Education Policy Research Articles

The role of school leaders in developing inclusive practices in Icelandic compulsory schools

ABSTRACT Icelandic education policy has a strong focus on inclusive education, but available Icelandic evidence indicates a lack of well-defined procedures in schools and municipalities aimed at inclusive education. Research literature has placed emphasis on the central role that school leaders play in developing inclusive schools. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to develop an understanding of school leaders’ role in developing inclusive practices in Icelandic compulsory schools. Inclusive practices refer to the strategies, approaches, and frameworks created to ensure that all students, regardless of their abilities, backgrounds, and learning needs, can participate fully in educational opportunities. Data collection took place between May 2022 and January 2023. Interviews were conducted in two compulsory schools and in this paper, we build on 8 interviews with 14 teachers and school directors. The interviews were recorded and then transcribed verbatim before the thematic analysis commenced. The findings are introduced according to three main themes: Inclusive school leaders’ role in setting direction, Inclusive school leaders’ role in organisational development and Inclusive school leaders’ role in human development.

(Re)configurations of public education: marketisation, teacher professionalism, and individual rights of students and educators in Norway and Sweden

ABSTRACT This article studies the (re)configurations of ‘public education’ in Norway and Sweden by empirically unpacking connections between marketisation, teacher professionalism and schools’ mandate to secure the individual rights of students and teachers. These countries share considerable common cultural and political history; however, they display varying trajectories and configurations in both educational policy and practice. This makes these cases particularly useful for comparing how ‘publicness’ and ‘public education’ are (re)configured in the two Nordic welfare states. This comparative exploration is framed by four dimensions of public schooling regarding national policy set-ups expressed through control, access, funding, and teaching. The data includes official policy documents, such as legislation and government reports. We unpack and discuss commonalities and differences by relating them to multiple issues of (re)configured ‘publicness’ and its implications. Moreover, we argue that the differences in the degrees to which inflows have shaped the Norwegian and Swedish education systems (despite their similarities) offer valuable opportunities for exploring (re)configurations of the notion of publicness.

Women’s Investment Decision: An Examination of Risk Tolerance and Financial Literacy

“This study investigates the impact of Digital Financial Literacy (DFL), Access to Technology (AT), and Socioeconomic Status (SES) on Financial Decision-Making (FDM). Using a sample of 147 participants, the research employs regression analysis to reveal significant positive relationships between DFL, AT, and SES with FDM. Findings indicate that higher levels of digital financial literacy and improved access to technology enhance individuals' ability to make informed financial decisions. Furthermore, SES is shown to play a crucial role in shaping financial behavior. The study's insights underscore the need for targeted educational initiatives and policies aimed at improving digital financial literacy, particularly among economically disadvantaged populations. This research contributes to the understanding of factors influencing financial decision-making and offers recommendations for stakeholders aiming to foster financial inclusion in an increasingly digital landscape.”

Educational quality policies and student satisfaction in public and private universities in Peru

Educational quality policies are a basic principle that every Peruvian university educational institution pursues in accordance with Law No. 30220, with the objective of training highly competent professionals who contribute to the development of the country. This study to analyzes educational quality policies with the student’s satisfaction of public and private universities in Peru, according to social variables. The study was descriptive-comparative, quantitative, non-experimental, and cross-sectional. One thousand (1000) students from two Peruvian universities, one public (n = 500) and one private (n = 500), were purposively selected by quota using the SERVQUALing instrument. The findings indicate a moderate level of satisfaction reported by 49.2% of participants, with a notable tendency towards high satisfaction observed in 40.9% of respondents. These results suggest that most students perceive that the actual state of service quality policies are in a developmental stage. The results, therefore, indicate that regulatory measures, including university laws, licensing, and accreditation, significantly influence outcomes. These measures are essential for the effective functioning of universities. In addition, the analysis revealed that female and male students at private universities showed higher levels of satisfaction with the educational services offered. It is concluded that educational quality policies in Peru are still being executed, because the implementation of the University Law is in process, according to the satisfaction of the student, this must be improved in central aspects such as optimizing human resources, infrastructure, equipment, curricular plans that differ from the public to the private university, In addition, this should lead to improving and redefining current policies on educational quality and the economic policies that finance the educational service.

The politicization of education policies: The case of Ghana’s Free Senior High School Policy

While many scholars recognize and criticize the politicization of education policies, scholarly attention to the strategies politicians utilize to politicize educational policy discourses remains limited. Focusing on the officials of Ghana’s two major political parties, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), as policy actors, this paper investigates how officials of these two parties operationalized discussions regarding Ghana’s Free Senior High School Policy (FSHSP) to garner support for their parties while stoking resentment for their political opponents. The study employs a critical discourse analysis (CDA) framework and a dataset of 175 documents, including news stories, press releases, party manifestos, and government publications. The analysis reveals that both parties resorted to strategies of positive self-presentation and negative other presentation. The NPP contrasted its regime with the NDC’s tenure and framed the NDC as a threat to FSHSP and the education of the poor and vulnerable. The NDC problematized and highlighted implementation bottlenecks while framing the NPP and FSHSP as threats to quality education. I argue that through these strategies, NPP officials aimed to maintain incumbency while NDC officials advocated a regime change. The paper concludes by emphasizing the potential risks associated with politicizing education policies.

Language Policies and Ideologies for Socialization and Identity-Building in U.S. Schools: The Case of Newcomer and Refugee Students in Arizona and New York

Although multilingualism is a major issue in educational policies, especially in states hosting a high number of newcomer immigrant students, there is limited research exploring the experiences of a multilingual group of newcomer students and how they use language in schools. This article draws on 112 interviews with students from an immigrant background across four high schools in Arizona and New York. We illuminate the role of language in shaping identity and inclusion. Through conceptualizing power and language ideology, we find that language ideologies and practices shape the perception of students’ social interactions in school settings. Our findings also indicate that teachers’ practices and school policies surrounding language(s) have the potential to affect how students view language in relation to their own identity and via social interactions. We contribute to an understanding of how language policies and ideologies shape the experiences and power dynamics of diverse, multilingual, immigrant-origin students.

Fostering Critical Digital Literacy Through Podcasting, Collaborative Work, and Oral Interaction

Introduction: Mastering a second or foreign language, especially oral communication, is complex and challenging, influenced by external pressures as seen in Colombia's education and language policy reforms, which compel teachers and institutions to address how to develop language skills with students. Objective: This study aimed to explore how collaborative podcast development, as a critical digital literacy practice, can enhance 11th graders' oral and critical interaction in English. Methodology: Conducted in a public school, the research employs a qualitative approach within a case study methodology. Although quantitative techniques like checklists and questionnaires were used for data collection, the study maintains a qualitative design. Through semi-structured interviews with a subgroup of five students, participants reflect on their experiences of collaborative learning and interaction in English while constructing a podcast. Data was analyzed using a triangulation method. Findings: Thematic analysis revealed that collaborative podcast development promoted English oral interaction among participants, fostering collaboration, exchange of thoughts and feelings, and increased language confidence. Discussion and Conclusions: The study advocates for a reexamination of digital practices in the classroom to promote English oral interaction from a critical perspective. It recommends collaborative podcast development as a digital practice to enhance oral interaction, empowering students to use English in social and academic contexts.

Environmental Taxation and Sustainable Environmental Protection - Reality or Myth? An Integrative Review

The increase in environmental pollution has different origins, and in each of them we can observe the actions and activities of human beings, whether natural or legal persons. In response to this, the legal figure of the environmental tax has been applied as a strategy and means of income to prevent, compensate for environmental damage and improve ecological quality, constituting a route to improve sustainable environmental protection. In this sense, this article examines, based on the scientific literature, the relationship between environmental taxation and sustainable development. The research topics are varied in terms of methodologies and theoretical perspectives, and the relationship between environmental taxes and their objectives remains controversial. The main findings of the review highlighted the importance and purpose of taxes; the difference between types of taxes; the justification for tax collection; and the orientation of the resources raised towards improving environmental protection and sustainable environment, which allows us to conclude on the need to reflect on the implementation of viable environmental policies aimed at ensuring social justice. In this sense, policy makers must have the appropriate profile that demonstrates expertise since sustainable development encompasses the protection of the environment by reducing pollution with educational and awareness-raising policies. Received: 11 July 2024 / Accepted: 30 October 2024 / Published: 05 November 2024

Learning the Concepts of Magnetic Effects of Current through Experiential Learning Approach as Envisaged in National Education Policy 2020

Learning the Concepts of Magnetic Effects of Current through Experiential Learning Approach as Envisaged in National Education Policy 2020

Enhancing South–South Ties: Some Effects of Educational Collaboration between Brazil and PALOP

ABSTRACT This article discusses the dialogue and circulation of scientific knowledge in the South-South context between Brazil and the African Portuguese Speaking Countries (PALOP), focusing on the Political Science and Political Sociology fields. The main questions are: What strategies have been implemented to foster educational cooperation between Brazil and African countries? How much and for whom do these policies provide educational opportunities? Methodologically, the analysis covers historical, political, and diplomatic aspects that have driven collaboration between Brazil and PALOP in education. We based our analysis on a qualitative literature review, triangulated with quantitative data from Brazilian educational policies. The main conclusion is that Brazil has played a relevant role in training PALOP professionals in recent decades through its foreign policy in the educational field, enabling an epistemic dialogue between Africa and Latin America. Therefore, educational cooperation establishes bridges connecting the Brazilian way of thinking and building Social Sciences and the scientific approaches developed in the PALOP, which can serve as an example for other countries that want to strengthen South-South knowledge production.

Applying a Support Vector Machine (SVM-RFE) Learning Approach to Investigate Students’ Scientific Literacy Development: Evidence from Asia, Europe, and South America

Cultivating scientific literacy is a goal widely shared by educators and students around the world. Many studies have sought to enhance students’ proficiency in scientific literacy through various approaches. However, there is a need to explore the attributes associated with advanced levels of scientific literacy, especially the influence of contextual factors. In this context, our study employs a machine learning technique—the SVM-RFE algorithm—to identify the critical characteristics of students with strong scientific literacy in Asia, Europe, and South America. Our research has pinpointed 30 key factors from a broader set of 162 contextual factors that are indicative of outstanding scientific literacy among 15-year-old secondary school students. By utilizing student samples from the three continents, our study provides a comprehensive analysis of these factors across the entire dataset, along with a comparative examination of the optimal set of key factors between continents. The findings highlight the importance of these key factors, which should be considered by educational policymakers and school leaders when developing educational policies and instructional strategies to foster the most effective development of scientific literacy.

Paramedicine educators’ identity needs and impediments to professional emergence: A multiphase mixed-methods participatory approach

This research delves into how identity-needs and philosophies of paramedicine educators influence theoretical advancement and praxis in higher education. It examines the perceptions of paramedicine academics, their roles and the transitional challenges when moving from clinical practice to academia. It explores the potential of transformative pedagogy in fostering social consciousness, justice, and innovation. Challenges and benefits of a constructivist approach to paramedicine education and future-orientation is assessed. Employing a multiphase mixed-methods participatory approach, researchers reached consensus on the guided themes (Phase 1) for staff collaborative engagement (Phase 2) during the inaugural ‘Paramedicine Educators Forum’, which featured participation of academic leaders and staff from four universities and one jurisdictional ambulance service. The study unveils the intricate tapestry of paramedicine educators' identities and philosophies and their impact on theoretical advancements and practical applications in higher education. Conversations revolved around defining the role of paramedics in academia, the potential of transformative pedagogy, and the balance between producing competent paramedics whilst nurturing criticality. Discussions also addressed the shortcomings of current undergraduate degrees in preparing students for technological advancements and the potential for extended degree programs. The findings underscore the need to adapt paramedicine education to meet the evolving demands of the profession, with paramedicine educators playing a leading role in this transformation. These insights may be instructive in providing guidance for educational policies and practices that shape the future of paramedicine education and may have transferability for other allied health professions.

Evaluation of emergency nurses’ knowledge of medical response in nuclear and radiological emergencies : a cross-sectional study

BackgroundEvaluating emergency room nurses’ knowledge of radiation protection, health effects, and decontamination procedures is crucial for preparedness in nuclear and radiological emergencies. This study aims to evaluate the level of knowledge among emergency nurses in Saudi Arabia regarding medical responses to nuclear and radiological emergencies.MethodsA multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted via a self-structured questionnaire with 15 true‒false questions divided into three domains, namely, radiation protection measures, radiation health effects, and decontamination procedures, each with five items and a possible score of 1 point per correct answer. The collected data were analyzed via descriptive and inferential statistics. The study followed the STROBE checklist for methodological rigor.ResultsA total of 594 emergency nurses participated in this study, with the majority being young (64.50% aged ≤ 30), female (68.69%), bachelor’s degree-holding (67.68%), single (63.64%), having ≤ 4 years of experience (56.06%), working in public health facilities (88.89%), and lacking training in medical response (85.35%). The mean knowledge scores for participants were highest for radiation exposure effects (3.27 ± 0.91), followed by radiation protective measures (2.32 ± 0.99), and lowest for decontamination procedures (1.46 ± 1.07). Overall knowledge was measured at a mean score of 7.06 ± 1.68, with 97.47% of the nurses categorized as having poor knowledge level. Nurses in private hospitals scored higher (7.77 ± 1.82) than those in public hospitals (6.97 ± 1.65) on overall mean knowledge (P = 0.034). Concerning findings include emergency nurses’ misconceptions about the protection provided by dense materials, the effectiveness of increasing distance from a radiation source, and prioritizing decontamination of victims over life-saving measures. Additionally, they were unaware of the immediate symptoms following radiation exposure and misunderstood that the primary threat in a radioactive bomb event is the explosion rather than the radiation itself.ConclusionThis study revealed poor knowledge among emergency nurses regarding medical responses to radiation emergencies and highlighted the critical need for enhanced and standardized training in radiation emergency preparedness among nurses. The gaps in knowledge identified in this study could significantly impact the effectiveness of healthcare responses in radiation emergency scenarios. Therefore, targeted educational interventions and policy changes are recommended to address these shortcomings.

Faglig forankra, fagovergripende – og med fotfeste i profesjonen

In this overview study, we analyse student teachers’ master’s theses in Norwegian L1 from the first cohort of the five-year integrated master’s program for primary and lower secondary school teachers. We investigate what characterises the theses in terms of subject topics, interdisciplinary perspectives, and data sources. The data, consisting of summaries of 199 master’s theses, was collected from all teacher education institutions in Norway. The data is analysed by means of both quantitative and qualitative categories. Our qualitive content analysis reveals that literature, reading, writing, and multilingualism are the main academic foci. Additionally, many students incorporate interdisciplinary themes such as public health and life skills or linguistic and cultural diversity. Very few theses address topics requiring knowledge of language as a system, or historical topics. Furthermore, most students collect data from schools, often through interviews. The analytical findings are discussed in light of academic and educational policy issues, such as the content and framework of the L1 subject and the tension between professional and academic orientations in teacher education. Thus, the study contributes to discussions about master’s theses in teacher education in general, and, more specifically, about the operationalisation of the Norwegian L1 subject in schools and teacher education.

Situating inservice teacher training in reform community of developing holistic competence to engage practice

This article investigates the situating of inservice teacher training (TT) in teaching-learning, education, and other sector reform communities for developing holistic competence to engage practice. It vignettes a holistic inservice TT resilience to situate in an often transient reform community of developing capacity to engage practice, including competence-based education (CBE) reform that often spews vague ideas in pieces amid low incentive and commitment to undergo practice. To assist, this article adopts the situated learning lens to investigate the extent to which contextualising inservice TT in authentic teaching-learning reform community resources develops competence to engage practice. In this holistic regard, the article mixes text, interview, and questionnaire methods involving 420 Cameroon inservice TT-CBE reform community subjects as part of the global education-for-all-practice reform flow. From findings, few teachers undergo narrow inservice training and lead few partners in reform oration, resenting few means and evading complex teaching-learning reform community practices. Inservice TT’s bare oration of public education policy and reform community changes prepares teachers to facilitate teacher-centred acquisition of less competence than what learners need to engage practice. The article opines ongoing inservice TT preplanning-research, onsite activity, and outcome sustainability themes to further situate in authentic reform community resources to develop holistic competence to engage complex practice.

School Inclusion at the Federal Institute of Amapá: a Case Study at the Macapá Campus

Objective: The objective of this study is to analyze the perceptions of teachers and students about the school inclusion of students with special educational needs (SEN) at the Federal Institute of Amapá (IFAP), Macapá campus, focusing on the adequacy of pedagogical practices and institutional infrastructure. Theoretical Framework: The research is based on the concepts of school inclusion, accessibility, and teacher training for specialized services. References such as the Salamanca Declaration and Brazilian legislation on inclusive education provide theoretical support. Method: A descriptive study with a qualitative approach was conducted, using semi-structured interviews. Participants included 7 students with SEN, 18 teachers, and the coordinator of the Nucleus for the Support of People with Special Educational Needs (NAPNE). Data analysis followed Bardin’s content analysis method (2016). Results and Discussion: The included students expressed satisfaction with the physical and pedagogical structure but identified areas for improvement. Teachers, on the other hand, pointed to a lack of training and capacity as barriers to full inclusion. The discussion highlights the need for ongoing adjustments to ensure a more inclusive educational environment. Research Implications: The study emphasizes the importance of educational policies that promote continuous teacher training and the adjustment of educational institutions, contributing to the construction of a more inclusive school environment. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature by providing a comparative analysis of the perceptions of teachers and students regarding school inclusion in the context of technical and technological education, expanding the debate on challenges and progress in this field.

Overcoming the Challenges of Including Learners with Visual Impairments Through Teacher Collaborations

In this article we report on a study undertaken with 255 teachers working with learners with visual impairments. The focus of our discussion is teachers’ implementation of inclusive education policies with learners with visual impairments in full-service schools in South Africa. We foreground the ways in which the teacher participants relied on teacher collaborations to overcome some of the challenges they faced as a result of limited resource provisions in schools in this country. We implemented an instrumental case study design and followed the approach of participatory reflection and action (PRA). The sample included teachers (n = 255) from seven full-service and ten special schools from five provinces in South Africa. In addition, 50 expert stakeholders who work in the field of visual impairment were involved. For data generation and documentation, we utilised PRA-based workshops, the observation-as-context-of-interaction method, audio-visual techniques, field notes, and reflective journals. The findings of our research confirm that full-service schools face distinct challenges regarding limited resources as well as teachers that are inexperienced to accommodate learners with visual impairments. Even though the teachers in our study were initially reluctant to implement inclusive education practices, their collaboration with fellow teachers and other informed stakeholders enabled them to address some of the challenges they experienced and implement inclusive practices. They subsequently formed a team and learnt from one another to facilitate positive changes through the implementation of inclusive practices, thereby following a socio-ecological approach to inclusive practices in full-service schools in South Africa.

Negotiating the structural and personal intensities of gender, affects and whiteness through culturally responsive becoming in mathematics

ABSTRACT Marked by growing cultural diversity of the student body alongside education policies grounded in whiteness, the Australian education system is both evolving while tethered to past and ongoing colonial power. Amidst these tensions, we are concerned with how schools and teachers become culturally responsive. Most Australian teachers are not only White but female, thus the White female teacher’s relation to the culturally diverse learner is structural. Utilising life history methodology, we explore how White female mathematics teacher, ‘Lara’ negotiates these relations in a learning area synonymous with exclusion. We argue: 1) culturally responsive becoming in White Australia involves disrupting whiteness; 2) whiteness in the educational encounter is not only raced but gendered and so too is school mathematics; 3) disrupting the exclusivity of mathematics has broader implications. The paper contributes to Australian scholarship on culturally responsive schooling by bringing whiteness and gender more sharply to the fore.

Marcuse, Capitalism, and the One-Dimensional Student

AbstractDrawing on critical theorist Herbert Marcuse’s analysis of modern technological society in his 1964 book, One-Dimensional Man, this article argues that the forces of one-dimensionality that characterize citizens under capitalism have necessarily found their way into schools, leading to what we see as an epidemic of the one-dimensional student. Where other scholars have focused on the impacts of capitalism on schooling and possible structural reform efforts through educational policy, this analysis takes seriously the role of the individual in overcoming an all too easy tendency toward one-dimensional thinking. Applying Marcuse’s fundamental concepts of one-dimensionality, the authors point to the ways in which schools and society actively teach and promote one-dimensionality. Through this application of Marcuse to the field of education, the authors uncover the subtle ways that schools shape the consciousness of students, and in doing so perpetuate one-dimensional society. The article concludes with a number of solutions that reassess educational aims to be more in tune with the sharpening of critical consciousness, or what Marcuse calls negative thinking, for the sake of freedom of self and society.

Kepemimpinan Perempuan dalam Lembaga Pendidikan Islam

Women's leadership in Islamic educational institutions is the primary focus of this research. This study aims to delve into the contributions, challenges, and policy implications of women's leadership in the context of Islamic education. Employing a qualitative approach and literature review method, this research analyzes various theories and related studies to compile a comprehensive overview of this issue. The findings indicate that women's leadership significantly contributes to the development of Islamic education, both academically and morally. However, challenges such as gender stereotypes, lack of institutional support, and societal perceptions remain obstacles that need to be overcome. A deep discussion on the factors influencing the success or failure of women in leadership positions provides insights into strategies that can be implemented to strengthen women's roles in Islamic educational institutions. Recommendations for educational institutions, governments, and society include enhancing inclusive leadership development programs, implementing gender equality policies, and educating the public about the importance of gender inclusion in education. The implications of this research for Islamic education policies and practices highlight the need for transformation to create a more representative and inclusive learning environment. Thus, this research has the potential to provide guidance for policymakers to enhance women's participation in Islamic educational leadership more broadly.