Education Reform Efforts Research Articles

Re-imagining education in Haiti through a lens of de-coloniality

Purpose Scholars such as Hebblethwaite (2012) argue that societal elements like the pressure for students to learn French in Haiti are deeply rooted in colonial traditions which were originally intended to hinder long-term development and continue to do so within the country. The purpose of this paper is to widen the scope of Hebblethwaite’s discussion on language and question other social norms within educational institutions, which are having a negative impact on educational attainment. This purpose is accomplished by way of an empirical study of primary school education reform efforts in Haiti through a lens of de-coloniality as defined by Walter Mignolo (2005). Design/methodology/approach Given that this is an empirical study on education reform in Haiti, I have conducted this study solely through the analysis of literature and evidence from past work on education reform in Haiti and other countries with similar challenges. The body of the research is separated into two parts, and the first is a critical historical analysis of the context. The second is a comparative analysis of two different case studies on education reform projects that have occurred in Haiti. This will also be followed by a conclusive analysis of similar efforts in communities around the world. Findings This study demonstrates that primary school students, teachers and their communities in Haiti respond better to education development projects that place mother-tongue learning, grassroots community participation and culturally relevant pedagogy at the forefront of daily operational planning. These factors would play a key role in setting the foundation for students to be both productive Haitian citizens first and global citizens second. The literature reviewed also demonstrates that historically, education has focused far too heavily on models that work for or originate from the global north and not enough on building an education system tailored to Haiti. Research limitations/implications Since barriers such as societal norms need to be addressed through organic grassroots movements, which take time to be effective, reform from this perspective is better suited for the longer term than the shorter term. In the conclusion, this is considered to be a limitation when it comes to identifying short-term solutions to education, especially given that grassroots projects such as Buiga-Sunrise take time to establish winning practices that support self-sufficiency. Originality/value Literacy rates in Haiti for the year 2012 were around 48% for adults and 72% for youth (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2012). Not to mention that only 50% of children attend primary schools and 20% attend secondary schools (UNICEF Haiti, 2011, as cited in Jean-Marie and Sider, 2014). Such low educational attainment shows a need for greater access to education, and as much as the privatisation of schools is a significant barrier, as argued by Sider and Jean Marie, there are other impactful factors that remain to be addressed.

Bridging the Corequisite Divide: Lessons Learned from a Large, Minority Serving Community College

ABSTRACT The corequisite model is a promising developmental education reform effort that is helping students transition into college-level coursework more quickly. The purpose of this Brief is to offer recommendations to college leaders, faculty, and staff involved with implementing the corequisite model at their institution. Our recommendations are from a multi-year, mixed-methods research project conducted at one of the nation’s most racially, ethnically diverse community college systems in Texas. We use quotes from our interviews with corequisite faculty (51) and students (42) to represent broader themes on improving student success within corequisite courses. These interviews informed our recommendations to enhance classroom instruction, professional development, and implementation of the corequisite model. As the corequisite model continues to gain popularity across the country, we hope readers will consider our recommendations to ensure students receive the best support to ultimately improve equity outcomes in developmental education.

Research on the Path of Further Deepening the Reform and Internationalization of English Education in the Hainan Free Trade Zone

With the establishment of the Hainan Free Trade Zone (FTZ), the internationalization of English education has become a key element of the region’s educational reform efforts. As globalization intensifies, fostering an internationalized English education system is crucial for improving the competitiveness and global positioning of the Hainan FTZ. This study explores the multiple pathways and strategies for promoting the internationalization of English education in the Hainan FTZ, focusing on aspects such as policy support, curriculum reform, teacher training, international collaboration, and the effective allocation of educational resources. By examining the current state of English education in the region, identifying key challenges, and drawing insights from successful domestic and international cases—particularly from free trade zones elsewhere—this paper offers actionable recommendations. These suggestions aim to enhance the region’s educational outcomes, thereby bolstering the Hainan FTZ’s broader objectives of economic growth and enhanced global connectivity. The proposed strategies also seek to elevate the international stature of the Hainan FTZ as a regional hub for talent development, international exchange, and soft power enhancement.

Systematic Literature on the Reform Efforts in Education in the United States

Education reform aims to create equitable learning environments for all students, fostering their contributions to American society. This study explores public concerns and strategies in education reform, utilizing ethnomethodology as its theoretical framework to examine practical reasoning methods. Reform efforts emphasize social collaboration and state directives, rooted in citizens' lived experiences. Key components include high standards and accountability, authentic assessment, active learning, community building, lifelong learning, and character education. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) are pivotal in American politics, driving educational and social progress. NCLB emphasizes academic growth for disadvantaged students, while ESSA aims for equitable, high-quality education for all, preparing them for higher education and careers. Future research recommendations focus on individual instruction and strategies for active student engagement.

Exploring how museums can support science teacher leaders as boundary spanners

AbstractLocal implementation of science reform efforts in part relies on science teacher leaders (STLs) to improve science instruction in classrooms and beyond. The lack of science‐specific professional learning resources drives STLs to act as boundary spanners to locate resources outside their local context to fill that gap. Museums and other informal science education centers are examples of external entities that STLs might leverage to locate resources for local science education improvement. While we know how museums support pre‐ and in‐service science teachers, there is a gap in our understanding related to museum support for STLs. Here, we used case study research methods to analyze how a museum‐based professional learning programme supported STLs, as boundary spanners to access and adapt resources for local science education reform efforts. We found that each STL reported benefiting from shared resources from the museum, as well as from their peers in their working groups. We also found that STLs reported on different elements of the professional learning programme related to their area of influence (classroom or district) and the problem of practice their group worked on. We discuss how each of the named features of the museum‐based professional learning programme supported boundary spanning of STLs and end with implications and recommendations for the design of professional learning experiences to support their leadership work.

Investigating the role of an inquiry-based science lab on students’ scientific literacy

Promotion of students’ scientific literacy has long been and continues to be a central goal for reform efforts in science education. Although there is a great number of research conducted to evaluate student’s scientific literacy, less is known about how we can improve students’ scientific literacy through variety of scientific practices. In this study we aimed to refer to this shortcoming in the literature by examining the effect of argument driven inquiry (ADI) instructional model to promote 8th grade students’ scientific literacy. A mixed method quasi experimental design was used in this study. Sixty-seven eighth grade students from the same public school attended the study. Two intact classes were randomly assigned either in structured inquiry (SI) or ADI groups. The data sources included a Scientific Literacy Assessment (SLA) and semi-structured interviews. The results indicated that students experiencing ADI instruction scored higher on the SLA-D test and personal epistemology dimension of SLA-MB test than students experiencing SI instruction. The results propose that engaging students in meaningful scientific practices may support their scientific literacy.

Implementation of the Merdeka Curriculum and Readiness of Educational Infrastructure in Elementary Schools

Education is a cornerstone in shaping competent and adaptable generations. Merdeka Curriculum was introduced as an educational reform effort in Indonesia to grant students the freedom to develop their potentials according to their interests and talents. However, the implementation of Merdeka Curriculum faces challenges, particularly in educational infrastructure readiness, especially at the primary school level. Adequate educational infrastructure, including physical facilities, access to information and communication technology (ICT), and availability of competent human resources, is crucial for the successful execution of this curriculum. This research aims to analyze the readiness level of educational infrastructure in primary schools to support the implementation of Merdeka Curriculum, identify challenges, evaluate the influence of infrastructure readiness on curriculum effectiveness, formulate strategic steps to address infrastructure constraints, and explore the roles of the government and relevant stakeholders in enhancing educational infrastructure readiness. The research methodology employed includes qualitative and quantitative descriptive methods, involving data analysis from questionnaires, interviews, and observations. Findings indicate that the majority of primary schools still face infrastructure challenges, with only a small portion possessing adequate facilities. Schools with better infrastructure tend to implement Merdeka Curriculum more effectively, evidenced by improved student participation and higher academic outcomes. Recommended strategic steps include increasing budget allocations, providing sufficient ICT devices, and conducting intensive teacher training. The government plays a crucial role in supporting educational infrastructure development through supportive policies and adequate budget allocations. Collaborative efforts among the government, private sector, and local communities are expected to expedite improvements in educational infrastructure readiness, thereby enabling all schools to effectively support Merdeka Curriculum.

Would a career in science suit me? Students’ self-views in relation to science and STEM career aspirations

ABSTRACT Educational reform efforts and contemporary research have consistently called for enhancing young people’s interest in STEM study and career choices. In response to this challenge, we utilise and extend Social Cognitive Career Theory to examine the development of secondary school students’ self-views in relation to science and STEM career aspirations over a period of 5 years. Data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews at eight different times and analysed using content analysis. The findings showcase dynamic relationships between students’ self-views and career aspirations, influenced by opportunities for science engagement, the social context and family-related factors. Family backgrounds and expectations, innate resources, gender differences, science-related experiences associated with context and time were found to have a critical role. The findings speak to the need for future longitudinal research, from secondary school to career paths. Such research can enhance our understanding of the developing relationship between self-views and career aspirations, potentially facilitating stronger identification with science and relevant career aspirations, benefiting curriculum design.

Status of Teacher Professional Development (TPD) at Secondary Level Schools

Education reform and the pursuit of quality education are common concerns among stakeholders showing their concern to educational development. In recent years, Teacher Professional Development (TPD) has emerged as a pivotal component for advancing education reform efforts and bolstering educational quality. This article attempts at describing the existing TPD status of the secondary level schools in Nepal. In the study, the headmasters of the four selected secondary level schools were the informants; and a survey checklist was used as the research tool to collect required data. The data were analyzed and interpreted using descriptive statistics. The study found that the secondary schools were quite poor regarding their performance of TPD related activities, most of them had weak TPD status. This finding led to conclude that the concerned authorities need to be more responsible to make improvements in the existing TPD situation at the secondary schools in Nepal.

A Diagnostic Facet Status Model (DFSM) for Extracting Instructionally Useful Information from Diagnostic Assessment.

Modern assessment demands, resulting from educational reform efforts, call for strengthening diagnostic testing capabilities to identify not only the understanding of expected learning goals but also related intermediate understandings that are steppingstones on pathways to learning goals. An accurate and nuanced way of interpreting assessment results will allow subsequent instructional actions to be targeted. An appropriate psychometric model is indispensable in this regard. In this study, we developed a new psychometric model, namely, the diagnostic facet status model (DFSM), which belongs to the general class of cognitive diagnostic models (CDM), but with two notable features: (1) it simultaneously models students' target understanding (i.e., goal facet) and intermediate understanding (i.e., intermediate facet); and (2) it models every response option, rather than merely right or wrong responses, so that each incorrect response uniquely contributes to discovering students' facet status. Given that some combination of goal and intermediate facets may be impossible due to facet hierarchical relationships, a regularized expectation-maximization algorithm (REM) was developed for model estimation. A log-penalty was imposed on the mixing proportions to encourage sparsity. As a result, those impermissible latent classes had estimated mixing proportions equal to 0. A heuristic algorithm was proposed to infer a facet map from the estimated permissible classes. A simulation study was conducted to evaluate the performance of REM to recover facet model parameters and to identify permissible latent classes. A real data analysis was provided to show the feasibility of the model.

A Study on the Relevance of M.k.gandhi’s Educational Thoughts in NEP 2020: a Reflection

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 of India aims to transform the country's education system, emphasizing holistic development, innovation, and inclusivity. This abstract examines the relevance of Mahatma Gandhi's educational philosophy to the goals and principles outlined in the NEP 2020. Gandhi's emphasis on moral and character education, experiential learning, and community engagement resonates with several key aspects of the NEP. His concept of 'Nai Talim' (Basic Education) aligns with the NEP's focus on skill development, vocational training, and a multidisciplinary approach to learning. Furthermore, Gandhi's advocacy for education rooted in local context and culture corresponds with the NEP's emphasis on promoting regional languages and indigenous knowledge systems. This abstract explores how Gandhi's principles of self-reliance, sustainability, and social responsibility can enrich the implementation of NEP 2020, fostering a more inclusive, equitable, and values-driven education system. By drawing parallels between Gandhi's educational vision and the objectives of NEP 2020, this abstract offers insights into how Gandhi's timeless wisdom can inform and inspire educational reform efforts in contemporary India.

State Goals, Institutional Social Constructions, and Utah’s Postsecondary Education Governance Reform Efforts

State-level postsecondary education governance has experienced a lull in successful reform efforts since the turn of the century. However, in 2020, the Utah System of Higher Education and Utah System of Technical Colleges were formally merged following a multi-year effort by state legislators and higher education officials. Framed by the theory of social construction and policy design, this study considers underlying institutional considerations and statewide goals that led to Utah’s governance merger and how these changes impacted the public higher education sectors in the state, offering insights for research examining higher education governance and reform efforts.

Anticipating the Side Effects of Educational Reform Using System Dynamics Modeling

There have been countless efforts to improve academic achievement in public schools across the United States, especially in urban school districts. Few efforts, however, use rigorous analytic modeling tools to anticipate and prevent the potential side effects of change. This chapter proposes the application of system dynamics on educational reform efforts by offering a conceptual model, literature review, and research agenda to identify and mitigate the potential side effects of reform. The model is based on interviews and workshops with public school leaders, teachers, and parents in a midsized midwestern urban city. We identify a “capability trap” that may lead to policy resistance with educational reforms. Limitations to this approach are noted, and future areas of research are identified.

Staff Development Initiatives' Effect on Teaching Faculty Performance in Taraba State Higher Education Institutions

The paper examines how staff development programs affect the performance of teaching faculty at higher education institutions in Taraba State, Nigeria. A mixed-methods approach was utilized to collect data, with a focus on respondents' perceptions of staff development programs and their influence on teaching faculty performance. The research sample consisted of 200 persons, including school administrators and instructional personnel. Descriptive statistical analyses were performed to calculate the mean scores and standard deviations of Likert-scale responses to various aspects of staff development programs. Furthermore, hypotheses were tested to determine whether there were any significant relationships between respondents' opinions about staff development activities and teaching faculty performance. According to the survey results, respondents feel that staff development programs improve teaching faculty effectiveness, nurture workplace performance, encourage teacher innovation, and increase job satisfaction. Despite widespread agreement, response variability suggests that people have a diversity of perspectives. Furthermore, the findings indicate a significant relationship between school administration and teaching faculty opinions of the effectiveness of staff development initiatives, emphasizing the need of collaboration and stakeholder participation in educational reform efforts. Based on these findings, recommendations are made to tailor staff development programs to the specific needs of teaching faculty, conduct on-going needs assessments, promote collaboration and peer learning, allocate adequate resources and support, advocate for supportive policies, and conduct rigorous research and evaluation. These aim to improve teaching staff performance, therefore adding to the quality of higher education in Taraba State, Nigeria.

Historical Perspectives on Education Reform in Argentina: Lessons from the 20th Century

Argentina’s education system has undergone significant transformations throughout the 20th century, influenced by political shifts, social movements, and economic challenges. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of Argentina’s education reform efforts, tracing its evolution from the early 20th century to the present day. It examines key milestones, including the impact of Peronism, military regimes, and democratization on education policies and practices. Despite progress in expanding access to education and promoting inclusivity, Argentina continues to grapple with socio-economic disparities, bureaucratic hurdles, and ideological tensions within its education system. Drawing on lessons learned and emerging trends, the paper offers insights for advancing equity, excellence, and innovation in Argentina’s education landscape.

The politicization of PISA in evidence-based policy discourses

Education reform efforts stemming from the Programme in International Student Achievement have strengthened in recent years, particularly in response to the growth of global references societies – high achieving educational jurisdictions such as Finland, Hong Kong-China, and more recently Estonia and Singapore. Despite political rhetoric, evidence-based policy development associated with this international benchmark measure is rarely, if ever, a neutral enterprise that is guided by the best available evidence. Indeed, political discourse and policy framing surrounding PISA often results in the selective use of results to justify contested policy reforms. Brief cases from Japan, Sweden, and Canada illustrate how national policies have been adopted that are not grounded, and may even run counter, to research findings. The discussion examines the politicization of PISA and its symbolic role in adding legitimacy to education reform agendas. Collectively, the analysis offers an alternative perspective to the popular notion that PISA guides evidence-based decision-making.

Learning to Listen: Cultivating Pre-Service Teachers’ Attunement to Student Thinking

ABSTRACT Reform efforts in science and mathematics education highlight students’ experiences and sensemaking repertoires as valuable resources for instruction. Yet, there is much to learn about how to cultivate teachers’ capacity for eliciting, understanding, and responding to students’ contributions. We argue that the first step of this cultivation is teachers’ learning to listen: to attune and attend to the novel ways that students make sense of scientific phenomena and the natural world. While this notion of listening as critical to teaching is intuitive, the work behind it can be challenging. As such, this study explores promises and tensions of learning to listen through the journey of one pre-service teacher and examines her shifting views on teaching as related to her reflective practice around the work of listening. Focusing on listening as a core tenet of teaching, we discuss implications for teacher education to center listening as an instructional target for teacher learning in science and mathematics education.

Analysis of Influencing Factors on the Teaching Reform Quality of Visual Communication Design Courses in Colleges and Universities Combined with Entropy Weighted TOPSIS Modeling

Abstract In the fast-evolving field of information technology, visual communication design education must adapt through innovative curriculum reforms. This study employs the CIPP model to develop a robust index system for evaluating the effectiveness of these reforms within higher education institutions. Utilizing the entropy weight method for index weighting and the TOPSIS method for comprehensive evaluation, we assessed the reform quality across 12 colleges and universities. Our analysis, incorporating descriptive statistics and linear regression, reveals that a significant proportion (75%) of institutions score below 0.4, indicating average to low reform quality. Key factors impacting reform quality— teaching attitude, learning attitude, and course content—demonstrate substantial influence, with coefficients of 0.238, 0.648, and 0.658, respectively. All second-level factors showed a significant positive impact on reform quality, with significance coefficients below 0.01. These findings highlight the critical areas for enhancing curriculum reform efforts in visual communication design education.

Analisis Problematika Kurikulum Merdeka pada Pembelajaran Matematika di SDN 012 Babakan Ciparay Kota Bandung

In Indonesia, the main focus of current education reform efforts is the Merdeka Curriculum. Mathematics is one of the subjects that has undergone many changes, especially at the elementary school (SD) level. This study investigates the impact and challenges that arise when implementing Merdeka Curriculum in mathematics learning at the primary level. The purpose of this study is to provide insights and details regarding the challenges associated with learning mathematics. This research uses a qualitative descriptive methodology that combines two methods to explore information at SDN 012 Babakan Ciparay, Bandung City, which leads to the implementation of the Merdeka Curriculum. The research results obtained in this study found that there were difficulties in implementing the Merdeka Curriculum in students as well as teaching staff, especially in the application of mathematics learning. However, this does not significantly affect the effectiveness of learning and the interest of students and teaching staff.

RESOURCES AND TENSIONS IN STUDENT THINKING ABOUT STATISTICAL DESIGN

Reform efforts in statistics education emphasize the need for students to develop statistical thinking. Critical to this goal is a solid understanding of design in the process of collecting data, evaluating evidence, and drawing conclusions. We collected survey responses from over 700 college students at the start of an introductory statistics course to determine how they evaluated the validity of different designs. Despite preferring different designs, students offered a variety of productive arguments supporting their choices. For example, some students viewed intervention as a weakness that disrupted the ability to generalize results, whereas others viewed intervention as critical for identifying causality. Our results highlight that instruction should frame design as the balancing of different priorities: namely causality, generalizability, and power.