to Manion and Cohen's (1975) reinvention theory and adopted as a restoration theory. Snow bowling, purposive and stratified random sampling were used to select 44 participants. Twenty (20) key informants including 6 parents, 2 elders, 6 religious, 2 District Education Officers; 2 Ministry officials and 2 local council leaders were interviewed. Twenty-four (24) other respondents participated in three-eight-member Focus Group Discussions (FDGs). The findings portray replicable practices of skilling based on deep-rooted beliefs set on standards that are supported by aspirations in harmony with nature. The study found that methods used by Masaka parents combined theory and practice daily; in lessons that happen where knowledge was situated, mainly through apprenticeship, attachment, heart-to-heart and one-to-one encounters. They also embraced global citizenry based on firm principles of what Africans value. The study concluded that indigenous methods were still useful in grooming children with life skills of productive work, character, positive attitudes, mental acuity and social orientation. It recommends that teacher education institutions require academic programmes blending contemporary with indigenous methods anchored on core African values to prepare pro-cultural-modern teachers. To link the valuable past to the inevitable contemporary ways of knowing, the application of hybrid pedagogy becomes imperative

“Establishing Policy Is Just Step One of Twenty”: How Educational Policy Protections, District Practices, and Leadership Matter to Trans PK–12 School Workers

Background/Context: While trans adults in the U.S. and Canada report higher levels of discrimination and harassment than cisgender adults, but the existing literature lacks comprehensive descriptions of trans school workers’ believes about what would improve working conditions, satisfaction, and safety. Purpose: We interrogate systemic forces shaping PK-12 trans educators’ workplace experiences through two research questions: (1) What educational reforms did trans PK–12 workers believe would improve working conditions? (2) Did greater policy, organizational, and leadership support contribute to improved job satisfaction and safety? Research Design: The critical quantitative study employed cross-sectional, online survey data from 341 trans school workers in Canada and the United States. We used frequencies to descripe respondents’ rankings of reforms and logistic regression analysis to examine whether respondents’ reports of greater policy protections, organizational supports, and affirming leadership constributed to greater workplace safety and satisfaction. Conclusions/Recommendations: Trans workers reporting safer, more satisfactory school workplaces also indicate their workplaces have multiple tools across socio-ecological systems to disrupt cisnormativity. Policy protections topped workers’ rankings of beneficial reforms, but logistic regression analysis revealed policies mitigated only the most egregious physical safety concerns. Greater organizational supports and affirming leaders consistently contribute to satisfaction and safety. Policies, organizational practices, and leadership approaches working in tandem contribute to safe, satisfying workplaces for PK-12 trans school employees.

Tracking District and School Physical Education Time Policies After Legal Adjudication: A Case Study in California

Purpose: Studies tracking changes in physical education (PE) policy adherence after an intervention are scarce. In California, successful litigation against 37 school districts for not providing adequate PE time compelled district schools’ teachers to post PE schedules online or on-site for 3 years. We performed a follow-up study 4 years after the expiration of lawsuit settlement stipulations to determine the level of adherence in the absence of external accountability. Methods: We reexamined the websites of all 37 school districts, 106 schools’ websites that posted time information in spring 2018 (Time 1), and a proportionate 20% random sample of schools’ websites (n = 150) that posted no information at Time 1. We used descriptive statistics and paired t tests to detect differences between Times 1 and 2. Discussion/Conclusion: District websites mostly maintained postings of PE time documents and information, while the proportion of Time 1 posting school websites with such content dropped by 58%–67%. At the school level, compliance to policy mandates was positively, but not permanently impacted by a lawsuit intervention.

미래교육지구의 현황 및 개선 방안 탐색

In this study, we aim to explore the current status and improvement direction of the future education district project in Sasang-gu, Busan. The Ministry of Education has implemented the Future Education District Project to improve the Hope Education District. As part of the Ministry of Education's Future Education District Growth Support Group, we empathized with the experiences and narratives of the departments and staff responsible for overseeing the Sasang Future Education District Project in Busan, sympathized with the issues, and collaboratively explored potential improvements. The results of the study are as follows; First, there were concerns about the sustainability of joint center operation due to changes in the external environment. Second, attention was drawn to the challenge of fostering growth and ensuring the sustainability of the local-community education. Third, we were in a situation where we had to establish the identity and role of village instructors that fit the vision and purpose of the local-community education. In conclusion, it was agreed that the joint operation center, where the Office of Education and local governments cooperate, must be stabilized, support for community-linked education for school members must be strengthened, and a professional educational institution that strengthens the capacity of the local-community education must be established.

부산 사하 미래교육지구의 현황 및 개선 방향 탐색

In this study, we seek to understand the current status of the future education district project in Saha-gu, Busan and explore directions for improvement through the activities of the Ministry of Education’s Future Education District Growth Support Group. The Future Education District is a project promoted by the Ministry of Education to make a qualitative leap in the innovative education district. To achieve this research purpose, we provided consulting support to sympathize with the narratives of Saha Future Education District staff in the Busan region and collaboratively explore issues. As a result of the study, the Saha Future Education District was experiencing difficulties in securing the self-reliance of the people, connecting upper-level schools with community-based education, supporting basic academic skills and literacy education, and communicating and educational cooperation with school members. In response to this, it was agreed that it was necessary to strengthen solidarity and cooperation among local-communities of education, strengthen communication with school members, and improve local-community education programs in line with the philosophy and vision of local-community education. Based on these research results, we discussed the need for activating schools’ voluntary participation, establishing the role and identity of village instructors, strengthening the local education ecosystem model in which the office of education and local governments cooperate, and providing professional education support for those in charge.

Analysis of improving innovative work behaviour of vocational high school teachers in terms of servant leadership with knowledge sharing as an intervening variable

The purpose of this research is to describe the innovative work behavior of vocational high school teachers in terms of servant leadership which is intervened by knowledge sharing. This research uses a quantitative approach with a survey method. The sampling technique was simple random sampling which came from vocational high school teachers from the provinces of East Java, Central Java, West Java, DKI Jakarta, Banten, Riau Islands, and South Sumatra with a total of 165 teachers. Data analysis techniques using descriptive analysis and path analysis. Results: The dimension of the teacher's innovative work behavior, namely with the intent of benefit to the organization has the highest score and the idea promotion dimension has the lowest score. Servant leadership has a positive and significant influence on knowledge sharing with a contribution of 42.3%. knowledge sharing has a positive and significant influence on innovative work behavior with a contribution of 58.4%. Knowledge sharing cannot be an intervening variable of servant leadership on innovative work behavior because the path analysis results show that servant leadership does not directly affect innovative work behavior through knowledge sharing. The implication is that city or district education offices must further enhance the idea promotion exploration of teachers through training or workshops and maintain that with the intent of benefit to the organization of teachers through servant leadership style and knowledge sharing of teachers and school principals.

Law Enforcement for Perpetrators of Sexual Harassment of Elementary School Students from a Criminal Justice Perspective

The rule of law is applied to perpetrators of sexual harassment against students who will be punished. This study aims to provide a deterrent effect to perpetrators of sexual harassment so as not to do it again, prevent others from doing it, and provide justice to victims of sexual harassment. This research uses a quantitative descriptive approach. Perpetrators of sexual harassment against children in Cimacan State Elementary School, Cianjur Regency are the variables studied. This research has obtained an approval letter from the Cianjur District Education Office. Sampling also involved the parents of the school students. The results showed that the government of the Republic of Indonesia made Law number 23 of 2002 concerning Child Protection to protect children in Indonesia. Articles 46, 47, and 48 of Law No. 23 of 2004 on the Elimination of Domestic Violence regulate law enforcement against perpetrators of sexual abuse against children, including fines and imprisonment for a minimum of three years and a maximum of fifteen years. Several articles in the Criminal Code regulate law enforcement against perpetrators of sexual abuse against children, such as Adultery; Rape; Murder; and Molestation.

Students' Perceptions Of Geography Education In Middle And High Schools: The Importance Of Geography Education In The Education Curriculum, Dagana Dzongkhag, Bhutan

A positive perception of the geography subject is crucial for students' academic success and their interest in learning. The identification of students’ perceptions of subjects has been carried out in many educational curricula. However, it is rarely studied in Bhutan. This study explores the students’ performance in middle and higher secondary school and their academic performance in Dagana Dzongkhag (district). To study the students’ perceptions of learning geography, the data were collected from key stages IV and V students using a convergent parallel mixed-methods design from four schools. A total of 282 students, comprising 181 from key stage IV and 101 from key stage V were selected from two middle secondary and two higher secondary schools. The quantitative data were obtained using a survey questionnaire, and the qualitative data were collected from four FGDs (focus group discussions). The findings revealed that the students have positive perceptions of learning geography, irrespective of their stages. There is a significant difference in students’ perception of learning geography between key stages IV and V. The students of key stage V have a comparatively positive perception compared to those in key stage IV. It is evident from this study that students’ perceptions towards the subject would also impact their academic performance. Therefore, to address the research findings, this study recommends the district education office and school management to prioritize geography education and establish proper mechanism to support it through relevant authorities. The study has also opened the way forward for future researchers to explore similar research with a larger population.

Effect of Educational Equity on the Quality of Education in Selected Schools in Kwimba District, Tanzania

This study examined the effect of educational equity on the quality of education specifically, how the equitable distribution of resources affects quality education in public secondary schools in Kwimba district. It employed a mixed research approach with an embedded design and comprised 271 participants, including students, teachers, heads of schools, ward education officers (WEOs), and district education officers (DEOs). The study was carried out in kwimba district, Mwanza Tanzania from July,2023 to September, 2023. Both probability and nonprobability sampling techniques were used to select the participants. The data were collected through questionnaires, interviews and document reviews. The findings revealed that despite the number of challenges, the equitable distribution of resources significantly affected the attendance, retention, and performance rate of students. The results show that equity in resources improves education through the provision of nutrition and food, fee-free programs, the equitable distribution of teaching and learning materials, the construction and rehabilitation of infrastructure, and the allocation of qualified and adequate teachers. Basing on the findings, it was concluded that to improve the quality of education in secondary schools in Kwimba district, there should be a concerted effort to ensure the equitable allocation of educational resources. There should be a collaborative effort among parents, the community and the government to ensure that the challenges that limit students from accessing school resources are minimized or eliminated.