School Planning Research Articles

Influence of Strategic Leadership Management on Students’ Academic Performance in Public Secondary Schools in Kenya

This study sought to establish influence of strategic leadership management on students’ academic performance in Public Secondary Schools in Kathiani Sub-County of Machakos County. The study was guided by the following objective; to assess the influence of strategic leadership management on students’ academic performance. Descriptive survey design was employed by this study. The study used questionnaires to collect data. The study targeted 1,240 students, 224 teachers, and 31principals. Stratified and simple random sampling technique were used to select 11 Principals, 76 teachers and 422 students. Quantitative data was collected using the questionnaires and while qualitative data was collected through interview guides. The data was descriptively analyzed using frequencies and percentages and inferentially using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation test analysis with the help of SPSS Version 24 and presented using tables and charts. The coefficient of determination was conducted to measure how well the statistical model was likely to forecast future outcomes. Findings show that of the four independent variables contribute 34% of students’ academic performance. This means that this study did not focus on other factor that contribute to 66% of the students’ academic performance. The researcher further carried out a multiple regression analysis so as to identify the influence of the independent variables on students’ academic performance. From the regression coefficient, strategic resource allocation (p=0.000) and vision setting (p=0.000) were found to have a significant relationship with the dependent variable (students’ academic performance) as its p-value was below 0.05 while objective setting p=0.037 and strategic leadership (p=0.079) were found to have an insignificant relationship with the dependent variable as their p-values were above 0.05 Qualitative data from open ended questions was analyzed using thematic analysis while qualitative data from interview guides was presented in form of narratives. The findings of this study established insignificant relationship between strategic leadership management and students’ academic performance (p-value=0.080). The study concluded that; the principal should work with the teachers and other stakeholders to ensure that the syllabus is covered in a timely manner so that the students are not disadvantaged. The study recommended principals should motivate teachers who perform well in their subjects through commending them for their good work and ministry of education should reinforce the implementation of strategic Plans in all public secondary schools with intensive monitoring and supervision.

Education and conflict in the "150 hours" for the right to education. A critical pedagogy reading between theoretical models and procedural developments in adult education

The work addresses the issue of the “150 hours for the right to education” from a pedagogical and historical-educational perspective, moving through four thematic stages. Firstly, the experience of the 150 hours will be outlined as a trade union strategy that attempted to strengthen social conflict and educational planning in public schools; this will be connected to the anti-authoritarian motive that, since '68, has been re-elaborated within the movement. Subsequently, emphasis will be placed on the pedagogical professionalism as it also emerged in the academic debate of the time, particularly in the Marxist area. Finally, some insights will be proposed on the experience of the 150 hours in the territories of Bologna and Reggio Emilia. The purpose of the work is to provide an interpretation, also through the examination of archival documentation, of the experience, identifying the historically defining reasons and the points of interest for a contemporary critical pedagogy approach.

Preserving Legacy or Pioneering Progress: A Lesson Plan for the Next Chapter at Hatfield School Supply

Hatfield School Supply is a 70-year-old company selling customized school planners and pencil vending machines to the K-12 market. Planner and pencil sales have steadily declined as they have been replaced by digital solutions. Declining sales then hit a hard stop when the COVID-19 Pandemic led many schools to shut down face-to-face instruction. The third-generation owner would like to pass down or sell the business, but its current financial condition and market outlook make that next to impossible. She, and the company President are contemplating alternatives to achieve the profitable growth necessary for the business to remain viable.

Creative Teaching Ability, Motivation, and Self-Efficacy Among Art And Design Teachers in Chinese Universities

This study explores the relationship between creative teaching ability, motivation, and self-efficacy among 425 art and design teachers in Chinese universities. A quantitative survey approach investigated these factors and their influence on teaching effectiveness. Most participants were female, aged 26-35, and held Master’s degrees or higher. The study identified “Evaluation and Reflection” as the most critical aspect for fostering creative teaching, while “Teacher Work Environment and Development” was the strongest motivator. Interestingly, self-development emerged as the most important factor for teacher self-efficacy. Age also played a significant role in the analysis. These findings highlight the interconnectedness of creative teaching ability, motivation, and self-efficacy for effective art and design education. The study proposes a comprehensive development plan for art and design schools based on these results. This plan encompasses strategies for educators, students, schools, and researchers. Educators would benefit from increased professional development opportunities, research support, and effective evaluation methods. Students would experience personalized education, practical training through industry collaboration, and mental health support. Schools could enhance interdisciplinary collaboration, implement international exchange programs, and cultivate an innovative college culture. Finally, researchers would be empowered by an improved research environment with grants, mentorship programs, and academic exchange opportunities. By implementing these recommendations, art and design schools can create an environment that fosters creative teaching, motivates educators, and ultimately enhances the overall learning experience for students.

Chaos Theory and Garbage Can Model as Effective Strategies for Decision Making in Educational Institutions

Chaos is explained as complexity, instability, unpredictability, nonlinearity, and in the trash can model, conflicts, restrictions, differences, dynamic environment, instability of participation, complex organizations, and unstable conditions have importance. The garbage can model explains this tendency in organizations that often experience very high degrees of uncertainty. The aim of the current study is to discuss how the manager can benefit from the trash can model within the framework of their proactive personality in cases of chaos that may occur during the education management process. A case study design from qualitative research methods was used in the study. The research data were obtained, analyzed, evaluated and interpreted with the document analysis technique. The literature on chaos theory and the garbage can model used in administrative decision-making was systematically examined and synthesized. In general, the question sought to be answered is how education and school systems can effectively manage chaos and complexity. Thus, a new and different understanding and perspective will be tried to be created for effective school management. Within the scope of the current research, the following suggestions can be offered to education administrators: Creating a simple and flexible organization and organizational structure, giving importance to the detection of pre-learning and experiences (cognitive, emotional, motor, social aspects) in individuals, the need for education and school administrators to be proactive and behave accordingly. As a result, in school improvement efforts, despite linear organizational charts and development plans, schools are not linear but chaotic systems. This situation brings about the fact that schools cannot be managed from the top. Also, plans in schools should be short-term (1-2 years) rather than long-term (5-10 years) and should focus on the process rather than the product.

Intervention Mapping for Refining a Sport-Based Public Health Intervention in Rural Schools.

Sport-based youth development programs, delivered through campus-community partnerships, can create impactful experiences for college students, meet university objectives, and improve the health of children in under-resourced rural communities. This study aimed to pilot test intervention mapping (IM), a systematic approach to intervention development and implementation, to refine the Hoosier Sport intervention, which is a local public health initiative that utilizes the Obesity-Related Behavioral Intervention Trials (ORBITs) model to improve physical activity in middle school children. The IM process, which included a diverse IM planning and advisory group of university representatives and local schools, was guided by self-determination theory (SDT) and social cognitive theory (SCT) and followed four steps: Logic Model of the Problem, Logic Model of Change, Program Design, and Program Production. Using SDT and SCT, we identified our personal determinants as autonomy, competence, and relatedness, while our environmental determinants were role-modeling and sports equipment access. We then created change methods and practical applications for refining and implementing our intervention and gathered pilot test data to assess the feasibility of the intervention. The IM process provided a more robust and evidence-based approach to intervention design and production, while involving stakeholders to foster meaningful collaboration and increase program success. By using IM in program development, public health interventions that promote youth development through sport will likely be more easily scaled up.

“They Give Us That Equal Kind of Level Playing Field to Do Whatever Someone in a Regular School Does.” An Exploration of Second-level Students’ Experiences with an Alternative Education Programme in Supporting Their Education and Well-being in a DEIS School

ABSTRACT Young people’s perspectives on social and educational inequalities got little attention from broader social theory and have not been prioritised by childhood and youth studies. Similarly, secondary school students’ voices and qualitative experiences with education and education inequality have been missing, particularly in an Irish context. Educational inequality has persisted in Irish education since the state’s independence. The Irish government has partially addressed the issue by introducing the Delivering of Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) Plan. Despite some positive outcomes of this policy, students attending DEIS schools still experience lower educational outcomes than their peers from non-DEIS schools. DEIS schools encounter different levels of disadvantage, and they cater for a higher percentage of people with intellectual disabilities and often rely on the support provided by charities and philanthropies [Cahill, K. (2021). Intersections of social class and special educational needs in a DEIS post-primary school: School choice and identity. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 28, 7, 977–991; Fleming, B., & Harford, J. (2023). The DEIS programme as a policy aimed at combating educational disadvantage: Fit for purpose? Irish Educational Studies, 42(42), 381–399]. The context of this study is set as an all-girl post-primary school in the wider Cork area, which receives financial and study support from an external alternative education programme exposed to a broader evaluation conducted by UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre, University of Galway. Focus groups and photovoice were introduced to seek students’ experiences with the alternative education programme in the post-primary DEIS school context. Common findings emerging from the data are (a) social inequality and educational opportunities, (b)study and financial support provided by the alternative education programme, and (c) enhanced mental health and well-being. These findings contribute to a further understanding of young people’s experiences with educational inequality in an Irish DEIS school context and emphasise the role of external educational support programmes in tackling such challenges. Students' experiences with educational and broader socio-economic inequalities in Ireland, as presented in this paper, call for system change and policy reform in post-primary education.

The emerging policy model for career guidance in England: some lessons from international examples

The existing international evidence is reviewed in relation to four aspects of the emerging policy model for career guidance in England: an all-age service; revitalising the professionalism of career guidance; the partnership model between schools and an external service; and introducing school commissioning. It is concluded that the first three are supported by the international evidence; but that on the fourth, the evidence is more negative. Evidence is also reviewed in relation to six high-performing countries in terms of school performance. It is concluded that there is no common pattern that characterises the career guidance provision in these countries, but that any devolution of responsibility to schools needs to be accompanied by strong policy levers. These might include measures to assure professional standards, support for school planning and self-evaluation, and in-service training for school heads.

Rights-based reproductive services in medical schools in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Chandigarh, India: baseline findings of mixed-methods implementation research

IntroductionThere is a need to assess and strengthen reproductive rights-based family planning and abortion services in Indian medical schools that play a key role in medical education and service delivery. This study presents the findings of baseline assessment across nine schools in two states and one union territory with objective to assess, identify the gaps and improve the status of reproductive rights and evidence-based family planning and abortion services in Indian medical schools.MethodsA convergent parallel mixed methods study was conducted in nine medical schools in Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Chandigarh a Union territory in India from October 2018 to June 2019. In-depth interviews with 33 faculty from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology were conducted. The COM-B (Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation) model of behaviours was used to qualitatively identify barriers and facilitators of reproductive rights-based family planning and abortion services. Reproductive health services provided to 104 women for family planning and abortion were observed quantitatively using a pre-tested checklist.FindingsProviders’ preference bias in recommending contraceptive methods to specific clients (wherein sterilisation was offered to women with two or more children and IUCD to women with one child) was observed as barrier to reproductive rights. The facilitators of rights based reproductive services included well-informed faculty regarding providing dignified and respectful care. Barriers included infrastructure gaps, high workload, insufficient human resources affecting privacy, and lower awareness and decision-making power of clients. Family planning counselling using the cafeteria approach was offered in 69.4% of cases, 31.6% of women seeking abortion services were offered counselling on both family planning and abortion. Sterilisation or IUD insertion was a pre-condition in 36.8% of women requesting an abortion.ConclusionsRight-based reproductive services around family planning counselling and abortion services were delivered partially despite the medical schools’ trained faculty, mainly due to provider bias, high workload, and less autonomy and lower awareness of reproductive rights among women.

The Role of The Principal in Improving the Quality of Education Through School-Community Relations Management at MI Persis Gandok Tasikmalaya City

The aim of this research is to determine Public Relations management at MI Persis Gandok City. Tasikmalaya. Meanwhile, the specific aim is to describe the planning of school and community relations, the implementation of school and community relations and how the principal evaluates the implementation of school and community relations. The research method used in this research is qualitative descriptive research. MI Persis Gandok is planning several public relations work programs, among which the Public Relations Program is to form cooperation in the field of strengthening educational institutions through the formation of Madrasah Councils and Congregational Leadership. Through the formation of madrasah councils and congregational leaders, they can provide a bridge in the form of communication between the school and the community. To make the MI Persis Gandok school public relations program a success, there are several techniques that can be used. The technique chosen is a technique that is considered effective and efficient according to school conditions, the condition of the students' parents, the condition of the surrounding community, and the school's finances. Among these techniques are: group face-to-face meeting techniques, individual face-to-face meeting techniques and school publication techniques. One form of evaluation by the Principal of MI Persis Gandok towards Madrasah Public Relations is through observation, checklists, questionnaires and/or through meetings/briefings. The objectives of this evaluation are: 1) To ensure that the entire program is known; 2) Ensure that the Madrasah's image in society has good values; 3) make a follow-up to the evaluation results.

SLR: Discovering STEAM Integrated Science Disciplines for Learning Planning for Primary School Students in Indonesia Towards the Era of Society 5.0

This research aims to find elements related to STEAM from 100 Google Scholar indexed articles resulting from scientific research. Elements related to STEAM can be implemented in elementary school students in facing the era of society 5.0. The method used in this research is the SLR (Literature Review System) PCR model (Planning, Conducting, Reporting) with the aim of systematically reviewing the literature to find elements related to STEAM based on research results from the last 7 years (2017-2024). The research results showed that other elements were compared with STEAM, such as language, social sciences, economics, religion, culture and literacy with the terms STREAM, SELAMeT, STREAME, STELAM and STEAMS and were even used as a basis for curriculum development such as in South Korea with the term WS-STEAM . Based on these findings, there are elements that can be used as a reference in developing learning plans in elementary schools towards the era of society 5.0 which are in accordance with the national basic education curriculum, especially in elementary schools in Indonesia, namely language, social (including culture and economics in social science learning ), religious, and literacy.

A new approach to business ethics education: Virtual reality-based flipped learning

Paying attention to business ethics and educating ethical leaders and employees can impact organizational performance. Effective professional ethics education and learning can prevent administrative corruption, embezzlement and fraud in organizations. On the other hand, the development of digital technologies has created transformations in educational processes and methods. Evaluating the effectiveness of innovative teaching methods will greatly help the learning process of individuals and educational planning of business schools. Flipped learning is an educational approach in which students learn about course content before class. Accordingly, the aim of this research is to evaluate the impact of virtual reality (VR)-based flipped learning compared to the traditional method of teaching business ethics. This study was applied and quasi-experimental. Among business students of Shiraz University, 135 people were randomly divided into three groups. The first experimental group underwent training with the flipped learning method based on VR and the second experimental group underwent training with the traditional method and the third group was the control group. The control group didn't receive training and was selected only for the purpose of comparison with experimental groups. Pretest and posttest designs were used and the results of the three groups were compared using the Tukey test. The results showed that the two groups that received business ethics education had a significant difference compared to the control group. An important finding of this study revealed that among the two teaching methods, VR-based flipped learning had a greater impact on students' business ethics compared to the traditional teacher-centered approach. Accordingly, university managers and business ethics course instructors can facilitate the learning process using VR-based flipped learning. Designing simulation software for ethical scenarios is also a suitable solution for teaching business ethics.

Study tutors’ professional role and practical work with newly arrived students in Sweden

Study Tutoring in the Mother Tongue is a support measure in Swedish schools typically offered to newly arrived students. The space is often referred to as one for translanguaging because, during tutoring sessions, both study tutors and students alternate between using their native language (L1) and Swedish while discussing the subject matter. The few studies available describe study tutors as a critical ‘language and culture bridge’ for newly arrived students’. In this study, we interview ten study tutors from across Sweden to explore their perceptions of their professional role and practical work with newly arrived students. The results show that study tutors describe their work as an essential support measure for newly arrived students’ success and inclusion in school. Yet, the study tutors also highlight their work as having collaboration, time and resource constraints, and that they feel they lack the training to address these challenges. In response, the study tutors see their work as pragmatic, relying on their professional backgrounds and initiative to support their students, at times acting outside their official responsibilities. These findings show the underutilization of study tutors, the potential of which could be developed through their greater inclusion in school planning and formalized training.

Investigating the Levels of Schools as a Professional Learning Community

Purpose: The study aims to reveal the levels of schools as being a PLC regarding the opinions of teachers working at the high schools. Design/Methodology/Approach: The research was carried out in accordance with the correlational survey design. Participants were selected by the stratified sampling method, which is one of the random sampling types. It consists of 385 teachers. The participants of the research are from Maltepe, Sultanbeyli, Esenler and Bakırköy districts of İstanbul during 2021-2022 academic year. To get the data, PLC Scale was used and to analyze descriptive statistics and one-way analysis of variance were used. Findings: The level of being a professional learning community is at the level of "agree". When the scale’s sub-dimensions were examined, a significant difference was found between the employment type, length of service and district variables. On the basis, some suggestions are given to policy makers. Highlights: It is important to establish an online platform that allows the expansion of the learning network. In addition, a framework plan for schools to ensure sustainability is planned. Lastly, the implementation of rotation between schools could be considered to transform individual intelligence into collective intelligence.

Implementation of Strategic Planning in Vocational High Schools to Address the Challenges of the Industrial Revolution 4.0

<p dir="ltr"><span>Abstract:</span><span>This study examines the implementation of strategic planning in Vocational High Schools (VHS). In facing the challenges of Industrial Revolution 4.0 the research focuses on 11 principals. Additionally, 22 teachers from VHSs in the Special Region of Yogyakarta (In Bahasa: Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta/DIY) are involved. Utilizing quantitative methodology, results reveal intriguing patterns. School principals develop strategic plans and actively involve teachers. There is participation from parents and industry stakeholders. A significant emphasis is placed on the use of technology to enhance effectiveness. The efficiency of VHS management is also improved. Evidence shows the integration of digital technologies. Online learning platforms are noted in the schools' operations and educational processes. The study highlights the critical role of collaborative and tech-driven approaches. This prepares vocational schools to meet the demands of the evolving industrial landscape.</span></p><div><span><br /></span></div>

Planning for Long-Term Recovery: The Impact of COVID-19 on Educators Working With Children From Seasonal and Migrant Farmworker Families.

Education faced challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the United States has declared an end to the public health emergency, schools continue to be impacted. While considerable research has focused on the impact of the pandemic on students, fewer studies have focused on educators, and even less on educators who specialize in working with marginalized student populations. This study measured the impact of the pandemic impact on educators working with students from seasonal and migrant farmworker families to understand what supports educators need as schools plan for long-term recovery. A total of 1024 educators including early childhood education and K-12 teachers, as well as administrators, completed a COVID-19 questionnaire between October 2020 and January 2021, measuring their experiences as well as personal and work-related stressors during the pandemic. Educators underwent difficult COVID-19 experiences and faced several factors contributing to personal and work-related stress. Personal stress factors included concerns about they themselves, or family members, becoming ill, concerns about the emotional/mental health of their family, and fear of loss/reduction in employment. Work-related stress factors included concerns about the emotional and mental health of co-workers. Educators working with migrant children need additional supports-including support from administrators, psychological services, and opportunities to give/receive colleague/peer support.

Forecasting school enrollments in the Australian Capital Territory

Abstract School enrollment forecasts are vital for effective planning. This study introduces a probabilistic multiregional population projection model, which accounts for different components, including preschool entries, migration, grade progression, and graduations. Using different distributions with a cohort component projection and Monte Carlo simulation, this paper forecasts student enrollments for each school and academic year level in the Australian Capital Territory based on the annual record-level administrative data. In the in-sample validation tests, the model’s overall performance is robust, and the probabilistic design offers reliable prediction intervals reflecting the variation in observed values. The paper ends with a discussion on the importance of prediction intervals for informing school planning.

Strategic Adaptation in Focus: Unfolding Stories of Novice Principals

Being novice principals is a transformative experience that entails effective leadership principles. Their ability to adapt to varied circumstances can yield excellent outcomes in the educational setting. This study explored the experiences of novice principals in strategic adaptation to the newly assigned schools. It utilized qualitative research design, particularly phenomenological approach. In-depth Interview was used to generate responses from the participants. There were ten novice principals involved in the study selected through purposive sampling. Based on their experiences in strategic adaptation, there were six themes emerged: strong support and collaboration with stakeholders, building good social relations and open communication, teacher empowerment, difficulty in adjusting to deeply rooted culture, shortage of budget allocation, and constraints on implementation of instructional delivery and maintenance of physical facilities. On the other hand, their collaborative planning practices were captured in four dominant themes: conducting interactive dialogue and consultation through regular meetings, practicing transformational leadership style, empowering teachers and stakeholders, and developing strong sense of commitment and shared responsibility. However, they adopted coping mechanisms to address the challenges by establishing democratic and consultative work environment, identifying priority improvement area, instituting generation of financial resources, adopting clear scientific approach to problem solving, and lobbying support from DepEd authorities and multi-stakeholders. The findings have implications on stressing the need to promote or develop more the principals’ leadership dimensions: educational, people, and strategic leadership especially in dealing with instructional delivery, financial management, collaboration with stakeholders, and instituting planning in schools.

Using Lesson Study as a tool to cope with instructional challenges: A case study of Chemistry teachers in Nigeria

Educators encounter many obstacles in effectively planning and teaching students in the classroom. One of the most significant challenges is the constraints imposed by curriculum standards, which can hinder teachers from customizing lesson plans that reflect students' current situations. To address this issue, a research study was conducted to investigate how collaborative professional development using lesson study could support teachers in managing lesson planning and teaching issues in schools. Two chemistry teachers in Educational District IV Lagos State, Nigeria, participated in the lesson study process, were interviewed, and engaged in writing a reflection. The data gathered were transcribed, coded, analyzed, and the results revealed that chemistry teachers face difficulties due to curriculum standards and expectations of national and external examinations. Nevertheless, through lesson study, the teachers recognized the necessity of prioritizing students' needs while designing lesson plans to overcome challenges and make chemistry relevant to students.

Depoliticized and decontextualized equality promotion in the gender equality planning of Finnish comprehensive schools

ABSTRACT This study critically examines gender equality planning (GEP), which has been obligatory in all Finnish comprehensive schools since 2015. GEP has been welcomed as a promising method of systemizing perspectives on gender in Finnish basic education. A regionally representative, discretional sample of gender equality plans (N = 140) was analysed using a critical discourse approach to examine how these plans discursively bent, stretched, fixed or shrank the meaning of gender equality along with the consequences of these approaches for equality promotion. The analysis shows that the GE plans constantly bent and stretched equality to separate it from gender and fixed it to free-floating gender equality measures, which left gendered power relations undisturbed. Consequently, equality promotion was represented as depoliticized. However, through the shrinking, the contextual construction of gendered power relations was recognized, and GEP exhibited the potential to politicize gender equality. In this paper, we argue that GEP has potential in gender equality promotion if the planning processes recognize contextual construction of gendered power relations and if equality promotion is not reduced to technical measures. Otherwise, the tool might actually impede equality rather than promoting it.