School Visits Research Articles

Exploring predominant marketing strategies for branding higher education institutions in Tanzania

It is worth noting that the utilisation of marketing strategies by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) operates within a complex and unclear environment. This study, therefore, explored the predominant marketing strategies used for branding HEIs in Tanzania. The study adopted an embedded mixed methods research design. Semi-structured interviews with 12 staff members from 6 HEIs, including 6 public relations officers (PROs) and 6 registrars were utilised. An online questionnaire was also administered to 100 students through Google Forms. PROs and registrars were purposively selected, while a convenience sampling technique was applied for student participants. Qualitative data were thematically analysed, while quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS version 27. The findings indicated no statistically significant differences in the marketing strategies employed by public and private HEIs. This suggests that both private and public-owned HEIs employ a diverse range of marketing strategies, encompassing both traditional and digital approaches to enhance their brand image. The study also identified that word-of-mouth recommendations from current students, alumni, and other influential individuals emerged as a particularly influential marketing channel for HEIs. University websites and various digital platforms were also identified as key branding tools. Traditional approaches such as print media, school visits, and radio/TV advertisements still hold relevance to some extent. The study recommends that HEIs continue to invest in and optimise their digital marketing capabilities while also calling for the Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU) to provide comprehensive guidance and support for the effective utilisation of both traditional and digital branding approaches.

Activism as education in and through the youth climate justice movement

AbstractYoung people worldwide are increasingly participating in a global movement for climate justice, yet to date, little research has examined how youth climate justice activists conceive of and experience activism as education. The present study used in‐depth, semi‐structured interviews with 16 US climate justice activists (aged 15–17) to address the research question: How do youth climate justice activists explain and experience the educative power of their activism? The results of reflective thematic analysis bring to light youths' dual roles as ‘learners of the movement’ and ‘climate justice educators’. As learners, youth described gaining awareness of climate justice directly from the movement, as well as learning a variety of skills (e.g., organising, communication, conflict resolution) through their activist engagement. Simultaneously, youth described their role as educators through a range of activities intended to raise awareness among adult and youth audiences, including educational workshops and trainings, school visits, teach‐ins, curriculum development, talk shows and interviews, creating digital resources, social media outreach and public protest (e.g., strikes, marches and demonstrations). Beyond spreading knowledge of climate in/justice, youth activists were also educators of action and social change processes—noting that learning about governmental institutions and political processes enabled them to exercise their democratic citizenship and equip and embolden other young people to do the same (e.g., via political advocacy trainings). The findings of the present study have implications for creating climate justice curricula that not only attend to the scientific and technological dimensions of the climate crisis, but also enable learners' justice‐driven action and democratic participation.

Parental involvement in the inclusive transition to school: preschool teachers’ transition practices in a German context

ABSTRACT Parental involvement (PI) in the transition from preschool to primary school is an important prerequisite for children with disabilities to start school successfully. Therefore, the present study looks at PI practices that are conducted to support successful inclusive transition processes in Germany. The focus is on practices that take place in the institutional context of early childhood facilities. The data base consists of qualitative guideline-based interviews with n = 22 preschool teachers. The data analysis comprises two steps: 1) a qualitative content analysis and 2) a systematic comparison of teachers and their transition practices according to specific teacher characteristics, such as professional experience. The results show that communication formats between teachers and parents regarding a child’s development or general issues such as the course of the last preschool year are most widely established to involve parents in the transition process. Some teachers also claim to inform parents about additional support for their child and involve parents in preschool or school visits. Moreover, findings indicate that parental involvement hardly differs systematically between teachers with different backgrounds (e.g., different levels of professional experience).

Difusão dos Arquivos a Partir da Educação Patrimonial

Archival cultural activities collections to be converted into valuable teaching, which help with learning, culture, building memory and identity, among other aspects. This work aimed to investigate the use of heritage education in the school context as a source of information through archival documents held in the Municipal Public and Historical Archives of Rio Grande, particularly the sketches of facades of commercial establishments from 1929 to 1953. This study utilized basic research with a qualitative approach, not involving statistical methods, with the natural environment as the main source of data. The research is descriptive, aiming for an inductive analysis of the data, with an emphasis on the process and meaning. It is also classified as exploratory, as it provides greater familiarity with the problem and allows for the development of hypotheses. From a technical perspective, a bibliographic study was chosen, using published materials such as books, articles, and internet sources. To this end, theoretical studies were conducted, enabling reflections on how the cultural activities of archives can be used to bring the documents housed in these spaces closer to school-age children. The research uses the Municipal Public and Historical Archives of Rio Grande as a central piece of research, proposing the development of material that could be made available to the Archive, serving as a educational resource and being used in school visits, assisting those responsible for the Institution in heritage education activities and cultural activities of the collection. Based on the studies and the direct participation of the researchers, it was possible to map, together with the Archive and its research tools, the collections with potential for the development of cultural activities. As a result of the research, a folder and a puzzle were created based on the collection of sketches. These products will contribute to cultural activities and heritage education, considering that the Archive may use them and make them available to children when they visit its space. We understand that cultural activities, when used by public archives, brings several benefits, among them the possibility of presenting, in a dynamic way, the collection and its educational possibilities in the approach to content in the contexts of formal and informal education, valuing its research potential, in addition to raising awareness of the participation of different audiences and users in the archives.

Prevalence and Pattern of Ear Disease Among Primary School Students in Samoa: Preliminary Results from ENT Clinic Outreach to Urban, Rural and Remote Settings.

Objectives: To assess the prevalence and pattern of ear disease among students attending primary school in urban, rural, and remote regions of Samoa in order to develop an evidence-based national school ear and hearing health program. Methods: Retrospective clinical data review of all primary school students seen by the Ear, Nose & Throat Clinic of Samoa during school-based outreach visits from March 2022 to April 2024. A purposefully designed spreadsheet was created to extract the following information from the clinical records: school location (urban, rural, remote), gender (male, female), age (years), age category (0-4, 5-9, 10-14, 15+ years), right ear diagnosis, left ear diagnosis. Data were entered into the SPSS statistical software package for descriptive statistical analysis and association tests of significance. Results: A total of 1491 primary school students were seen for ear health examinations (51.1% male, 48.9% female), with a mean age of 9.1 years (SD = 2.3). Five primary schools were included, representing urban (n = 865), rural (n = 258), and remote (n = 368) settings. Overall, 682 (45.7%) students had normal ear examination results for both ears, 237 (15.9%) had an ear pathology in 1 ear only, and 568 (38.1%) had ear pathology in both ears. Bilateral ear pathology was significantly higher among students who were in the 5 to 9 age group (P < .00001), female (P = .035), and from rural settings (P = .0001). The most common pathology was impacted cerumen (36.8%), followed by otitis media with effusion (7.5%). Overall prevalence of chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) was 2.6% (n = 39 students). Following the school visits, no further intervention was required for 1180 students (79%), mostly due to successful cerumen and foreign body removals for 468 students (31.4%). Conclusion: Impacted cerumen is a significant issue among Samoan school-aged students, and future school-based ear health programs should include staff members trained in cerumen removal. CSOM prevalence suggests an avoidable burden of disease that must be addressed.

How science teachers deal with STEM education: An explorative study from the lens of curriculum ideology

AbstractTo gain a holistic understanding of how science teachers dealt with STEM education, this study explored two science teachers’ perceptions and practices at primary schools via the lens of curriculum ideology. By examining their perceptions and practices from six essential aspects (i.e., aim, content, student, teaching, learning, and assessment), we aim to provide deeper insights into what STEM education visions they have, why they promote it, and how they enact it in primary school settings. Combining deductive and inductive approaches, we analyzed data collected from multiple sources, including two rounds of semi‐structured interviews, field notes of school visits, artifact like students’ works, and documents like lesson plans and classroom videotapes. Results showed that the two teachers dealt with STEM education differently: one focused on teaching how to think and work as scientists or engineers with a scholar‐academic orientation, whereas the other was devoted to laying a foundation for students’ development and future lives with a learner‐centered orientation. Based on different value stances and aims, two teachers conceptualize STEM education and translate it into school courses and instructional activities differently, leading to varying degrees of curriculum integration, distinct cognitions of worthwhile content, and different teaching orientations. These findings have implications for researchers and practitioners to comprehend and reflect on how teachers deal with the issues involved in STEM education in school settings. The identified tensions and harmonies between different orientations provide insights into coordinating different values and interests to promote STEM education.

Development, evaluation, and gender differences in a novel workshop intervention to narrow the physics gender gap at postcompulsory level

To address the issue of gender disparity in participation in the physics state matriculation exam, a novel school visit program was designed. The program was facilitated by undergraduate university students of physics and related courses who visited schools providing lower secondary education and delivered a single-session workshop including hands-on demonstrations of physics principles, presentations about famous female scientists, information on physics-related careers, and the importance of adopting a growth mindset. In this paper, we present a detailed description of the principles underlying the workshop’s design and its final outline. Participants’ responses to a pre-post questionnaire are analyzed to assess the immediate effects of the workshop, particularly as regards changes in their opinions about physics and students’ intention to study it for their state matriculation exam. Female and male responses are analyzed separately to establish differences in the intervention’s effect between the two genders. Results show an increase among female students with positive perceptions of their physics knowledge and familiarity with physics role models. Our attempt to boost confidence, enjoyment, and perceptions of the relevance of physics proved challenging but yielded some positive results. Strikingly, girls reported positive change in their ability to imagine themselves as physicists and their intention to study physics for their matriculation exam. The intervention was more successful among younger girls. Results obtained from boys were positive but to a lesser extent. The study demonstrates an encouraging and strong positive impact of a uniquely designed, single-session intervention, especially on adolescent girls, and contributes to research on the effectiveness of gender equality-oriented science outreach interventions. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Sistem Informasi Monitoring Orang Tua Terhadap Kehadiran Anak di Sekolah Berbasis Website

Student attendance at school is very important to ensure that they get a good education and are successful in the future. Parents are an important part in supporting their children's education, communication between parents and schools is very important in supporting children's education. Currently, there are still many schools that use attendance books as a medium for recording student attendance. This makes it difficult for parents to monitor their child's attendance regularly, especially if they are at work or unable to visit school every day. The purpose of writing this Final Project (TA) is to create a website-based application to monitor student attendance at SMP Negeri 13 Sungai Raya, which is in Kabupaten Kubu Raya. The method used in developing this software uses the waterfall method and data collection methods. With this web-based application, it can assist parents in monitoring their children's attendance at school and increase parental involvement in children's education by providing accurate and up-to-date information about children's attendance at school

SOS Museum, a Gamified Learning App for Cultural Heritage Preservation Tailored for School Visits: Observational Insights

SOS Museum, a Gamified Learning App for Cultural Heritage Preservation Tailored for School Visits: Observational Insights

Teachers’ Experiences on the Implementation of COVID-19 Protocols Amidst the Pandemic in Mmashadi Circuit of the Sekhukhune District

The global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic extended to the education sector in South Africa, prompting the implementation of preventative measures by the National Coronavirus Command Council. These COVID-19 protocols included the wearing of face masks or face shields, ensuring maximum ventilation, washing of hands, and school attendance routines to deal with overcrowded classrooms, among others. This study aimed to delve into the implementation of COVID-19 protocols in schools, focusing on the strategies utilised and the challenges teachers encountered. Employing a qualitative research methodology within a case study framework, the study involved eight teachers (five male and three female) from four schools in the Sekhukhune District, selected through purposive sampling. Data were elicited through semi-structured interviews to gain a thorough understanding of the phenomenon and coded for anonymity purposes. Aligned with the goal of the study, thematic data analysis was adopted for analysing the data. The findings revealed that teachers faced significant challenges in balancing their responsibilities in implementing COVID-19 protocols alongside making up for lost teaching time. However, alternative strategies were employed by teachers to mitigate this loss including the deployment of assistant teachers to support protocol and assist students with homework, additional security personnel to help guard and control unnecessary school visits, and for teachers to provide supplementary notes and embark on online learning. Recommendations include the increased deployment of support personnel, increased community involvement, training teachers to use online learning platforms, and for the Department of Basic Education to develop a guidance sheet to assist teachers in navigating the challenges of teaching during a pandemic.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PARENTS’ LEVEL OF EDUCATION AND PUPIL’S ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN SELECTED PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN KAYUNGA DISTRICT. A CROSS SECTIONAL-STUDY.

Background Academic performance among pupils is influenced by numerous factors. Yet, excelling in academics is important in ensuring pupils not only pass exams but also lead rewarding lives. This study sought to determine the relationship between the parent’s level of education and pupils’ academic performance in primary schools. Methodology A mixed-method research approach was used in this study to generate data from 453 respondents drawn from eight primary schools in the Kayunga district. Using questionnaires and interview guides, data was collected from pupils, teachers, head teachers, parents, and the Area Education Officer. Results The correlation findings indicated a positive relationship between parents’ level of education and pupils’ academic performance (r = 0.297**, p =, 0.000) thus there was a positive relationship between parents’ level of education and pupils’ academic performance in Kayunga District. Conclusion There is a significant positive relationship between parents’ level of education and pupils’ academic performance. Attributed to parents checking books and homework of their children, assisting pupils in doing their homework, and assigning minimal domestic work to pupils at home to allow them to revise. Some of the parents visit schools to follow up on the academic progress of their pupils. Recommendation The study strongly recommends that parents should be made aware of the importance of the home environment in their children's academic performance. Teachers, educationists, and leaders should create awareness among parents of the importance of the home environment in improving the academic performance of pupils.

Columns: Telescopes: Possibilities in YAL: The Misadventures of an Accidental Boob Tap

Queer author and illustrator Laura Gao recounts how a mortifying diary entry spins into a meaningful school visit.

Audiences of visits scheduled to the Museu de História Natural e Jardim Botânico of the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais: contributions from records to museum management

The text presents an analysis of records of scheduling group visits to the Museu de História Natural e Jardim Botânico da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - Natural History Museum and Botanical Garden of the Federal University of Minas Gerais (MHNJB-UFMG) in the years 2018 and 2019. As a research source, records from the area of scheduling of the Educational Sector. From the analysis undertaken, it was possible to highlight the profile of these groups, requested educational itineraries and visit objectives. The data collected was categorized, organized, processed and interpreted. The results indicated that 86.8% of the institutions that requested the visit carried it out. The greatest demand for the MHNJB-UFMG is from schoolchildren, 86.1%, with emphasis on public education institutions and students enrolled in the initial years of Elementary School. Most scheduled groups come from the Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte and the most requested educational itinerary was the Circuito História Natural - Natural History Circuit. Within the scope of non-school institutions, the private sector segment was the one that most attended. School visits are concentrated from Tuesdays to Fridays. The data collected is useful for the management of the MHNJB-UFMG, as it makes it possible to review registration processes and highlight possible demands to propose actions aimed at these visitors, after knowing their motivations and expectations when making the appointment.

Does government food demonstration interventioninfluence household dietary diversity in the Upper West Region of Ghana?

Dietary diversity is crucial in ensuring food and nutrition security. In low-middle-income countries, people frequently prioritize the quantity of food they consume over its quality due to a lack of availability and financial limitations. As a result, achieving dietary diversity is often overlooked in favor of ensuring adequate caloric intake. Through a social cognitive theory perspective, our study examines the relationship between food demonstrations and household dietary diversity in Ghana's Upper West Region utilizing cross-sectional survey data from 517 smallholder farmer households. The results from ordered logistic regression presented in odds ratio (OR) show that participating in food demonstrations (OR: 2.585, p<0.01), engaging in home gardening (OR: 1.932, p<0.001), having access to credit (OR: 1.609, p<0.01), self-rated good nutritional status (OR: 1.747, p<0.01), and Waala ethnicity (OR: 3.686, p<0.001) were all positively associated with high household dietary diversity. Conversely, living in the Wa West district was associated with lower dietary diversity (OR: 0.326, p<0.001). Our research findings suggest that policymakers may want to consider implementing community-based educational programs, such as home and school visits for food demonstrations and sensitizations, promoting mother-to-mother support groups for dietary diversity education, nutrition counseling services, and using role-play and local media. In addition, strengthening local agricultural policies through food banks, indigenous seed development, and mobile food markets and enhancing public-private partnerships like the Ghana Schools Feeding Programme and National Food Buffer Stock company could improve the supply chain and distribution networks for diverse food items. Implementing these interventions in the Upper West Region of Ghana could improve health, well-being, food security, and nutritional outcomes.

The significance of foreign language Geography teaching in the dual language secondary school programmes of the Northern Great Plain region

Dual language education has been present in numerous institutions across the Northern Great Plain region of Hungary. Educational centres across the region have been running dual language programmes in secondary grammar schools and vocational schools for decades. As regional centre and traditional educational hub, Debrecen is also represented by a number of schools offering international programmes. Although recent socioeconomic and education policy changes have forced schools for constant renewal, bilingualism in educational programmes managed to remain popular, partly due to the achievements of foreign language subject teaching. Through the alignment of subject-specific content and the development of language competence, this form of education effectively contributes to the improvement of students’ language skills, shapes their mindset and expands their further education and increases their market value as potential workforce. This study will explore the role and impact of foreign language Geography teaching across the secondary schools of the Northern Great Plain region through the lens of teaching and educational research, by discussing some of the relevant regional findings of a broader PhD dissertation (including school visits, final exam results and a recent nationwide teacher survey). Research findings prove that Geography has been a popular subject choice to be taught in foreign languages: it has been present in the majority of the 15 dual language secondary schools of the region, it has been playing an important role in vocational school programmes and it has been chosen as final exam subject by nearly 1,000 candidates.

The proliferation of international schools: implications for educational stratification

ABSTRACT This article applies positional conflict theory to investigate how the proliferation of international schools can create a new layer of educational stratification and deepen inequality of opportunity. Data from five international schools in metropolitan centres across southern China were collected through interviews, school visits, and a survey. The findings demonstrate how international schooling can enable local middle-class students to accumulate distinctive forms of positional advantages that are geared towards global higher education and careers in the global economy. The implications are threefold: (1) demonstrating how international schools can exacerbate educational divides, (2) revealing the nature of advantages created by international schooling, and (3) illuminating how international schooling can reposition students in a global class structure while potentially creating barriers within local/national contexts. The article concludes by calling for more critical attention to the ongoing expansion of international schools.

Policy Solutions: We need a school board election holiday

Voter turnout for school board elections is historically low, with tiny percentages deciding who governs schools. Columnist Jonathan E. Collins proposes a new federal holiday, School Board Election Day, to increase voter turnout and public involvement and interest in public schools. School board elections would be held on the same day nationally, and voters would be encouraged to visit schools not only to vote but to participate in forums and projects to benefit schools.

The 5P Stairs Model: A Guide to School Visits

The 5P Stairs Model: A Guide to School Visits

Demonstrating Pedagogical Content Knowledge Through the Development of Educational Science Board Games

Preservice teachers who are specialising in the teaching of the subject natural science at a primary school level, ought to demonstrate the ability to present lessons that provoke a joyful yet meaningful educational experience amongst learners. One such approach that was taken, was when natural science preservice teachers were tasked with developing educational science board games as a means to enrich their teaching practice during a recent school visitation opportunity. However, given this educational exercise, what remains a mystery from a teacher development perspective is whether this exercise provoked some form of ‘pedagogical thinking’ among preservice teachers? It is with this question in mind, that the study investigated whether the task of developing educational science board games sparked the ability of preservice teachers to demonstrate knowledge of pedagogical content. The study draws on a modified understanding of Shulman’s pedagogical content knowledge model, which in the context of gamification requires one to effectively transmit ‘subject knowledge’ in an interactive manner through ‘educational board game practices and engagement’. Using a focus group discussion and photo-voice methodology as data collection techniques, this qualitative study uncovered how preservice teachers demonstrated i) knowledge of the curriculum, ii) knowledge of instructional strategies, iii) knowledge of learner-thinking, and iv) knowledge of assessment. This study holds a series of implications for future research in the field of initial teacher development and STEM education. For example, it will be interesting to uncover how preservice teachers experience the use of educational board games in their teaching. In addition, it will also be interesting to discover how educational board games can be used in other STEM subjects such as mathematics, technology, and physical science. Ultimately, more research is also required on the learning benefits of educational board games from a learner’s perspective.

Contribution of External Quality Assurance in Improving Instructional Practices among Heads of Schools and Teachers in Secondary Schools in Zanzibar

In this study, we explored the contribution of External School Quality Assurance (ESQA) towards the improvement of instructional practices among Heads of Schools (HoSs) and teachers in secondary schools in Zanzibar. A mixed-methods research approach coupled with a convergent parallel design was employed to generate data. Simple random and purposive sampling techniques were used to get the study participants. Data were collected from the Kaskazini Region in Unguja. The study involved 167 teachers, 12 HoSs, 1 REO, 2 DEO, and 11 ESQ assurers. Data were collected through questionnaires, interviews, and documentary review and analyzed through content analysis and bar charts. The findings indicate that although ESQA has a great contribution to the improvement of instructional practices, classroom observation was not effectively carried out by ESQ assurers. The findings also indicate that ESQ assurers created fear and tension among teachers because teachers knew that their work performance was to be reported to higher authority. The findings indicate further that there were irregular school visits which hindered the HoSs' and teachers’ effective improvement of instructional practices. The key argument in this study is that the current ESQA is ineffective in enhancing instructional practices in secondary schools. For ESQA to contribute to the improvement of instructional practices among HoSs and teachers, ESQ assurers need to concentrate on classroom observation. The government needs to support the ESQA with both human and financial resources and training programmes for the ESQ assurers are equally imperative for effective monitoring of the quality of education in secondary schools.