School Management Practices Research Articles

Crises containment management in South African schools: A critical review

Various accidents and incidents occur daily in schools, which can have a lifelong impact on both school learners and their family’s life. These events at schools might lead to physical and psychological symptoms which would affect school learner and educator performance. This critical review searched the peer-reviewed scientific literature that were published (2009 to 2019) to identify contemporary crisis containment management practices in South African schools. We utilised the Search, Appraisal, Synthesis, and Analysis (SALSA) method to examine crisis containment management in South African schools. We included peer reviewed studies that met the following criteria: Published literature, PhD theses, and Master dissertations focusing on school safety. We excluded conference proceedings and studies published in other languages than English. Our search yielded four published articles for this critical review. Applying a qualitative synthesis approach, we identified the three themes: (i) schools are not safe due to various problems hampering effective teaching and learning; (ii) obstacles to ensuring safety within schools; and (iii) policies and skills necessary for crises containment and management. We conclude that policies on physical safety are needed, in addition to equipping educators and other stakeholders with the necessary skills and training in terms of the psychological and emotional safety of the school community.

QUALITATIVE INQUIRY INTO THE PRACTICE OF INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP AND TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS OF ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA

Educational or school outcomes are strongly associated with the quality and/or relevance of leadership style used by principals and its possible influence on the level of teacher job satisfaction. To attain the goals of the school, the principal needs to engage in an effective leadership style to inspire and encourage teachers. The aim of this study is to investigate the public school leadership practice in the theoretical view of instructional leadership and transformational leadership styles. Both theories have been found to encompass leadership practices that enhance teacher job satisfaction and student achievement. Qualitative case study research design was used to investigate the issue. The study participants were selected purposefully from the public school principals and teachers. In this research 34 participants were selected, 24 teaches and 10 principals from the 65 schools. The research participants were interviewed using the semi-structure interview quastions. The data analysis was done concurrently with the interview sessions were takes place. ATLASti version8 was used to organized and generate the codes and themes of the study. Based on the themes the study results were discussed. Addis Ababa public school principals were not fully implemented the instructional leadership and transformational leadership behaviors. The school leadership and management practice was interfered by politicians to execute ruling party interest in the school. Principals were not assigned by their profession and performance, afflation to the ruling party was mandatory to be the school principal. As the result of this teachers were not satisfied and motivated. Teaching and learning was not effectively supported by the school leaders. Thus, study participants perceived that the school leadership was traditional and not practice effective school leadership style like instructional and transformational leaderships style. The study participants stated that transformational leadership behaviour and instructional leadership style have a positive impact on teacher job satisfaction, work commitment and better school performance. In this study, as suggested by the teachers, transformational leadership is a favourable leadership style in order for schools to become effective in their activities. They also agreed that such leadership behaviour is strongly related to improving student achievement.

Analysis of teacher professional development in Tanzania: View point school management practice

The study analyse teacher professional development (PD) in Tanzania in view of school management practice in supporting teacher professional development. The present study take school management practice as a factor which can affect teacher professional development. The instruments which are used for the purpose of data collection were interviews, questionnaires, focus group and documentary review. The study examined the prevalence of teacher’s initiated management practices such as planning & scheduling, short term training programs & seminars, formal mentoring program, meeting held at school level and to encourage teachers on the effective utilization of teachers learning resource. As well the study outcomes recommend the government to increase autonomy to school management to enhance the power to choose specific objective to teacher’s professional development.

Kenya Education Management Institute’s Capacity Building Programme and Public Primary School Head Teachers’ Competencies in Teacher Supervision in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya

Aims: Education is the foundation and pillar of life. The study assessed the influence of Kenya Education Management Institute (KEMI’s) capacity building programme on head teachers' competencies in teacher supervision in public primary schools in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya.
 Study Design: The study adopted a descriptive survey research design.
 Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted in Uasin Gishu County of North Rift region between January and March 2018.
 Methodology: It targeted six Sub-County Education Officers and 471 head teachers in public primary schools in the County. Simple random sampling was used to select 30% (141) of the public primary schools proportionately from each of the six sub-counties in the County. All the head teachers of the public primary schools selected participated in the study. Data was also collected from all the six Sub-County Directors of Education of Moiben, Wareng, Turbo, Kapseret, Ainabkoi and Soy. Data was collected using interviews and questionnaire. Data analysis using descriptive statistics was computed with frequencies, percentages, means, medians and standard deviations. The findings were then presented using, tables, charts and graphs.
 Results: Out of the 132 Head teachers, the research results indicated that there was a strong positive correlation between KEMI’s capacity building programme and head teachers’ competencies in teacher supervision, r (132) = 0.555, P = .05. KEMI should use the information from this study to organize teacher training programmes to improve their schools and put in place strategies to help enhance management practices in schools and ultimately the student academic achievement. The findings of the study may be importance to Kenya Education Management Institute (KEMI) in tailoring their training needs of head teachers to enhance professional development and leadership in schools.
 Conclusion: Based on the findings of the study, it can be concluded that KEMI capacity building program had enhanced head teachers’ competence in monitoring teacher’s performance in class and outside class, and helped them in cultivating good relationship with the teachers and building motivating climate to enhance teamwork among teachers. Further, the findings also indicates that KEMI capacity building program had helped them in appraising teacher’s performance objectively and helped them in providing teacher’s opportunity for professional growth, proper delegation of duties and it had enhanced the recommendation of teachers for upward mobility.

Relationships Between Systematically Observed Movement Integration and Classroom Management in Elementary Schools

Movement integration (MI), which involves incorporating physical activity into regular classroom time, is a research-supported strategy to reduce off-task behavior and support academic performance. However, teachers’ rate of adopting MI has been slow. Teachers are more likely to adopt MI if they perceive it as compatible with their current teaching practices. Accordingly, this study examined relationships between systematically observed MI and other evidence-based classroom management practices in elementary schools. Participants were classroom teachers ( n = 12) and their students ( n = 229). Classroom observations were conducted using the System for Observing Student Movement in Academic Routines and Transitions (SOSMART) and the Brief Classroom Interaction Observation–Revised (BCIO-R). Correlational analyses showed that MI was positively associated with effective instructional management and proactive management strategies, and negatively associated with reactive management strategies and disruptive student behavior. This study demonstrated that MI and other established classroom management practices are co-occurring.

Knowledge Management Practice in General Education Schools as a Tool for Sustainable Development

The already scarce and further dwindling natural resources, increasing environmental pollution, and other environmental, economic, and social challenges that transcend national boundaries necessitate the continuous pursuit of the more responsible implementation of the principles of sustainable development in the public and business sectors, especially in general education schools, as the future and welfare of the society depend on education results. Therefore, the implementation of knowledge management practices in general education schools is one of the efficient ways of achieving the principles of sustainable development and their positive outcomes for society and the state. This research aimed to evaluate the peculiarities of applying knowledge management practices in general education schools for sustainable development. Research methods such as analysis of scientific literature, multiple-criteria assessment, survey, and expert evaluation were used to achieve the goal of the study. The results of the study showed that there is a high potential in general education schools for the application of knowledge management practices to achieve sustainable development. However, general education schools still face a lack of teachers’ motivation and a lack of financial resources to apply knowledge management practices and improve knowledge infrastructure for sustainability.

Public Perception of Solid Waste Management Practices in Nigeria: Ogun State Experience

The effects of poor solid waste management practices in many developing countries have been identified in the literature. This study focuses on understanding the public perception and attitudes of people towards local waste management practices. Five Local Government Areas in Ogun State, Nigeria, were selected based on population, landmass, spatial location, and distribution. The study used a survey that looked into the socio-demographics, household characteristics, and standard solid waste disposal practices at the household and municipal levels. Factors such as frequency of waste collection, presence of environmental task force/protection agency, and level of effectiveness of such task force/agency were all investigated. The study verified the impact of people’s attitudes towards waste management, as well as the effects of monitoring and control on the management of waste. The results showed that significant factors such as age, income, and education levels affect the perceptions, practices, and attitudes of the people towards solid waste management. An average of 36.6% of the people in the selected local governments dispose of their solid wastes at open dumps, with the majority of the residents (54.4%) still with the opinion that sanitation services are too costly and should be the prerogative of the local and state governments to carry out. These outcomes resonate that more efforts by the government and relevant stakeholders should be put into proper enforcement of environmental laws, as well as creating awareness on proper solid waste management practices in schools and public places.

Measuring school leadership and management and linkages with literacy: Evidence from rural and township primary schools in South Africa

This paper describes a process to develop and trial new metrics in South Africa to quantify school leadership and management practices or processes that are considered theoretically related to literacy outcomes. The predictive validity of these measures is assessed in challenging contexts, including 60 township and rural primary schools in South Africa. We observe a randomness to how better leadership and management practices are distributed across better and worse performing schools. Regression analyses confirm weak and inconsistent linkages between measured leadership and management dimensions and literacy outcomes across the sample. However, we find evidence of stronger linkages with intermediate outcomes, including monitoring curriculum coverage. This research contributes to a burgeoning, yet underdeveloped literature on educational management and leadership in Africa and the challenges of measurement in this context.

An Investigation into Factors that Contribute to Learner Migration in South African Schools

The purpose of this study was to investigate the various factors which contribute to learner migration in South African schools and to suggest ways in which learner migration can be addressed. A qualitative research approach was used for the study and data was collected by means of individual – and group interviews. The sample of the study consists of one Expert Management Information System (EMIS) member and one principal from a secondary school in each of the nine provinces as well as four parents and four learners from four of the nine provinces. The final sample were 50 participants (n=50). Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with the 9 EMIS-members and 9 principals, while focus group interviews were conducted with the 16 parents and 16 learners. The findings of the study correspond with the reasons for learner migration in terms of Bronfenbrenner’s bio-ecological theory model. This model is firmly grounded in reality, thereby allowing the researchers to determine how stakeholders are influenced in terms of learner migration. The findings of the study indicate that learners are migrating to other schools due to, inter alia, the new legislative framework, school management and leadership practices of principals, school effectiveness issues, infra structure of schools as well as socio-economic factors. The study underscores the need for structuring the South African learner migration system that is guided by a coherent system of policies that enables principals to manage learner migration effectively.

ASSESSMENT OF SCHOOL RECORD MANAGEMENT IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY

The study was carried out with the purpose of assessing school record management in FCT secondary schools. Record management is the area of administrative management that is concerned with achieving economy and efficiency in the creation, maintenance, use and disposal of records of an organization throughout its life cycle. Implementing good record management practices in schools would provide information for educational planners and administrators, serves as historical source for documenting history of the school. School records comprise all existing and accessible records, books, files and other documents containing useful information that relates to what goes on in the school system They are evaluation tools for accessing progress made by schools and also show evidence of compliance with legislative laws. The descriptive research design was used for this study. The population was drawn from ten (10) secondary schools in FCT. The instrument for data collection comprised of questionnaire titled “Assessment of School Record Management in Secondary Schools in FCT” (ASRMSS). A sample size of eighty respondents from schools was used. Simple percentage was adopted in analyzing the research questions while chi-square was adopted in analyzing the hypotheses. Research findings revealed that the various record books used in schools include: log-book, attendance register, lesson plan, syllabus, staff movement book, visitors’ book, admission and withdrawal register, to mention a few. It was also revealed in the findings that most of the records in school are not properly kept. Also, timely supply of school records, availability of funds, teachers’ training and proper back up of records were the solutions proffered by respondents. It was however recommended that stakeholders in the school should make use of the school’s record books for efficiency purposes. Furthermore, stakeholders should ensure timely update of record materials and finally, delegation and follow-up on record procedures should be given adequate attention by school principals.
 Odeniyi, O. A. | Department of Education Administration and Planning, National Open University, Abuja, Nigeria

Distance Education: Exploring Trends and Issues in the Global Context

With the end goal of informing school management practices, this paper presents a comprehensive review of literature and studies on the trends and issues of Distance Education (DE) in the global context. Due to the development of communication technologies, the change in the modes of Distance Education is very abrupt. Internationalization, cost-effectiveness, access, infrastructure, and quality are some of the trends being faced by our contemporary education system. However, the literature and research findings also revealed that there are some emerging issues in the field such as dropout rates, assessment of students, student concerns, cost-effectiveness, issues related to technology use, and infrastructure. Keywords: Distance Education, trends, issues, e-learning, education, Open University DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-4-15 Publication date: February 29 th 2020

Régimen Académico y Educación Secundaria: Procesos de recontextualización y tensiones en la gestión y culturas escolares

El cambio de Régimen Académico (RA) de la Educación Secundaria de la provincia de Buenos Aires, República Argentina, iniciado como normativa en el año 2011, resultó parte de una política educativa nacional y provincial, orientada a garantizar la obligatoriedad de la escolaridad en el Nivel Secundario en clave del derecho a la educación. Este artículo es el resultado de una investigación educativa cualitativa en la que se analizan los aspectos prescriptivos de la mencionada resolución y sus posibles implicancias pedagógico- didácticas. Por otro lado, se indagan las representaciones de diferentes actores del sistema educativo que se ponen en juego a la hora de gestionar e implementar el RA a nivel del sistema (inspectores) y a nivel institucional (directivos y docentes). Dicha indagación se concentra alrededor de los alcances y los límites del RA para impactar en las herencias y tradiciones que atraviesan la gestión escolar y las prácticas docentes respecto del tratamiento de las trayectorias escolares.

School Management in the Midst of Educational Technology Advancement

This qualitative study has been intended to explore school management practices in the midst of educational technology advancement. Case study research design has been employed to have an in-depth look at practices of a selected school on adopting technology-driven school management in a way that addresses the type of technologies introduced and how they have contributed to school management. Accordingly, the school has so far introduced different educational technologies within a short period of time. Though positive roles of the introduced educational technologies on improving the existing school management have been recognized by regulatory bodies, further content and context-based studies and assessments need to be initiated in a way that enables expansion of the school’s best practices to other private and public schools in the metropolitan.

School Management Practices, Teachers Effectiveness, and Students’ Academic Performance in Mathematics in Secondary Schools of Cross River State, Nigeria

School Management Practices, Teachers Effectiveness, and Students’ Academic Performance in Mathematics in Secondary Schools of Cross River State, Nigeria

Leadership for learning and the characteristics of instructional practice in primary school in Slovenia

The paper explores the connection between leadership for learning and the characteristics of instructional practice in primary schools. The introduction presents an overview of research on the characteristics of contemporary instructional practice and leadership for learning. Through a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches, the study employed the methods of teacher survey, headteacher interviews and classroom observation. Its sample included ten primary schools in Slovenia. The results of the study have revealed a high prevalence of leadership for learning in school management practice. The majority of teachers also take notice of their headteachers' leadership for learning and agree about its importance. Furthermore, the study has shown a high prevalence of the characteristics of contemporary instruction in teaching practice. In our case, however, the high degree of teacher agreement on the importance of leadership for learning and the teachers' confirmation of their headteachers' leadership for learning do not significantly correlate with the existing practice of updating instruction. The causes for this are discussed in the final conclusions.

THE DEPARTMENTAL SCHOOL HEADMASTER´S COMPETENCE IMPORTANT FOR ITS EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP

The competences of school principals of departmental schools are currently insufficiently monitored. The aim of the paper is to define the most important competencies of the school principal of the departmental school, which he needs for effective management of the school. The research methodology is based on a questionnaire survey conducted between 95 students of the 1st and 2nd year of the School Management study program in the academic year 2019/2020 and focused on the analysis of the competences of the school principals of departmental schools important for proper school management and leadership. At the same time, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 students on specific examples of effective management gained in management practices in departmental schools. Research question: Which competencies are most important for effective management of departmental school and leadership?The authors' research results support the assumption that the most important competencies of the school principals of the departmental school include communication skills, general overview, ability to delegate tasks to others, self-management, cooperation and the right choice of co-workers and should be systematically implemented in their further education.

School Closure and Management Practices During Coronavirus Outbreaks Including COVID-19: A Rapid Narrative Systematic Review

Background: COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the WHO on 12 March 2020 and UNESCO reported that day that 49 countries had implemented national or subnational school closures. Evidence for the effectiveness for school closures comes almost entirely from influenza outbreaks, where transmission tends to be driven by children. It is unknown whether school measures are effective in coronavirus outbreaks e.g. due to SARS, or MERS and COVID-19. Methods: We undertook a rapid systematic review of 2 electronic databases and a preprint server to identify what is known about the effectiveness of school closure and other social school social distancing practices on infection during coronavirus outbreaks. Results: We identified 498 articles, of which 13 are included in this review (9 published; 4 preprint articles considered sufficient quality to include). All published papers concerned the 2003 SARS outbreak and 3 preprints concerned COVID-19. School closures were deployed rapidly across China and Hong Kong for COVID-19, however there are no data on the relative contribution of school closure to control of transmission. Data from the SARS outbreak in China, Hong Kong and Singapore suggest that school transmission played no significant role in the outbreak and that school closures did not contribute to control of the epidemic. Modelling studies of SARS produced conflicting results. Conclusions: Available evidence is consistent with a broad range of impacts of school closures, from little benefit for reducing transmission through to more substantial effects. Yet the economic costs and potential harms of school closure are very high. Data from influenza outbreaks suggests that school closures have low benefits in outbreaks with high transmissibility as with COVID-19. Policymakers need to be aware of the equivocal evidence when proposing or implementing school closures for COVID-19, and consideration should be given to other less disruptive social distancing interventions in schools.Funding Statement: No funding was received for these analyses.Declaration of Interests: All authors declare they have no conflicts of interest.

Leadership for learning and the characteristics of instructional practice in primary school in Slovenia

The paper explores the connection between leadership for learning and the characteristics of instructional practice in primary schools. The introduction presents an overview of research on the characteristics of contemporary instructional practice and leadership for learning. Through a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches, the study employed the methods of teacher survey, headteacher interviews and classroom observation. Its sample included ten primary schools in Slovenia. The results of the study have revealed a high prevalence of leadership for learning in school management practice. The majority of teachers also take notice of their headteachers' leadership for learning and agree about its importance. Furthermore, the study has shown a high prevalence of the characteristics of contemporary instruction in teaching practice. In our case, however, the high degree of teacher agreement on the importance of leadership for learning and the teachers' confirmation of their headteachers' leadership for learning do not significantly correlate with the existing practice of updating instruction. The causes for this are discussed in the final conclusions.

Knowledge management strategies for sustaining Lesson Study

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is explore the relative effectiveness of people-based and information technology-based knowledge management (KM) strategies as implemented by principals in Hong Kong schools to facilitate and sustain Lesson Study for teachers’ knowledge sharing and internalization.Design/methodology/approachData from 184 principals in Hong Kong were collected by a cross-sectional quantitative survey. Confirmatory factor analysis and reliability tests have been used to examine the constructed validity and reliability of the instrument. A structural equation model was applied to confirm the predictive effect of people-based and information technology-based KM strategies on teachers’ knowledge sharing and internalization through Lesson Study.FindingsResults show that people-based KM strategy predicts knowledge sharing and internalization by and among teachers. However, while information technology-based knowledge management strategies predict teachers’ knowledge sharing, they do not predict how effectively they internalize knowledge.Practical implicationsCultivating communities of practice, professional learning communities and mentoring schemes in schools can nurture a knowledge-sharing culture to facilitate and sustain Lesson Study for teacher learning. Institutionalizing an information technology system can help teachers to retrieve, share and store the school’s explicit knowledge.Originality/valueThe paper not only suggests school management strategies and practices for school leaders to facilitate and sustain Lesson Study, but also brings a new research dimension, KM, to the research area.

A model for promoting student participation in school governance

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to highlight the urgent need for a genuinely effective and attainable citizenship education model in Hong Kong’s schools, which focusses on promoting student participation in school governance. It is an empirical citizenship education management model for school leaders that illustrates the predictive effects of personally responsible, participatory, justice-oriented and patriotic citizenship, necessarily supported by school management practices, school ethos and teacher beliefs.Design/methodology/approachA total of 3,209 students from 51 secondary schools in Hong Kong participated in a quasi-experimental design questionnaire survey. A structural equation model (SEM) was applied to confirm the model.FindingsThe results of the SEM show that the values and cultural practices held by a school’s teachers drive the implementation of its citizenship education. Moreover, it is well known that organizational values can exert a powerful influence and it is the same within educational structures: management practices in schools have an impact on ethos, teachers’ beliefs and student participation in school governance.Practical implicationsThe paper provides practical proposals for school leaders to create opportunities for student participation in school governance.Originality/valueThis study builds on existing literature and provides school leaders with a practical model for implementing student participation in school governance.