School Management Teams Research Articles

The Influence of School Management Team on Student’s Academic Performance in Tanzania

This research study investigated the impact of School Management Team (SMT) practices on students' academic performance in Tanzania. Focusing on various practices employed by school management teams, the study analyzed their correlation with students' academic achievements. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, it combined quantitative data analysis with qualitative interviews involving heads of schools, teachers, and students. Key factors examined included analyzing academic data, monitoring students' progress, and enhancing teachers’ up-skilling, coordinating supportive services and creating a supportive network with other stakeholders to enhance students' academic performance. Data was gathered from six secondary schools in Mbeya City Council to ensure a 374-representative view of management practices. The findings revealed that SMTs are crucial in enhancing students' academic outcomes in Tanzania. These results contribute to the existing literature on educational management and offer insights for policymakers, educators, and school administrators on effective practices to improve student performance within the Tanzanian education system

The Management of Nurturing, Child Care for Children Aged 18 to 36 Months Using a Participatory Approach: A Case Study of Preschools in Thanh Hoa Province

In the education system, each level of education has its own characteristics and must be given special attention, including preschool education, which is the first stage of personality formation and understanding of each person, so it must be considered a key educational task, the top priority in the national education system. Through going to school, children will be comprehensively developed in terms of physical, intellectual, emotional, aesthetic, and personality formation. Currently, with the economic development situation, the need for comprehensive development for children is also more focused not only by parents but also in each school. This has become the goal to develop and perfect the system of equipment, facilities, and capacity of teachers and the school's management team. The study uses a participatory approach based on the management participation of management groups in particular and components in education in general, thereby assessing the current status of management of child care and nurturing activities. The research results also show that the management of preschools still has many shortcomings, including the differences in economic characteristics of each region, the quality of the teaching staff, facilities and equipment, etc. There are many issues that still need attention due to the uneven development between regions and areas. Therefore, in order for activities to develop more and more, it is still necessary to pay attention to investment and research the current

Assessing the Challenges in Managing School Funds for Heads of Secondary Schools in Kilolo District, Tanzania

This study sought to identify the “Challenges in Managing School Funds for Heads of Secondary Schools in Kilolo District, Tanzania” through a mixed approach with the population of one District educational officer, six heads of schools, six school bursars and sixty-three secondary school teachers who obtained through purposive sampling and simple random techniques. Questionnaires and interviews used to collect data. Data analysed through thematic analysis and descriptive statistics with the aid of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) computer software. The findings found that heads of secondary schools faced numerous challenges such as inadequate funds from the government, inconsistencies disbursement of money from the government and bureaucracy. In addition, distance (remoteness of the schools), transport cost and time consumer when heads of schools needs procurement budgets approved from the District Educational Officer, poor support from the parents and some staff as well as denying school management training on financial management issues were among the challenges. Lastly, the findings found that training, workshops, provision of seminars will enhancing the heads of schools’ financial management literacy. Moreover, heads of schools should involve other staff members, school management team (SMT), and the use of educational financial guidelines as a source of knowledge and skills to manage schools’ fiscal resources. It also recommended that the heads of schools should adhere to the proper practices of financial management through monetary auditing. Likewise, Tanzania government should provide managerial training, workshops and seminars as the best strategies to diminish financial management challenges as well as introducing financial management courses in teachers’ colleges and universities prepare experts in the schools’ financial management activities.

THE ROLE OF THE DIRECTION AND PEDAGOGICAL COORDINATION AT THE MUNICIPAL PUBLIC SCHOOL, IN VIEW OF DEMOCRATIC-PARTICIPATORY MANAGEMENT IN THE IMPROVEMENT OF TEACHING

The present article is part of the work of completion of a distance learning course in School Management from the Campos Elíseos College, and aims to present the role of members of the public school management team, as a basis in democratic-participatory management . In addition, it was sought to present the importance of adopting as a conception of democratic-participatory school management in the search for quality public education. The article is based on the bibliographic research obtained in the classes developed during the course. It was found that the functions attributed to the management team as a whole are numerous and of great responsibility. Thus, these professionals need to work their best to guarantee their students a significant and quality teaching. It is concluded that being a professional of education means being always built, in a process that starts, but has no end.

Comparative Study on the Effectiveness of School Management Teams’ Strategies on Conflict Resolution in Public and Private Secondary Schools in Arusha District, Tanzania

Comparative Study on the Effectiveness of School Management Teams’ Strategies on Conflict Resolution in Public and Private Secondary Schools in Arusha District, Tanzania

Potential threats to implementing instructional leadership in Western Cape township secondary schools

This empirical study examines the factors that pose challenges to the implementation of instructional leadership in township secondary schools in the Western Cape province of South Africa. The study adopts Critical Emancipatory Research (CER), which promotes peace, hope, freedom, and social justice, as its theoretical framework. Participatory action research (PAR), utilising focus group interviews, is employed to collect data. PAR is situated within a transformative paradigm, and a qualitative research approach is chosen to align with this paradigm. Data is collected through focus group discussions with the school management team (SMT), consisting of the principal, two deputy principals, and six heads of department. These discussions aim to gather information on threats to instructional leadership and strategies to mitigate these threats. The findings reveal that the local community and its dynamics, along with the prevalence of violence in the neighbourhood, are external factors that significantly impede the smooth operation of the school and negatively affect the implementation of effective instructional leadership. Conversely, factors such as limited interference from the local community, reduced workload, adherence to compliance guidelines and requirements set by the Department of Education, and an unimpeded leadership role for the management team may contribute to the successful implementation of instructional leadership. Therefore, the study recommends promoting effective and transparent communication as well as open engagement among all stakeholders within the school.

Studying Factors Influencing Intention to Use Hybrid Education: A Case Study of Visual Communication Design Major Students at Chengdu Vocational University of Art

Background and Aim: Hybrid teaching follows the reform trend of China's vigorous development of online education and hybrid education. The Chengdu Vocational University of Art is the earliest art vocational university in China, and the visual communication major is the advantageous major of the university. The program of this major adopts a hybrid education model combining MOOC online courses and offline education. This study uses TAM, ASCI, UTAUT, and ECM theories to construct a model to analyze the factors affecting the hybrid education learning satisfaction of visual communication students, whose variables include virtual classroom quality, instructor characteristics, student expectations, course design quality, and course content quality. Materials and Methods: A purposive sampling method was used to distribute questionnaires to 571 students. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were used to analyze the reliability, validity, goodness of fit, and hypothesis testing of the model. Results: Student satisfaction was found to greatly influence intention to use through the study. In addition, instructor characteristics and classroom quality had a supportive relationship on perceived usefulness, student expectations, course content, and perceived usefulness had a supportive relationship on satisfaction, while course design quality had no significant effect on satisfaction. Conclusion: School management and teaching teams should pay attention to the key influences on the intention of hybrid education and design programs based on research findings to help students understand the effectiveness of hybrid education and improve the quality of education.

Experiences of School Management Teams in Implementing School Feeding Programs in Public Primary Schools in Nigeria During Covid-19

Experiences of School Management Teams in Implementing School Feeding Programs in Public Primary Schools in Nigeria During Covid-19

Basotho learners’ challenges affect effective learning in a rural high school during the COVID-19 era

The learning process depends on decisions and constant assessments obtained from what is learned and how it is learned, the support given to access knowledge or concepts, and whether what is remembered by learners is correct. However, this process was disrupted in the COVID-19 era as there was rapid spread of COVID-19. This study investigates the challenges influencing effective learning among Basotho learners in a rural high school in the Mofutsanyane District. This study used a qualitative approach through a case study design. Participants were chosen purposefully, including the learners, parents or guardians, teachers, school governing body, school-based support team, and school management team members. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews. The narrative results indicated that Basotho learners encountered various challenges, including failure of learners to attend online classes, absenteeism, poor internet connection, and declining performance. They experienced academic pressure, inadequate curriculum coverage, a knowledge gap in the next grade, and the learners transitioning to virtual learning. All these challenges affected learners' learning process due to transiting, which had to happen and did not favour all the learners’ family backgrounds.

Determining the Challenges of Implementing Instructional Leadership in Township Secondary Schools in the Western Cape: A Case Study

In this empirical paper, the researchers determine the challenges experienced by township secondary school principals in the Western Cape, in implementing instructional leadership. The background to this paper is that there are challenges in the implementation of instructional leadership in township secondary schools which leads to learners performing poorly in the National Senior Certificate (NSC) exam. The study is couched in the theoretical framework of Critical Emancipatory Research which advocates peace, hope, equality, freedom, and social justice. A transformative paradigm under the qualitative approach and participatory action research design was adopted to analyse the experiences of the stakeholders of the research school. A focus group discussion was conducted with the school management team (SMT) of a particular secondary school in the Metro East Education district in the Western Cape. This SMT comprised eight members, including the school principal. The findings revealed that ineffective communication and a lack of clear goals are the primary causes of challenges to the effective implementation of instructional leadership. Contrary to this, effective communication and formulation of clear goals can alleviate the challenges experienced in instructional leadership. Considering the findings, the study argues that effective communication, and a formulation of clear goals, are a prerequisite for the implementation of effective instructional leadership in schools. This study contributes to the body of research on the challenges of implementing effective instructional leadership from the township context in the Western Cape province in South Africa. Keywords: instructional leadership, critical emancipatory research, participatory action research, learner achievement, teamwork.

The Role of Principals in Enhancing Teacher Well-being in Schools in Rural Communities

This study sought to understand the factors that teachers and school management team members perceived as having the potential to boost teacher well-being in rural schools and the role the principal plays in promoting teacher well-being. A stratified sample of school managers and teachers from a rural high school in the Mopani district of the Limpopo province participated. A total of fourteen semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with seven teachers, yielding four enablers to teacher well-being and three roles which principals could play to support teacher well-being. The findings revealed that strong principal-teacher relationships, disengaging from work to socialize, adaptability, and a green school physical environment promote teacher well-being. The role of the principal in supporting teacher well-being is multi-faceted, encompassing the creation of a positive school culture and traditions, developing and maintaining a conducive green school environment, and promoting teacher adaptability.

Ecosystems for welcoming migrant students: Practices, opportunities, and tensions

This research explores how educational institutions foster the inclusion and reception of recently arrived children. Within this framework, the present article has a double objective: to map the actions and practices of welcoming newly arrived students carried out by a group of public schools in Spain; and to analyze, based on the theoretical notion of welcoming ecosystem, the rhizome of educational opportunities and accompaniment of children. This study corresponds to the qualitative phase of the project MICREATE — Migrant Children and Communities in a Transforming Europe (HORIZON 2020–822664). It describes, categorizes and analyzes, following grounded theory principles, the elements of the reception ecosystem in Spain based on in-depth interviews with school management teams, teachers and family members from a targeted sample of 15 schools with enrollment of foreign students or students of migrant origin. Based on the analysis of the interviews, we theorize about an ideal welcoming ecosystem in which all students can receive the necessary support to find their place in the community and continue learning in a meaningful way.

Attribution to Classroom Disruptive Behavior: Insights from Secondary Teachers

Disruptive behavior in the classroom is a significant concern for teachers in schools across the globe. Extensive research has conclusively shown that effectively managing disruptive behavior in the classroom is a crucial factor that enhances the quality of instruction. The successful management of disruptive behavior in the classroom is influenced by various factors, including the causal attribution that a teacher assigns to the behavior. This study explored teachers’ perspectives on the factors contributing to disruptive behavior in the classroom. The study employed an interpretive paradigm and a qualitative approach with a case study research design. Data was generated via semi-structured interviews with six members of the School Management Team and a focus group interview with seven teachers from four purposively chosen Quintiles Three secondary schools. The findings showed that teachers attribute classroom disruptions to the characteristics and attributes of learners, contextual elements within schools, and external factors. The study concludes that these factors should be considered when developing classroom behavior strategies.

The school management team’s role of defining the school vision and mission at a South African rural school

Schools in the rural context of Limpopo Province, South Africa have a plethora of challenges, which have a negative impact on learner achievement. This paper argues that for schools to triumph over the obstacles, effective school leaders are necessary Such leaders must define and communicate a clear vision and mission and work with stakeholders to achieve them. With these assumptions, this paper explores how members of the school management team (SMT) of a rural school in the Limpopo Province define and communicate their school’s vision and mission. Through the qualitative research method underpinned by the interpretive paradigm, a case research design was adopted and a single high school sampled to participate. Data were generated from semistructured interviews with seven SMT members, a focus-group discussion with six teachers, and an observation of the research site. The findings revealed that most participants could not articulate the school’s vision and mission. In addition, stakeholders were not involved in the processes of defining the vision and mission and communication methods in this regard were also ineffective. Lastly, the SMT viewed the vision and mission as fixed and did not review them. Based on these findings, I conclude that SMT members must understand that the vision and mission could serve more than a visual purpose when designed as guiding principles to direct smaller objectives within the organisation.

Influence of lecturer, family, and personal will on primary school students' perceptions in learning English

The study of students' perceptions of learning English is most interesting to researchers, especially in the context of lower-secondary school students. The purpose of the study was to understand the level of students' perception of learning English, to compare the level of students' perception of learning English between students studying in schools in provincial towns and rural areas, and to understand the main factors influencing students' perception of learning English. The study used a sample of 380 students studying at the lower-secondary level in two public schools in Banteay Meanchey province. Samples were selected using a multi-stage sampling method. This research is a quantitative study using the correlational approach. The data collection instrument is a questionnaire in the form of a five-level Likert scale. Data analysis used frequency analysis, percentage analysis, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis using SPSS v26 software. The results showed that students in public lower-secondary schools had a high level of positive perception of learning English. The comparison of the perception of learning English showed that the lower-secondary school students in the provincial town had a higher score in the perception of learning English than the students who studied at lower-secondary schools in rural areas. However, the students had the same high level of perception when learning English. The main factors influencing English language learning perception included students’ personal will, family factors, and teacher factors, with standardized coefficients of 0.298, 0.147, and 0.196, respectively. In conclusion, students have a high perception of learning English, whether students in rural or urban areas. Family factors, teacher factors, and students’ personal will be able to explain 29.60% of the variance in their perception of English learning. Learning English is very important for students studying at the lower-secondary level, and to promote students' perception of learning English, the school management team and parents should pay attention, as important as, to family factors, teacher factors, and students’ personal will.

Forming networks between rural schools and their local areas: shared projects and their impact in the Asturian context

Rural schools play an important role in their local areas, helping stimulate the community and promoting activities with economic, social, and cultural impact on the area. This study aimed to identify the projects undertaken by 44 rural schools in Asturias (Spain) in collaboration with local agents and organizations by consulting the school management teams. It also sought their opinions about the impact of these projects. The study used a mixed methodology: quantitative, analyzing the data collected from a semi-open questionnaire, and qualitative, listing and describing the projects. The questionnaire included questions about the organizations the schools collaborated with, the goals and subjects of the shared projects, and funding sources, and it asked for their opinions about their impact. The results indicate that rural schools in Asturias have undertaken projects covering various subjects in collaboration with local authorities, cultural centers, libraries, public health centers, small businesses, and On-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). The respondents were very satisfied with the activities. They viewed their schools as a stimulus for their areas, stating that the projects encouraged a sense of belonging to the area and helped construct a collective identity. They also felt that they responded to shared needs, offered services to the community, allowed people to settle or remain in the area, and, to a lesser extent, helped local businesses and the local economy. Finally, the study concludes that these schools play an active role in their local areas, and highlights the importance of external support to implement initiatives that benefit the rural population.

The influence of the fourth industrial revolution in teaching and learning: the COVID-19 context

Background The aim of this paper was to explore how the Fourth Industrial Revolution shapes teaching and learning during COVID-19 in some of the schools located in the Gauteng and Mpumalanga provinces, South Africa. This paper employed qualitative interpretative multiple case study design. Purposive sampling was used to sample our participants. Methods We selected four teachers who separately taught at the early childhood development stage, intermediate phase, senior phase, and further education and training phases. Data was collected telephonically through semi-structured interviews with teachers from Limpopo, Gauteng and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa. Data was collected from their experiences of COVID-19 from 2019 to 2021. Collected data was analysed using a typology approach whereby themes that derived from the literature reviewed and research questions were used. Results We inferred from the results of the paper that teachers had challenges with teaching and availability of learning resources, such as limited access to internet and socio-economic backgrounds, which hindered the integration of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in the teaching and learning process. There were also challenges related to teachers’ background on the usage of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the lack of school management teams support. The paper revealed that the integration of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in teaching and learning was affected negatively by the existence of the above-mentioned challenges, which needs to be addressed. Conclusions Therefore, we recommended that the government and stakeholders within the education sector provide resources such as smart-boards, computers, and network access in schools lacking such facilities, as well as providing professional development interventions and training teachers to have an in-depth understanding of the Fourth Industrial Revolution within the teaching and learning context.

Establishing sustainable school-community partnerships: strategies for school management teams

ABSTRACT School-community partnerships (SCPs) in under-resourced contexts provide invaluable support and resources for meeting the needs of staff and learners beyond the perimeters of a school. This article explored the strategies which school management teams (SMTs) employ, in establishing sustainable SCPs in township secondary schools in the Johannesburg Central (JC) District of Gauteng, South Africa. The study followed a concurrent triangulation mixed-methods design, to investigate the partnerships between 16 secondary schools and their respective community partners (CPs). However, for this article, the study reports only on the quantitative results. Two complementary, standardized questionnaires – one for SMTs and the other for CPs were used to collect data, which were subsequently analyzed using descriptive, factor, and reliability statistical analysis procedures. I employed sustainable SCPs, using the collective impact model as the theoretical framework. The study produced favorable findings regarding strategies for establishing sustainable partnerships between the school and community partners, including two-way conversations; negotiated partnerships; a common purpose; funding; a reflection on the quality of the partnership; accountability; monitoring and evaluation; trust and respect; commitment to implementing the partnership and collaborating to find solutions. To conclude, I highlight the implications of the findings for educational practitioners and make recommendations for future research.

A shared vision for a school: developing a learning community

ABSTRACT Background Developing a school as a learning community is a complex process necessitating active engagement from the entire school community. This paper reports on a study from Finland that focused on exploring learning community development grounded in a shared vision. Purpose We sought to investigate the development of a school community with a separate primary and lower secondary school as it progressed towards becoming a unified comprehensive school. The research involved close school-university collaboration to support the community’s transformative journey. Our particular interest in this paper is the relationship between the shared vision and learning community development. Method At the conclusion of the development project, seven semi-structured interviews were conducted with members of the school management team. Thematic analysis of the interview data was undertaken to identify their perceptions of how the shared vision was linked to learning community development. Findings The in-depth analysis revealed five major themes: (1) communication of the shared vision and transparency; (2) present and absent themes in the shared vision; (3) tradition and innovation; (4) the long-term nature of school development; and (5) the role of the vision in everyday school life. The analysis drew attention to how a school’s past and present influence a shared vision and school development. Conclusion This study provides insights into how the preconditions of a school community contribute to the implementation of a shared vision as a catalyst for change. Recognising the distinct needs and starting points of schools is crucial, emphasising the importance of understanding the pre-existing context in school development.

Monitoring the Training of School Management Teams in Educational Institutions of the Novosibirsk Region

Introduction. The article discusses topical problems of team building typical for state educational organizations. The problems of team formation, formal leadership and the differences between a team and a working group are considered. The purpose of this article is to present the methodological grounds for the use of team building in the management activities of school leaders, as well as to show the monitoring of the training of management teams in the Novosibirsk region. Methodology. The study of the possibilities of using the technology of team building in the organization of innovative activities of teachers of educational organizations (on the example of management teams of schools in the Novosibirsk region) was carried out in several stages: organizational, diagnostic, approbation, and reflexive-evaluative. The purpose of the monitoring was to study the conditions created for the professional growth of members of school management teams at the regional and municipal levels, as well as the demand for various forms of training. Also, in the course of monitoring, information was collected on organizations that train management teams. Results. The analysis of the information provided has shown that the heads of general educational organizations and representatives of municipal educational authorities often do not understand what the concept of “training of management teams” includes and often replace it with a referral to advanced training courses and training events of the group. Conclusion. The monitoring recorded the need to form a system of work at the regional and municipal levels to organize the training of school management teams. Heads of educational institutions should consciously approach the issues of team building and assess the need to create a team based on the actual need.