Work In Public Schools Research Articles

Gestão da qualidade de vida no trabalho em escolas públicas: Indagações em escolas municipais

Gestão da qualidade de vida no trabalho em escolas públicas: Indagações em escolas municipais

Social Media Use in Primary and Secondary Education Institutions as a Communication Tool in the Framework of School Culture

The schools, as social institutions, form a unique school culture with their characteristics, shared values, and beliefs. The social foundations of education are closely related to the environment. One of the factors affecting school culture is communication with its environment as the school interacts with its environment. Schools realize institutional communication, which has an important place in their culture, through different tools. This study aims to determine the use of social media tools as a communication tool in primary and secondary education institutions within the framework of school culture. In the study, the use of social media tools in educational institutions was revealed in line with the opinions of school social media managers. Conducted with a case study approach by qualitative research methodology, the study group of the research was determined by maximum diversity sampling from purposeful sampling methods. The interviews were conducted with the participation of 18 school social media managers working in public schools at different levels and with different socioeconomic levels in Istanbul. Social media managers are teachers, and 15 of these teachers also have administrative duties (1 is a school principal, and 14 are vice principals) in the same school. The data were collected through a semi-structured interview form and analyzed using a content analysis approach. The results of the study revealed that schools prefer Instagram more frequently and that school social media managers use their social media accounts for sharing information and news and promoting the school. The ethical principles followed by schools in social media administration were collected in the categories of respecting personal rights and private life, sharing content related to the institution, compliance with the legislation, the posts reflecting the values, being shared with the decision of the commission, using Turkish correctly, and student and parent satisfaction. The participants stated that they strive to establish two-way communication with their followers in their social media accounts and that social media contributes to their organizations more frequently in terms of usefulness, advertising and promotion, and stakeholder satisfaction.

EXAMINATION OF THE REASONS THAT LEAD TEACHERS TO ABANDON THE CURRICULUM

Educators may occasionally neglect certain parts of the curriculum that they consider relatively unimportant. There are instances when inadequate time and pupils' readiness for central examinations are cited as justifications for these occurrences. The aim of this research was to examine the reasons that lead teachers who teach courses that are tested on the Upper- Secondary School Entrance Exam, which is the central exam for 8th graders, to ignore the curriculum according to the opinions of the teachers. The research was designed according to the case study, a type of qualitative research. The study group of the research consists of a total of 15 teachers, 6 of whom work in private schools and 9 of whom work in public schools, in the province of Hatay in the 2021-2022 academic year. A purposive criterion sampling method was used to select the teachers. Research data were collected through a semi-structured interview form and analyzed by content analysis method. It was found that most of the teachers interviewed ignored or abandoned the curriculum because of central exams or external pressures. It was stated that some reasons related to school administrators, parents and students forced teachers to make changes in course teaching methods and processes or forced them to abandon the curriculum. Keywords: Educational curriculum, commitment to the curriculum, curriculum abandonment, central exams, teacher examinations

A Comparative Study of Leadership Attributes of Pakistani and Indonesian Principals in Public Schools

Research studies have shown that leadership plays a significant role in improving schools across various educational settings and countries. This study examines the leadership attributes of principals from Pakistan and Indonesia and their correlation with specific leadership styles. A male principal from Pakistan and a female principal from Indonesia working in junior high public schools participated in this qualitative descriptive study. The data were collected using the research instrument, namely ‘Leadership Attributes of My Principal’, which asked questions related to the eight leadership attributes: self-management, time management, influence, comfort, decision-making, commitment, communication, and empathy. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data collected through interviews with the principals. The study found that self-management, time management, influence, comfort, decision-making, and commitment are important attributes of effective school principal leadership in both countries. The leadership styles under the influence of the leadership attributes employed by the principals in the study varied, with some exhibiting democratic, transformational, laissez-faire, and autocratic leadership styles.

Overcoming the Research–Practice Gap: Key Considerations for Speech-Language Pathologists Related to Multitiered Systems of Support

Purpose: This tutorial highlights the challenges and opportunities school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) face related to engagement with the multitiered systems of support (MTSS) framework in their public school work practices. It positions SLP involvement in MTSS as an area where a gap between research and practice exists and highlights key ways for SLPs to overcome barriers to support student success within this framework. Method: This tutorial provides a general description of the MTSS framework and highlights the immediate applicability of the framework to SLP school practices. Key considerations are offered for SLPs ready to take concrete steps related to implementing the MTSS framework. Hypothetical cases are used to illustrate how school-based SLPs can use these considerations to guide meaningful but realistic changes. Results: Ongoing concerns about the impact of the pandemic on student outcomes and growing awareness of systemic inequities in education are prompting SLPs to move beyond asking if they should be involved in MTSS to focusing on how they should be engaged with this framework. This tutorial provides five key considerations for SLPs to realistically deepen their engagement with MTSS and overcome the research–practice gap in this area. Conclusion: This tutorial provides a resource for SLPs to take concrete and immediate steps to support at-risk students through MTSS given the needs at this unique moment in time when concerns about learning loss and achievement gaps are front and center in public schools.

What do public high school teachers in Nigeria know about dementia?

AbstractBackgroundThe number of dementia cases is projected to triple in the next 20‐25 years with majority of the increase in developing countries including Nigeria. Teachers can act as excellent educators by playing a key role of delivering important health education messages to students that target early adoption of healthy behaviours and reduce stigma. However, there is no assessment of school teachers’ understanding of dementia in Nigeria.MethodThis was a cross‐sectional study of 300 high school teachers, aged 18 years or older, and working in public schools in Lagos, Nigeria. A 14‐item questionnaire with yes/no or don’t know responses was used to assess their knowledge about dementia from June to November 2022. The data obtained were analysed using IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 25.ResultThe mean age of respondents was 42.9 ± 9.9 years and 59.3% of them were females. The majority (81.0%) had heard about dementia and 32.0% knew someone with dementia. The mean score for knowledge about dementia was 7.4 ± 0.2 points out of 14 points. More than half of the respondents (56.0%) reported that dementia is a normal part of ageing, 29.7% considered dementia to be a mental illness, and a half (50.0%) of the participants did not know if dementia could be cured. The level of dementia knowledge was not significantly associated with age or with education level.ConclusionOur results suggest that the teachers had a fair knowledge of dementia. There is a need to better educate school teachers and improve their knowledge about dementia. Emphasis on the risk factors, prevention, and symptoms of dementia should be included in the educational content.

The Teaching Career Between Motivation and Performance

Motivation and performance are key factors in the success and achievement of schools. If changes occur in the external environment, the organization must adopt this change, as it can motivate to gain a competitive and advantageous job. Therefore, the main thing public opinion expects about the profession of teacher is the employment of qualified and competent (Pânişoara&Pânișoara, 2017). The research's main purpose was to evaluate the efficiency of teachers' work performance through motivation from the public and private sectors. Finding the link between motivation and teachers' performance at work in public and private schools was one of the study's goals. The second objective was to identify motivational factors that affect the teacher's performance at work in both sectors. The third objective was to identify whether teacher motivation and workplace performance differ in the public and private sectors. For our study, we conducted quantitative research, and the data is collected and analyzed through SPSS using statistical tools like correlation and regression, the independent sample t test, and the One-Way ANOVA test. The results of this study showed a link between teachers' motivation and job performance. The motivation and performance of students at public and private schools varied significantly as well. Compared to public schools, private school teachers are more motivated.Additionally, it was discovered that public and private schools' motivation and performance varied significantly. Compared to public school teachers, private school teachers are more motivated. The potential number of teachers felt that educated and experienced teachers have more capabilities and confidence than others, and they also put the best effort into their work in terms of performance.

The Correlation between Leadership Styles and Organizational Cynicism: Which Leadership Style is Best for Schools?

The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between school administrators’ multi-factor leadership styles and organizational cynicism perceptions. In this research, correlational research method being one of the quantitative research methods was used. The population of this research consists of school principals and vice principals working in public schools in the districts of Avcilar, Basaksehir, Bahcelievler, Bakirkoy, Beylikduzu and Esenyurt. The sample consists of 184 school principals and vice principals who were reached through convenience sample method. Multi-Factor Leadership Scale (MFLS), Organizational Cynicism Scale (OCS) and demographic information form were used in process of gathering data. In the process of data collection, online forms of the scales were applied to participants. The SPSS program was preferred to analyze the data of this research and descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U Test, Kruskal Wallis Test and Spearman Correlation Coefficient Test were conducted. Findings demonstrated in this study that there was a moderate negative correlation between transformational leadership and organizational cynicism; a moderate positive correlation between laissez faire leadership and organizational cynicism. To prevent or reduce the negative beliefs and effects of school administrators on the educational organization, it can be ensured that the transformational leadership style is understood with both conceptual and exemplary behavior models and human resources policies can be produced in the administration. Instead of persisting traditional school administrator, transformational leadership style should embrace in schools.

Epideictic Listening: From a Reflective Case Study to a Theory of Community Ethos

ABSTRACT Inspired by challenges we faced in an undergraduate community-literacy cohort, we theorize “epideictic listening” as an important concept for articulating the range of listening strategies necessary both for our work in local public schools and for sustaining the cohort’s internal cohesion. Through critical reflection, we (faculty and student coauthors) offer a definition of “epideictic listening” that draws from, but also distinguishes itself from, other theoretical frameworks, such as rhetorical listening and community listening. We situate epideictic listening within the larger rhetorical tradition of epideixis. We end with a concrete application for epideictic listening—the debrief—and gesture toward the larger significance for epideictic listening in community settings.

An Effective Material in Disaster Education: Educational Comics

It is seen that disasters, which are expressed as an important threat for the world, are growing day by day and affecting wider geographies. Because of this situation, an effective disaster education should be given to individuals about what to do before and after the disaster. In this research, it was investigated what kind of perspective social studies teachers have on disaster education, which will be given through educational comics. The research was carried out on 17 social studies teachers working in public secondary schools in Samsun city center in the 2022-2023 academic year. The study was conducted by considering the case study technique, which is one of the qualitative research methods. Social studies teachers participating in the research answered the questions posed to them through the interview forum, and the answers given by the teachers to the questions were analyzed by considering the content analysis technique. As a result of the findings obtained in the research, the following conclusions were reached: educational comics embody the theoretical information on the subject, allow the readers to give the topics of disasters in an entertaining way, increase the motivation for learning the theoretical information, raise the sense of curiosity towards the subjects to the highest level and eliminate the misconceptions about the subject. has been reached.

The Relationship between Epistemological Beliefs and Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge (TPACK)

Changing developments in the 21st century have also affected technology and the epistemological beliefs of teachers. For this purpose, the epistemological beliefs and Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge (TPACK) levels of primary school teachers and social studies teachers, gender, age, professional seniority, educational status, branch variables, and the relationship between epistemological belief and TPACK were examined in this study. The study group of the research consists of primary school teachers working in public primary school and social studies teachers working in public secondary schools in the provinces and districts of Istanbul, Antalya and Isparta. The selection of the study was made with the appropriate sampling method, which is one of the non-accidental sampling methods. 178 primary school teachers and 48 social studies teachers participated in the research. Independent sample t-test, Kruskal-Wallis test and Pearson Correlation Analysis were used in data analysis. According to the results obtained from the research, both primary school and social studies teachers have a high level of belief in the sub-dimension of effort. It was observed that both primary school teachers and social studies teachers had high TPACK levels. Considering the epistemological belief scale, no significant difference was observed according to the age, education level and professional seniority of the primary school teachers. There was no significant difference in social studies teachers according to the gender variable. According to the results obtained from the TPACK scale and its sub-dimensions, a significant difference was observed in terms of gender and professional seniority of primary school and social studies teachers. A low level of positive correlation was found between the effort scores of the primary school teachers and TK, CT, TPK, TCK and TPACK total scores.

The Employment of Active Learning Strategies by Mathematics Teachers and the Obstacles to their Use

The present study aimed at investigating the degree of mathematics teachers’ use of active learning strategies (ALSs) in their teaching practices, and to identify the obstacles hindering their use of this strategy. A questionnaire was distributed to 241 mathematics teachers (of whom 27 were interviewed) working in public secondary schools in the city of Amman in Jordan. A descriptive approach was used to determine the extent to which the participant teachers use LESs in their teaching practices. The findings revealed that the participants used ALSs to a moderate degree. Moreover, there were no statistically significant differences in terms of gender, academic qualifications, and teaching experience. However, the participants reported impediments to the use of ALSs related to teacher, student, subject, curriculum, and school environment.
 
 Received: 9 February 2023 / Accepted: 20 April 2023 / Published: 5 May 2023

Child Labor and Father-Gods

This paper works from a Jungian perspective to explore the unconscious dynamics of an authoritarian cultural complex at work in public schools in the United States. The paper exposes two areas of what Jung called the shadow archetype: the historical narrative of child labor during the industrial revolution as a traumatic societal event; and mythic images of the Greek Father-gods who buried, ate, or imprisoned their children. The working hypothesis of the paper is that the trauma of child labor operates as a social force, an unconscious archetypal pattern of authority and exploitation that is imaged and illuminated by the mythic narratives of the Greek Father-gods. Using depth psychological concepts and methods, the paper reveals how these repressed traumas create unconscious cultural attitudes that view children as commodities whose innate value and potential are sacrificed to feed the nation’s economic power and growth rather than leading out the potential within each student. Kristeva’s theories of abjection and subject in process provide psychoanalytic insights into how authoritarian cultural attitudes toward the education of children enslave students in a mandated instructive process that inflicts a kind of violence upon them. In conclusion, the paper suggests that the current system of education calibrated to standardized testing needs to broaden significantly to include transformative educative processes encompassing learning through the body, senses, feeling, intuition, and imagination.

The effect of using emergency remote teaching on Greek Mathematic classes in secondary education from mathematicians’ perspective

From March 2020 until June 2021 secondary education in Greece experienced the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The first measure taken was the general closure of face-to-face teaching at all levels of education and the provision of distance learning through the so-called emergency remote teaching. Mathematicians dealt with unprecedented and difficult situations. In the present paper we record the views of 218 mathematicians of secondary education working in Greek public schools about the obstacles they faced in their teaching during the pandemic in a quantitative survey. According to the survey connectivity problems (affecting teachers and students), lack of teaching material suitable for distance learning, unsatisfactory support of the state, poor previous training in distance learning were major issues. This is the first survey monitoring the problems that Greek mathematicians faced during this period, how they dealt with them and one of a few worldwide regarding mathematicians.

Teachers’ Views on the Implementation of the Values within the Scope of the Physical Education and Sports Curriculum

The purpose of today’s education programs is to equip students with values besides academic success. This study aims to determine the views of teachers on the implementation of the values within the scope of the physical education and sports curriculum. 19 physical education teachers with four years or more professional experience working in public schools in the 2021-2022 academic year were included in the study. The research was created according to a descriptive phenomenological design, which is one of the qualitative research methods. The qualitative data analysis program MAXQDA 2020 was used in the research, and the data were interpreted by dividing them into codes, categories and themes with the content analysis method. The meaning of the values in the curriculum as a concept, the practices in the process of teaching values to students, the views on the school lessons, the education of the teachers, the obstacles to teaching values to students, the situation of the family and the school, the primary and secondary values, and the views of the teachers on the teaching of values were revealed in the findings. The following data were obtained after the data analysis: physical education teachers and the lessons are very effective and important in teaching values to students, the value explanations in the curriculum are generally understandable but they are given in an unplanned manner in practice, the undergraduate and in-service trainings on values are insufficient and inefficient, and such factors as social media, family structure, and the location of the school affect the transfer of values; however, the teaching of values will be more effective and productivity will increase by consideration of teacher training by authorities, cooperation and teachers’ suggestions. Based on these results, recommendations have been presented regarding improving the quality and quantity of the undergraduate and in-service training of physical education teachers in terms of values education, writing the value expressions in the learning outcomes more clearly and preparing written and visual guides on how these values can be taught, and conducting values education with school-family cooperation.

Associations between dietary intake, physical activity, and obesity among public school teachers in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

We aimed to assess the dietary intake of certain food groups in a representative sample of public-school teachers living in Jeddah city. We also, examined the association of dietary intake with physical activity and obesity among schoolteachers. The study was a cross-sectional online survey, conducted among 640 (177 male, 463 female) schoolteachers aged between 20 and 62 years old and working in public primary, intermediate, and high schools in Jeddah. Measurements included gender, weight, height, body mass index (BMI), health problems, and lifestyle behaviours, including physical activity levels, smoking status, and dietary intake. Based on gender, number of non-smoking women (94%) was higher than number of non-smoking men (57.1%) (P < 0.001). However, men were more active than women (P = 0.03). Regarding BMI, there were more overweight men than women, while obese women numbered more than men (P = 0.003). There was no significant difference in dietary intake between men and women except that men consumed more soft drinks than women (P = 0.002). Lower physically active schoolteachers were less likely to consume salad (OR = 0.6, 95% CI 0.4-0.9; P = 0.02), vegetables (OR = 0.6, 95% CI 0.3-0.9; P = 0.01), beans and legumes (OR = 0.4, 95% CI 0.2-0.7; P = 0.005), wholegrain bread (OR = 0.6, 95% CI 0.4-0.9; P = 0.03), dairy products (OR = 0.6, 95% CI 0.4-0.9; P = 0.01), snacks (OR = 0.5, 95% CI 0.2-0.8; P = 0.01), and fish (OR = 0.4, 95% CI 0.2-0.9; P = 0.04) compared to those with high levels of physical activity. Only fruit intake was considered statistically significant (OR = 0.4, 95% CI 0.3-0.7; P = 0.003). The study found a relationship between the BMI of schoolteachers and food intake. Obese schoolteachers had lower consumption of fruits (OR = 0.3, 95% CI 0.2-0.7; P = 0.007) and white meat (OR = 0.5, 95%CI 0.3-0.9; P = 0.03) than schoolteachers in the normal weight group. The high prevalence of physical activity, dietary intake and body weight among Saudi teachers is a major public health concern. The present study identified several lifestyle factors associated with body weight that may represent valid targets for the prevention and management of obesity among Saudi school teachers. Promoting active lifestyles and healthy diets would be primary targets for obesity prevention.

Knowledge and experience of Primary Education teachers regarding childhood asthma: mixed study.

To analyze the knowledge of Primary Education teachers regarding asthma and learn about their experiences with the exacerbation of symptoms at school. Sequential explanatory mixed study. In the quantitative stage, the Newcastle Asthma Knowledge Questionnaire and the characterization instrument were applied. Data analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics. The production of qualitative data occurred from written statements analyzed using the deductive content analysis method. Two hundred and seven teachers, mostly women (92%) and working in public schools (82%). As for knowledge, 132 (63.8%) had unsatisfactory performance. The questions with the lowest rates of correct answers were about medications used regularly and during the attacks. Teachers with higher scores had less time in the occupation (p = 0.017) and had been diagnosed with asthma (p = 0.006). In the qualitative stage, 35 teachers participated and the statements corroborated the quantitative findings, especially in relation to the knowledge gap and feeling of greater safety among asthmatic teachers. Teachers showed insufficient knowledge and reported fear and unpreparedness in the face of the situation.

OBSTACLES TO DISTANCE EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES AND WAYS TO FACE THEM: FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF FEMALE TEACHERS

Distance education for students with learning disabilities has been used as an official practice in Saudi Arabia since COVID-19’s outbreak. This study’s aim was to explore the obstacles to DE for these students and ways to face them based on teachers’ opinions. In Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, 111 female LDs teachers working in public elementary schools were randomly selected. The researchers collected data using online surveys and analyzed the data with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences software. The teachers rated obstacles to DE related to (1) students with LDs, (2) teachers, and (3) DE system infrastructure. There were no statistically significant differences in the mean scores of the teachers’ views based on educational level or number of DE training courses attended, but there were statistically significant differences between the views of teachers with more than 10 years of experience and those of other teachers. However, there were no statistically significant differences in the average scores of teachers’ views on ways to face DE obstacles associated with any of the studied variables. The teachers provided recommendations to support students with LDs, enhance family engagement in making instructional decisions, and provide DE training to students with LDs and their teachers.

Study of the relationship between digital citizenship and basic technology qualification levels of social studies teachers

The main purpose of this research is to determine whether digital citizenship and basic technology proficiency levels of social studies teachers are predictors of each other by examining it in terms of various variables. The research group of the study consists of 94 social studies teachers working in public schools of the central district of Afyonkarahisar province between 2021 and 2022. In the study, the screening method was used among quantitative research methods. To determine the digital citizenship levels of teachers “Digital Citizenship” and to specify the basic technology proficiency levels, “Basic Technology Proficiency for Educators” was used. At the end of the study, it was concluded that the digital citizenship levels of social studies teachers were intermediate. It has been observed that there is a significant difference between the digital citizenship levels of social studies teachers and the gender and social network usage variables. There has been no significant difference between the age variable and digital citizenship level. Basic technology proficiency levels of social studies teachers were determined to be intermediate. It has been concluded that there is a significant difference between the basic technology proficiency levels of social studies teachers and the gender variable. There was no significant difference between age and social network usage variables and the level of basic technology proficiency. In the correlation analysis to determine the relationship between the digital citizenship levels of social studies teachers and the basic technology proficiency levels, it was found that there was a moderate, positive and statistically significant relationship.

Analysis of masters degree attaining teachers’ opinions on developing 21st-century life skills of students

There will inevitably be development, change, differentiation, progress, innovations and modernizations in the rapidly passing human life. To be able to keep up with these rapid life changes depends on some basic skills that the individual should have. The World Health Organization has determined these 21st-century basic life skills that everyone should have for a quality life as decision-making, problem-solving, creative thinking, effective communication skills, interpersonal relations, critical thinking, self-awareness, empathy, coping with emotions and coping with stress. In order to guarantee their future, societies should provide their new generations, especially their students, with these life skills in schools. This research aims to determine the knowledge levels of teachers about 21st-century life skills and to determine their opinions on developing 21st-century life skills in their students. The case study design, which is one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the research. The study group of the research consists of 8 teachers, 2 male and 6 female, who are graduate students in Hatay Mustafa Kemal University, Department of Educational Sciences and also work in public schools affiliated with Hatay Provincial Directorate of National Education. A semi-structured interview form developed by the researcher was used as a data collection tool in the research. Research data were collected through face-to-face interviews with teachers. In the research, it was concluded that the teachers experienced the most problems in transferring their life skills due to the lack of time, the intensity of the curriculum, and the arrangement of appropriate materials and classroom environment.