Private Sector Schools Research Articles

The accumulation economy of private schools: extraction, mystification and depletion

ABSTRACT Too few studies of elite private schools consider how they derive power and prestige from their relationships and interactions with other social and political groups and institutions, including the State. This paper contributes to elite school studies by examining the relationality between the Australian State and private sector schools around how government funds public and private education. Of all Australian students, 35.5% attend private schools. All private schools, including elite schools, receive significant amounts of taxpayers’ money. After explaining the complex policy architecture of this funding regime, this paper offers a fresh set of conceptual resources to help deepen the analysis of this situation. We argue that the whole Australian private school sector operates as an accumulation economy, essentially utilising public sector resources to enlarge, enrich and sustain itself. This happens via three dynamics – accumulation by extraction, by mystification and by depletion. We show how elite schools are part of, and benefit from, each.

Navigating The Pedagogical Landscape: A Qualitative Inquiry Into Teachers’ Perceptions And Preparedness For Teaching License In Sindh, Pakistan

Quality of teachers’ development, recruitment, and retention holds substantial value when it comes to delivering quality education. In this paradigm, teaching licensing epitomizes the cornerstone of development as it brings professionalism in teaching, executing strict protocols of compliance with quality measures. In the context of Pakistan, the emergence of the Sindh Teaching License Policy has served as a progressive initiative towards elevating the educational caliber in the province to ensure teachers’ adherence and compliance to certain standards of skills, knowledge, and competence and, in turn, bringing professional proficiency to them. The current study is aimed at exploring teacher’s perceptions and readiness concerning the newly introduced teacher licensing system in the context of the province of Sindh, Pakistan. Data was analysed and presented by conducting a thematic analysis of interviews. Findings revealed that when asked about their perceptions, teachers expressed skepticism about licensing policy implementation, cited resource constraints, showed transparency and accountability concerns, called for better stakeholder engagement and support, and finally demanded clarity on policy, benefits, and its impact on their professional status. Moreover, while discussing their readiness and the barriers they encountered, teachers communicated a lack of readiness for the requirements as they felt the absence of formal training and support by their institutions, and the need for supportive resources and test materials. Furthermore, personal financial constraints, resistance to change, and inequity of access were notably hindering access to licensure at the primary individual levels. On the contrary, the senior educational faculty members recognized the significance and need for the policy initiative and careful implementation of the policy. The challenges highlighted include the involvement of private sector schools, the status of existing teachers, the importance of teacher involvement, and the government's responsibility for support. This research study emphasizes the need for dedicated efforts by policymakers and educational stakeholders to enhance teacher licensing and improve the quality of education in Sindh.

English as Second Language Challenge Faced by Students: Comparative View of Public and Private Sector Students

The present study diagnosed English reading difficulties faced by students among primary school learners in public and private sector schools. To investigate the problem, teachers' perceptions were taken to find out the prevailing situation. A survey study was conducted using a rating scale instrument. Data analysis highlighted significant differences in pronunciation problems, with public school learners encountering more problems. On the other hand, public school learners also experience more problems regarding speed, but the difference between both sectors was not significant. Comprehension problems are comparable between the two groups. Gender-based disparities show that male students in public schools encounter more pronunciation challenges, though overall reading problems are significant for both genders in public schools. Recommendations include targeted programs for pronunciation improvement and enhanced comprehension instruction. This study contributes valuable insights for educators, policymakers, and curriculum developers aiming to address English reading challenges in diverse school settings.

Factors affecting the adoption of digital entrepreneurship: a survey of private schools in Nineveh Governorate in Iraq

Purpose This study aims to determine the factors affecting the adoption of digital entrepreneurship among the pioneers of private schools in the Nineveh Governorate, using the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT). The study seeks to address an academic problem represented by the low level of interest in the research literature on digital entrepreneurship. By contrast, the problem in the field is the failure of several entrepreneurial organizations, in general, and private schools, in particular. Design/methodology/approach The researchers chose the private school sector in the Nineveh Governorate, Republic of Iraq, as the field of study. The targeted individuals represented school founders serving as investors and entrepreneurs, totaling 154 participants. The deductive approach was used as the main research method, with the survey approach as a sub-method. A questionnaire was used for data collection, and the researchers used structural equation modeling software, SmartPLS. Findings The results revealed that constructs such as effort expectation, social influence, facilitating conditions, behavioral intention and experience are factors contributing to predicting the transition to digital entrepreneurship. Research limitations/implications This study contributes to bridging the academic gap identified in previous research and addresses the spatial gap by focusing on private schools in the Nineveh Governorate. It aims to assess the level of interest in adopting digital leadership within this context. Practical implications One of the most important implications of the results of the current research is the potential expansion of the use of digital entrepreneurship by understanding the behaviors of entrepreneurs. This understanding can have positive outcomes in attracting broad segments of society to engage in this type of work due to its low costs, low risks and the absence of the need for practicing licenses. Such an expansion could contribute to the establishment of digital pioneering projects aimed at reducing unemployment in society. Additionally, this study offers insights that can guide policymakers in the country toward establishing digital business incubators that provide a suitable work environment for initiating and supporting such projects. Originality/value The current study presents a unique contribution, represented by using the UTAUT, to identify the acceptance of digital entrepreneurship in private schools in Iraq. This can bring benefits to entrepreneurs and educational policymakers in the country.

Teacher strikes in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico (2012–2022)

ABSTRACT Teacher unrest is an important research object in the literature on teacher unionism in Latin America. This article makes a novel contribution to this traditional topic, presenting statistical data on primary and secondary teacher strikes in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico from 2012 to 2022. This approach highlights important differences in strike activity between the public and private school sectors, between public school teachers in different states within each country, and between the three countries in terms of the configuration of the levels of bargaining at which teacher strikes take place. The category of ‘teacher labour regimes’ allows understanding these differences in a consistently theoretical manner, underlining the role of agents in configuring and reconfiguring labour regimes, the importance of labour control for the labour regime dynamics and the multi-scalar structuration of labour regimes.

Schools’ toilets quality and its relation to urinary tract problems in pupils of primary schools in Hilla city

Abstract Background: Avoiding school toilets might cause irregular or infrequent voiding, which can lead to a variety of urinary issues. In this study, primary school-aged children’s bathroom habits, contributing factors, and relationships to lower urinary tract symptoms were examined. Objectives: The objectives of the study were: (1) to evaluate factors that affect students going to school toilets including toilet facilities and toilet hygiene in children of primary schools; (2) to evaluate urinary symptoms in those children; (3) to differentiate between private school children and public school children; and (4) to evaluate pupils-to-toilets ratio among primary school children. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Hilla city primary schools, and the time of this study was from February 15 to June 15, 2022. This study was conducted on 500 pupils by selecting 10 primary schools in Hilla city randomly (five of them were private schools and other five were public schools). Results: Public school students reported that toilets are significantly more dirty (72.2%) compared with private schools. Similar significant differences were reported regarding the presence of stool/urine on the floor, smell of toilet, lighting of toilet, and availability of soap. The presence of urinary tract infection symptoms (at least one symptom) was found to be significantly higher among public sector schools (53.1%) compared with private sector schools (46.9%), with P value of 0.031. Public schools had significantly higher number of children per toilet (108.0% ± 68.5%) compared with private schools (26.8% ± 7.6%), with P value of 0.030. Conclusions: Toileting habits and urinary tract symptoms were both significantly correlated. Many children influenced by negative perceptions of school toilets have adopted unhealthy toilet habits during school time. Public school students reported that toilets are significantly more dirty compared with private schools.

Emotional and Behavioral Problems Among Higher-grade Students

The current study investigates emotional and behavioral disorders among students in higher grades, focusing on both private and public sector schools. Moreover, the research is conducted in two phases that involve translation and validation of an assessment instrument, followed by administration to a sample of 406 students between the ranges of 13-18 years of age. In phase one, the instrument was translated and the translated version was administered to a sample N = 20. The effectiveness of items within the instruments was addressed and the scale exhibited good internal consistency and reliability. For the main study, the Problem with School Children Scale (PWSCS) was administered to a sample of 406 students with ages ranging from 13 to 18 years. Multiple regression and independent t-tests were used to analyze the data. The result showed that secondary high school students exhibited higher emotional problems as compared to behavioral problems. The finding also revealed that students from private schools face higher levels of emotional and behavioral problems compared to those from government schools. This study also revealed that demographic variables (socioeconomic status and family structure) did not significantly predict emotional and behavioral problems positively, while other demographic variables (gender, illness, and school type) did not significantly predict emotional and behavioral problems negatively among secondary high school students. These results highlight the significance of addressing emotional and behavioral issues among higher-grade students and recommend the importance of targeted interventions in both sectors.

A Study On Satisfaction Level Of School Teachers About Maternity Benefit Act 1961 In Jalandhar

Social security is a basic requirement of any individual or a family. To meet the unseen contingencies of life a robust social security system is required for any nation. Earlier in India women were supposed to take care of the family and family members. Consequently, there were very rare such provisions were available related to maternity benefits as per situation demand. However, during last many years women are emerging in different professions and jobs and competing with men. Now a days women are no less than men in any field. So this is important to protect her rights as and when any special need arises. Focus: The study is about implementation of Maternity Benefit Act 1961 in the schools for the school teachers of Jalandhar. Methodology: The study is based on primary data and a survey was conducted in the private schools of Jalandhar. The respondents were school teachers. Moreover, Secondary data was also collected through previous research papers published in journals, various laws and government reports. Data was analyzed using pie charts and bar diagrams. Findings: The research revealed that private schools teachers were getting maternity leave. However most of respondents were not satisfied with overall implementation of the act. Conclusion: It can be concluded that women face challenges during maternity as they need to take leave. In private sector schools female employees get only leave whereas, they are entitled to all other benefits mentioned in the Act and they are not getting the same.

Organization of Words in the Mental Lexicon: A Psycholinguistic Study

This study investigated organization of words in the mental lexicon of grade 4 students. For this purpose, one hundred students of grade 4 were selected from the sample schools. This study employed a non-probability convenience sampling technique. The word association test was used to collect the data, which involved selecting 40 words from grade 4 English textbooks taught at three different private sector schools under three respective education systems. This study employed quantitative method to collect the responses of sample students in word association test. The data was analyzed by using Fitzpatrick’s (2007) model of classification of association response. The results showed that position-based association, which accounted for 56.95% of the total collected data dominated the distribution of the data; 17.95% of connections were meaning-based; whereas collocation associations were prevalent in position-based association test. The findings of the word association test showed that the participants’ mental lexicon was impacted by their comprehension and use of the target term. The research concluded that in the participants’ mental lexicon, position-based association was the strongest lexical network. The findings implied that teaching vocabulary and its meanings was insufficient for expanding English language learners’ mental lexicon. This study was helpful for English language teachers to teach English vocabulary based on a proper understanding of the organization of the mental lexicon of English language learners.

The Demographic Effect on Information Practices of Pakistan’s Urban Youth

This study aims to investigate the effect of demographics such as number of siblings, province, gender, and age on youth’s everyday information using, managing, and sharing practices. It also exposes the demographic differences regarding information-seeking practices. A good number of studies have been carried out on youth and their information behavior but to observe their everyday information behavior and the impact of demographics very little literature is available. This study is an effort to understand the demographic effects and differences that may lead to designing systems to fulfill their everyday information needs. A quantitative approach was applied with a sample size of 1000 Pakistani urban teen students of private and public sector schools all over Pakistan. Survey methodology was applied; cluster sampling was done with a 5-point Likert scale. The data was collected through Google Forms and all the provinces were part of this survey including ICT and Gilgit Baltistan. Data Analysis was done through SPSS-21. The results revealed demographic variables were found to have a great effect on EIP, these variables were also found to polish up the proficiency of urban teen's everyday information practices. The findings would assist in developing helpful guidelines for urban teens to improve their EIP. This study will also respond to a gap in research by explaining the everyday information practices of urban teens.

Role of Learning Disabilities in Academic Performance among High School Students: Significance of Demographic Variables

The progression of any country lies on the educational progress and potential of the students. It is evident that for improving learning and quality of education, uncountable efforts and resources are spent every year but the educational standards do not meet the expected level. The present study was conducted to find out the role of learning disabilities among high school students and it also aimed to find out the relationship between learning disabilities (LD) and academic performance (AP) of high school students. For which 525 students were taken from different public and private sector schools of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. For the assessment of learning disabilities, the Learning Disabilities Checklist (LDC) (Ashraf & Najam, 2014) was used and the percentage of the marks obtained by the students in their class was taken as a representative of his or her academic performance. It was hypothesized that there would be a significant negative relationship between learning disabilities and academic performance of high school students. Results of Pearson correlation indicated that academic achievement was significantly negatively correlated with learning disabilities among high school students. Results also indicated that male students significantly scored high on reading disability as compared to female students. There was a significant positive relationship of the age with mathematical disabilities among male students with learning disabilities whereas the age was significantly positively associated with reading disabilities among female high school students. Results have important implications in the educational sector and for parental counseling and education as well.

A Comparative Study of L2 Motivational Self System of Elementary Students in Public and Private Schools of Lahore

The English language is considered the most important part of education after seeing its importance in the curricula of many countries throughout the world. The thesis/dissertation investigates the impact of L2 motivational self-system on language learning achievements and proficiency level.Quantitative approach has been used to administrate the relationship between L2 motivational self-system and English language learning.Two public sector and two private sector schools of Lahore were the sample of the study. Close-ended questionnaires were used to administrate the study by collecting data from elementary school students in Lahore.The data was analyzed using SPSS software. The findings of the research showed a noteworthy difference between public and private sector students. The analysis revealed that male participants of the study are more motivated as compared to the female participants but overall, both male and female participants are highly indulged in motivation of English language learning.

Elementary Teachers’ Perceptions and Practices of Real-life Application of Mathematics: A Case of a Private School in Karachi

Mathematics is a practical subject and is very important for developing problem-solving skills in learners that will help them in their everyday lives. Nonetheless, it is an unpopular subject among the school learners due to its complexity and existing teaching pedagogies. Also, it is believed that teachers’ practices are influenced by their perceptions. Therefore, this study endeavoured to explore the perceptions and practices of elementary mathematics teachers regarding the real-life applications of mathematics. Using a case study approach, mathematics teachers from one private sector school were participants in this research. Data collection tools included individual semi-structured interviews with elementary mathematics teachers to uncover their beliefs and classroom observations to gauge their practices. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse the qualitative data collected. Prominent findings illustrated that teachers’ perceptions and understanding of real-life applications of mathematics are limited and are applied minimally in their instructions, while traditional teaching methods dominate the classroom environment. Importantly, participating teachers emphasized the need for teacher training programs focusing on real-life applications in teaching of mathematics. The findings also highlighted that the teachers, school administration, and teacher trainers should work together to revise and adapt pedagogical approaches to effectively integrate real life applications of mathematics into the lessons, enhancing students’ mathematical understanding.

Eğitim Yöneticilerinin Nepotizm Uygulamalarının Eğitimcilere Yönelik Etkilerinin Araştırma Bulgularının Değerlendirmesi

The general purpose of the research is to determine the “evaluation of research findings of the effects of nepotism practices of educational administrators on educators”. For this reason, it was tried to determine the perceptions of teachers working in a school located in Esenyurt district of Istanbul about nepotistic-discriminatory attitudes exhibited by managers by taking into account gender, age, teaching level and years of professional experience. In order to understand whether managers in educational institutions are involved in such nepotistic activities, answers to a number of research questions were sought. In addition, in this research, the reflection of the behavior of managers working in educational institutions on the perception and performance of teachers will be determined. It is aimed to enable people who have an administrative identity in a managerial sense to make self-assessment on their own behavior through an external eye. When the area related to nepotism was scanned in the summer, it was found that studies were mostly conducted on nepotistic behavior in private sector schools. With this study, it is expected that the determinations at the points where public educators are exposed to similar behaviors and this effect is actually maintained in a much more dominant way will benefit the field. For this reason, it will be beneficial to create fair, unifying environments in schools, strengthen communication channels, and adopt an equal distance approach to everyone. Since the decisions taken in any negative situation will be binding on everyone, managers who exhibit an inclusive attitude will thus be able to reduce the perception of favoritism in the teacher. It is thought that the findings obtained as a result of the study will guide institution managers to learn the perceptions of employees related to nepotistic behavior at work; in this context, institution managers will observe their shortcomings and misbehavior, if any, by self-criticism about nepotistic behavior in activities and correct them. Key Words: Education Manager, Nepotism, Educator, Research Findings

Eğitim Yöneticilerinin Nepotizm Uygulamalarının Eğitimcilere Yönelik Etkilerinin Veri Analizinin İncelenmesi

The general purpose of the research is to determine “the analysis of data analysis of the effects of nepotism practices of educational administrators on educators”. For this reason, it was tried to determine the perceptions of teachers working in a school located in Esenyurt district of Istanbul about nepotistic-discriminatory attitudes exhibited by managers by taking into account gender, age, teaching level and years of professional experience. In order to understand whether managers in educational institutions are involved in such nepotistic activities, answers to a number of research questions were sought. In addition, in this research, the reflection of the behavior of managers working in educational institutions on the perception and performance of teachers will be determined. It is aimed to enable people who have an administrative identity in a managerial sense to make self-assessment on their own behavior through an external eye. When the area related to nepotism was scanned in the summer, it was found that studies were mostly conducted on nepotistic behavior in private sector schools. With this study, it is expected that the determinations at the points where public educators are exposed to similar behaviors and this effect is actually maintained in a much more dominant way will benefit the field. For this reason, it will be beneficial to create fair, unifying environments in schools, strengthen communication channels, and adopt an equal distance approach to everyone. Since the decisions taken in any negative situation will be binding on everyone, managers who exhibit an inclusive attitude will thus be able to reduce the perception of favoritism in the teacher. Key Words: Education Manager, Nepotism, Educator, Data Analysis

The Impact of Private Schools, School Chains and PPPs in Developing Countries

Abstract The private school sector has expanded with almost no public intervention to educate half of primary school children in many urban centers in Africa and Asia. Simple comparisons of test scores would suggest that these private schools may provide better quality than public schools, but how much of this difference is due to selection effects is unclear. Much donor and policymaker attention has proceeded on the basis that private schools do perform better, and focused on models of public subsidy to expand access, and investment in networks or chains to encourage expansion. We review the evidence of the effects of private schools on learning, and how that effect translates to public-private partnerships (PPPs). We also study the effects of private school chains. We conduct a systematic review for eligible studies, with transparent search criteria. The search resulted in over 100 studies on low-cost private schools and PPPs, with a large majority being on low-cost private schools. Our meta-analysis shows moderately strong effects from private schooling, although the limited number of experimental studies find much smaller effects than quasi-experimental studies. This advantage, though, is not nearly enough to help most children reach important learning goals. Turning to policy goals, we find that the private school advantage has not translated to public private partnerships, which have shown limited value in improving quality. They can however represent a lower-cost means of increasing access to school. We also find that private school chains perform little better than individual private schools and have little scope for achieving meaningful scale.

Comparative Analysis of ESL Learning in Public and Private Sectors at Primary Level in District Khairpur

The present study comparatively analysis of ESL learning in public and private sectors at the primary level in district Khairpur. The researcher used both qualitative and quantitative methods for data collection. This study was conducted in the district of Khairpur Sindh and the population of the study was educated persons from different areas of district Khairpur. The researchers face to face met 180 educated persons and asked the questions which they have included in the printed questionnaire. The data was gathered and analyzed by using mathematical analysis and presented in the tables. The findings of the study revealed that private-sector primary schools’ performance is better than public-sector primary schools’ performance regarding ESL learning. The findings also disclosed that the English language as a medium of instruction in private schools enhances ESL learning. While the public sector schools are not using English as a medium of instruction so far behind private sector schools.

Investigating the Conflict Management Styles of Leadership in Secondary Schools through Structural Theory of Conflict

Conflict exists in all kinds of work settings no matter how much you attempt to avoid it, if you work with people the chances are you will have to deal with conflict at some point. Conflict management has received much attention in the organizational literature in the recent past; because of a shift in attitudes toward conflict in organizations. This study focused on the conflict management styles of the principals of public and private sector schools. The study employed a survey; the population consisted of all the ‘secondary school principals of Bangi Selangor Malaysia. To test the instrument and determine sample size through formula, a pilot study was conducted, and the sample size was 154. For six research and four demographic variables, a 5-point Likert scale was used to record the responses. The study concluded that leadership should not suppress or resolve the conflict, but shall manage it in consultation with the supervisor and other employees. Since the principal’s conflict management styles affect the member’s behavior and eventually the organization’s performance. Therefore, different types of conflict management styles should be applied based on the appropriate situation, and that requires the ability of a manager to adapt their behavior according to the different situations to meet the needs. At the same time, trust is also an essential component that plays a role as the foundation of relationships, which is especially important when it comes to teamwork.

Impact of Nutritional Insufficiency on Nutritional Status of Adolescents in low and high Income Socio Economic Group

Background: Adolescence is the most crucial period with uplifted energy need that demands an intense nutritive care for fulfillment of complete good wellbeing in the upcoming life course and evaluation of the nutrient inadequacy as a part of their daily routine tells about diet quality which is an essential element at every stages of a human life. Aim: To assess the energy insufficiency of adolescents in low and high socioeconomic status as it has high significance in the growing stages because it affects both the physiological and psychological aspects of overall well-being. Method: This was a comparative cross-sectional study. The research was conducted on 410 adolescent girls and boys with age ranging from 10 to 14 years of Lahore from public and private sector schools selected through lottery method that basically reflects low and high socioeconomic background effects with detailed energy intake analysis and association of nutritional status to the total energy consumed per day of these groups. The data was collected on the basis of a questionnaire consisting of demographics and 24-hr recall calculated by taking an average of the last 3 days’ food intake. Results: The results revealed that adolescent groups belonging to high socioeconomic class were more in the normal health status, had less energy insufficient values and better food quality than adolescents from low socio economic class. Practical implication: The study will provide light to do in depth research should be conducted in the community in innovative ways for the better understanding of nutritional health related problems and its solutions for the children as well as adolescents as the new generation are the future of our beloved country. Conclusion: The result shows that as socioeconomic status tends to get better, diet quality improves and encourages a healthy lifestyle as compared to those living in improvised conditions. Keywords: Adolescence, Nutrient Inadequacy Energy Insufficient, 24-Hr Recall

Teachers' Views on the Role of Leadership in the Implementation of Total Quality Management

The purpose of this research is the identification of the Greek teachers’ opinions concerning the role of the schools’ principals in the implementation of the five dimensions of total quality management. For the measurement of the total quality management’s dimensions, SERVQUAL model was used. For the identification of the leadership styles followed, the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire was used. The research sample consists of 217 teachers of Thessaloniki region in Greece, who are working to schools that operate in both public and private education. The questionnaire was online distributed and the convenience sampling, in combination with the avalanche method, were followed. The main results of the present research concern the positive correlation between all dimensions of total quality management with the transformational and transactional leadership style and their negative correlation with the laissez-faire leadership style. In addition, they relate to the identified statistically significant difference between the schools that operate on public and private sector, in the tangibles’ dimension, in which the public sector lags behind the private sector. Finally, in both the private and public sector schools in Greece, the most prevalent leadership styles are transformational and transactional, and the least prevalent is the laissez-faire leadership style, where no statistically significant differences were identified between the two sectors in terms of the leadership style that is followed.