Schools In Nepal Research Articles

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

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

Education Policies and Practices for Ensuring Quality Education in Nepal

Background: Nepal's education policies and practices focus on enhancing the quality of education by implementing guidelines, regulations, and initiatives established by the government and educational institutions. The policies and practices are carefully crafted to address various aspects of the education system, ensuring that all students can access equitable, thorough, and effective educational opportunities. Objectives: This study examines the education policies and practices implemented in Nepal to ensure high-quality education. Method: An analytical and descriptive research design has been applied to analyze the data. Data were collected through a comprehensive field survey. Questionnaires were distributed to students, teachers, and guardians, while head teachers were interviewed. Additionally, policy experts and local leaders participated in a focused group discussion. Results: The study found a strong correlation between various dimensions of quality education and the overall quality of education. Specifically, motivation, teaching-learning pedagogy, school environment, and training and development were found to be statistically significant in improving the quality of education. However, no significant relationship was found between resources and the quality of education. The regression results also showed similar findings. Conclusion: Based on the hypothesis, it can be inferred that there was a positive impact of motivation, teaching-learning pedagogy, school environment, and training and development on the quality of education, even in primary and basic education settings. The study suggests that resources do not have a significant impact on the quality of education in primary and basic education. Novelty: The researcher has expected that by implementing education acts, policies, and programs, Nepal's school education will be improved ensuring education quality.

Toward linguistic justice and inclusion for multilingual learners: Implications of selective translanguaging in English-medium instruction classrooms

Background and aimsEnglish-medium instruction (EMI) mainly mandates teaching all subjects in English only, but evidence shows teachers and students use local languages alongside English, commonly known as translanguaging. This has been proposed as a transformative pedagogy, especially for ethnic/Indigenous children, but research on its impact on the lived experiences of ethnic minority students in EMI multilingual classrooms is lacking. This paper fills the gap by studying the discursive use of translanguaging in EMI classrooms in a multilingual school in Nepal. MethodsDrawing on an ethnographic study in an EMI school located in a multilingual ethnic minority community where mother tongues (i.e., Bhojpuri) other than Nepali were spoken, this paper reports on interviews, focus group discussions, and classroom observations in Grades 6 and 9 over 4 months. ResultsData analysis reveals that both teachers and students recognized a need to negotiate the English-only policy to accommodate their limited English proficiency and used Nepali but not their mother tongues as a supplementary language. While English-Nepali translanguaging seemed to facilitate a better delivery and understanding of content knowledge, this selective, excluding practice did not guarantee equity and equality due to excluding students’ mother tongues (i.e., Bhojpuri) in content classes and school language policy. ConclusionsOur findings highlight how such “selective translanguaging” practices and their related ideologies stigmatize mother tongues, causing linguistic injustice for ethnic minority students. The study proposes “inclusive translanguaging,” countering unequal language ideologies and embracing historically marginalized languages, cultures, and identities.

Assessing the School Management Decision Practices: Insights from the Policy Provisions

This study investigates the management decision-making practices of community school management in Nepal, focusing on the policy perspective. An analytical approach has been used to analyze the information. The authors conducted a comprehensive review of the school education policies that pertain to school management decision-making practices. The authors analyzed the policy requirements on community school management decisions and practices. According to the policy provisions, the school head teachers, school management committee (SMC) members, and teachers' representatives are actively engaged in management decision practices. This study reveals that the head teacher and school management committee hold the authority over important aspects of school management decision-making, such as teacher recruitment, school development planning, and teaching learning activities. The role of local government has crucial in the overall development of community schools in Nepal. Implementing effective school management practices can greatly enhance the development of the school and ensure the delivery of high-quality education. In this context, the authors emphasized the importance of harmonizing management practices to ensure effective decision-making and encourage active participation, ultimately leading to improved school administration.

Perceptions on English as a Medium of Instruction in Community School in Nepal

English as a medium of instruction (EMI) is a model of teaching in which non-English subjects are taught through the medium of English. It has become popular more than a decade and it has increased its tendency rapidly within Nepal and in global context. This study aims at exploring the perceptions of policy maker, head teachers, teachers, students and parents on the use of English as the medium of instruction particularly focusing on its effectiveness in the community schools in Nepal. Having seen the broader picture, I have conducted the qualitative interpretative research adopting narrative inquiry design to explore the ground reality of EMI implementation and its effectiveness. For this, I have selected altogether eight participants from policy to practice level who have observed and experienced the EMI. The entire research study is connected to the theory of neo-liberalism. This interpretive data reveals that the EMI has created a lot of tension to both the teachers and the students. The research findings suggest that the EMI is adopted without any planning and analyzing the teachers' readiness. The intervention of EMI at community schools has been a great challenge not only from the perspectives of instructional difficulties but also found much more challenges in terms of language to all the students and teachers.

Enactment of English medium instruction in under-resourced educational contexts: A case of multilingual public secondary schools in Nepal

English as a medium of instruction (EMI) policy has shown substantial growth in all levels of education, driven by diverse aspirations such as raising individuals’ global competitiveness and internationalization of education. Such a growth of EMI has been questioned from equity perspective. However, they largely draw on perception-based evidence, and do not capture exactly why and how the EMI has arisen and been practiced at the school and classroom levels, against the official, multilingual policy. This paper explores the practiced EMI policy through a qualitative multi-case study, involving in-depth interviews, focus groups and classroom observations in three Nepalese public secondary schools. The data were analysed thematically drawing on the theory of policy enactment and translanguaging. Findings showed that schools consciously chose EMI in full or part for practical reasons (e.g., career prospect) opening some equity-related issues, but teachers and students commonly adopted translanguaging strategies to deal with language and content-related problems and to level the ground for students with limited English proficiency. The findings ask critical language policy researchers to seriously consider the context in theorising equitable language policy. Practical measures to increase educational equity, such as legitimising the use of community languages in class, are also proposed.

ICT Competency of Mathematics Teachers at Secondary Schools of Nepal

ICT Competency of Mathematics Teachers at Secondary Schools of Nepal

Practices of Inclusive Education at the Schools in Nepal

This paper attempts to analyze the practices of inclusive education at the schools in Nepal. The central theme of study was to analyze the practice of inclusive education in the classroom and it’s challenges. This paper used a qualitative research design in an interpretive way. Data sources, such as interviews with head teachers, teachers, and students, and field observation was conducted in the Palungtar Municipality of Gorkha district. The participants, respondents and study site were purposively selected. The study finding is that the inclusive education approach is not fully implemented at the school level, highlighting the importance of implementing such an approach. This approach is relevant to address the different capabilities of students in the classroom. This approach is particularly relevant in the classroom of Nepal as it effectively teaches students from diverse backgrounds, which both teachers and students appreciated this inclusive educational approach. However, inclusion practice is important and crucial for addressing deprived, disadvantaged, and marginalized groups of education.

Revisiting Basic School Social Studies and Human Value Education Curriculum in Nepal

Social studies were already taught in schools in Nepal, and the contents of human values education have recently been incorporated into social studies. In the context of Nepal, this subject is completely new and it is necessary to study whether the implementation of the Basic School social studies and human value education curriculum including learning outcomes, content, teaching methods, and assessment procedures of this subject is effective. For this purpose, a mixed method has been used in this study. First of all, data and information were collected using a survey questionnaire. Thus, this study can be termed as a descriptive survey method. Secondly, an in-depth interview was also conducted to explore the perceptions of the respondents. Thus, this study may be termed a general qualitative method. Convenient sampling was used as a sampling procedure. Thirty social studies and human value education teachers from Basic Schools were selected as samples in this study. The findings of the present study reveal that there is a big gap between the philosophy of social studies and human values education curriculum and the social norms, values, and culture of Nepali society. Therefore, it is challenging to implement this curriculum effectively. Similarly, in the dissemination of the curriculum, the concept of the new curriculum has not been reached to all the teachers across the country. The findings of the present study further indicated that the learning outcomes, contents, and pedagogical practices of the curriculum should be improved. Last but not least, the role of parents, stakeholders, and students is crucial in the implementation of the Basic School social studies and human value education curriculum.

A Study of the Application of Local Skills in Classroom Instructions in Nepal

This study aims at identifying the prevalent status of the application of local skills in classroom instructions in study area in the context of government schools in Nepal and analyzes the reasons behind the available status of the application of local skills in classroom practices in study area. It also attempts to recommend some strategies for the development of local skills oriented classroom instructions for the development of practical education through functional or task-based classroom instructions. Based on qualitative method, the data have been generated through PRA, classroom observation, and semi- structured interview. The collected data have been analyzed by using thematic analysis under interpretative paradigm. The study has revealed a poor status of the application of local skills based classroom instructions in study area along with the issues of teacher development, administrative supervision, local need, examination system and also emphasizes on addressing the development of skill-oriented local curriculum for the development of task-based classroom instructions in study area and in general.

Media Literacy: A Survey among Headteachers of Community Schools in Kathmandu Valley

This study has aimed to measure the level of media literacy among headteachers of community schools in Nepal and examine the relationship between their communication behavior and their awareness of media literacy. The study focuses on the level of media literacy among headteachers and the contribution of headteachers' media literacy to their communication behavior. The study considers demographic variables such as gender, ethnicity, age, marital status, academic qualification, teaching experience, and training to achieve the expected outcomes. The population of this study includes 295 secondary-level headteachers of community schools in Kathmandu Valley, and a sample of 170 headteachers were randomly selected from three districts. The collected data were analyzed using inferential statistics, and reliability, validity, and ethics were considered at each stage of the research. The findings indicate that headteachers are not sufficiently aware of the influence of media on their jobs in general, but there is a positive relationship between media literacy and communication behavior among them. Female headteachers felt recognized and had good relationships with colleagues, while older headteachers were less literate about media. Headteachers with higher qualifications and training were more literate with media and more communicative with subordinates and students. The study suggests that headteachers should constructively engage in building their schools, develop a social network, and maintain autonomy in their decision-making process to support the quality improvement of community schools. Therefore, the study recommends that stakeholders of the school consider the knowledge development, autonomy, and media literacy of headteachers to improve communication, collaboration, and quality of education in community schools.

Expectancy and Motivation: Determinants of Teacher Retention in Private Schools in Nepal

Teacher retention has been a crucial issue in the higher education sector in Nepal. One primary problem associated with high turnover of teachers in educational institutes is the issue of effective delivery content of an educational program; and another is the loss of in terms of time and financial resources. This study aims to find the relation between retention factors and teacher retention in private schools in a region of Nepal. Vroom’s expectancy theory and Herzberg’s motivation theory are used to relating the expectancy of the teachers and select the appropriate factors for motivation by the schools. This study is based on a quantitative research design. A structured survey questionnaire was applied to the sample of teachers calculated from simple random sampling technique from 14 private secondary schools of Nepalgunj. Descriptive statistics, hypothesis tests and correlation analyses were carried out to explore teacher retention. The study revealed that salary and benefits, selection process, engagement, growth opportunities, work environment and leadership could predict teacher retention. In contrast, with a beta coefficient of 0.301, growth opportunities stand out as the most important factor that could predict teacher retention. The study recommends that private schools in Nepalgunj must attempt to understand the expectancy of teachers as per the Vroom’s theory and also differentiate between hygiene and motivation factors as classified by Herzberg, which will give a clear understanding of the retention of the teachers. Thus, this study's results will benefit principals, school management, policymakers and further researchers.

An Assessment on the Disaster Risk Reduction Knowledge Among School Students: A study on Public Schools at Kathmandu

Nepal faces a lot of natural disasters, like landslides and floods time and again. These disasters cause a big loss of property for the country each year. Many people also get physically hurt, and houses and other buildings and many other properties get damaged. This has happened because people more often don't know how to stay safe during disasters. It seems that Nepal remains unprepared to prevent these disasters from happening or lessen their impact. Some programs and activities are conducted by the government to help people affected from disasters, but it is found largely insufficient and inappropriately implemented. Similarly it is found that different levels of the government don’t cooperate to each other while working in situation. In this study, researcher aims to study the understanding of school students about reducing the risks of disasters. Methodologically, this research has been based on qualitative in nature. Questionnaire method was executed as data collection tool. Total 30 students from different classes were selected as sampled respondents using purposive sampling method from two different government schools in Kathmandu-16. The results showed that majority, (more than 70 percent) of the students are well known about the safety rules set by the government for schools in Nepal. It shows that many students are enough aware and educated about how to stay safe during disasters. But still considerable number of students is found unaware about the disaster risk reduction knowledge. This research also found some problems about the teaching process of disaster risk reduction in schools. The findings may also help government agencies working on disaster risk reduction in Nepal to improve their programs for schools.

Head Teachers’ Ideologies Behind English Medium Instruction in the Community Schools

English, a global lingua franca, is neither a second nor an offi cial language in Nepal. However, several community schools existing in Nepal have implemented English Medium Instruction (EMI, hereafter). Therefore, this study examines the ideologies of community schools’ head teachers behind starting EMI. In addition to this, it aims to discover implementational challenges during the initial days of EMI adoption. I have adopted narrative inquiry approach of qualitative research to bring out the ideologies of the head teachers behind starting EMI in community schools in Dhangadhi. I purposively selected three head teachers and conducted semi-structured interviews with them to elicit stories. Interpretation of the stories revealed various ideologies of head teachers behind starting EMI in community schools. The study concludes that EMI in community schools is adopted to assist them in enrolling and increasing the number of students. Moreover, it has challenged the stereotyping of the public towards community schools. Likewise, the study reveals several legal challenges, like the admission of preschool-aged children to primary schools and tuition fees charged to the students, which is against the Constitution of Nepal 2015 faced by community schools in the initial days of EMI adoption. The study’s findings present the adoption of EMI in community schools in the form of neoprivatisation. Finally, the study provides insights to stakeholders willing to initiate EMI community schools in Nepal.

Hegemony of English Language: An Analysis of Advertisement Strategies Adopted by Private Schools of Nepal

Using Fairclough's (1992) three-dimensional framework (i.e., discourse, text, and social practice), this paper critically examines the linguistic and pictorial discourse of private school advertisement strategies, particularly those for new admissions initiatives, to better understand how the English language functions and how it predominates Nepali and other languages in the context of Nepal. The pictures of advertising in English for 'new admission open' published by private schools were collected as research data and, then, critically analyzed the pictorial and linguistic discourse represented by them. This critical discourse analysis reveals that although Nepalese language policy in education prioritizes multilingual education, all private schools solely offer instruction in English as a second language. Most parents and children are drawn to English-speaking schools due to the influence of the language and the appealing marketing tactics utilized by private schools. Language prejudice and racial inequity are brought about by the idea that English is a superior language. The idea that English is a better language generates prejudice towards other languages and social injustice and the identity of Nepali and other local languages is being undermined by the dominance of English in schools.

Ecological Implications of Local Curriculum: Lessons Learned from a Participatory Action Research Project in a School in Nepal

The dominant schooling design of the schools in Nepal celebrates Western-modern ideals of indoor schooling structure. The indoor design has continuously separated school education from the 'living' world. It has also constrained pedagogical innovations for outdoor teaching and learning. As textbook-based indoor teaching and learning has been culturally established as the standards of school education, despite several trainings and capacity development programs for headteachers and teachers, many schools in Nepal have not been able to address the intent of local curriculum for outdoor teaching and learning. Against this background, evidenced through the lessons learned from a Participatory Action Research (PAR) project for contextualized teaching and learning in a rural-located school in Nepal, this study portrays how the initiations for the local curriculum has been sandwiched in the limited space of linearly designed indoor pedagogical structure of the school. It argues the need to discover the ecological implications of the local curriculum. Following the transformative sustainability principles, the ecological implications suggest local curriculum practitioners revisit indoor schooling design and make it flexible to embrace community lifeworld as teaching and learning resources

Mentorship Programme for Undergraduate Medical Students.

Mentorship is seen as a continuous journey of discovery, shared learning, and personal and professional development to achieve leadership and excellence. Medical schools can be monitored with respect to the provision of mentorships as a quality characteristic. So, the aim of our study was to know the prevalence and the impact of mentorship program in medical schools of Nepal and the need of this program in medical schools all over Nepal. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students in medical schools in Nepal. Ethical approval from the Nepal Health Research Council (NHRC) was obtained (Ref. 667). The cumulative data obtained nationwide was entered in computerized spreadsheet software (Microsoft Excel) and analyzed using MS Excel and SPSS 16.0. Patan Academy of Health Sciences (PAHS) 131 (50.8%) had highest prevalence of mentorship program. Out of 258 students, 110 (42.6%) knew that there was mentorship program in their medical schools. The study found the role of mentors in building rapport with faculties (61.82%), developing professional skills (81.82%) and learning evidence-based medicine (74.55%). 98.8% participants soughed for the need of this program in their medical schools. The prevalence of mentorship program among medical school in Nepal was found to be low. Individuals involved in the mentor-mentee relationship found the role of mentor not only on academics but also on their personal and social enterprises. Medical students who were familiar with the concept of this program reported its need in medical school.

Challenges faced by family-owned education institutions in Nepal in implementing effective succession planning strategies

PurposeThe paper examines the succession management strategies and the preparation level of heirs in the context of family-owned educational institutions in Nepal.Design/methodology/approachSixteen in-depth, semi-structured interviews with the institution's leader were conducted. Each interview was transcribed using content analysis. Several themes and new items emerged that define the institutional strategies in succession management.FindingsThe paper provides insight into the challenges of implementing effective succession management strategies. The identified themes are traits, processes, challenging aspects and effective plans. The study's findings show the lack of awareness about the importance of succession planning among the institution owners due to the availability of limited resources. The paper also provides some insights into how family ownership and management are done and the lack of formal processes in succession management strategies.Practical implicationsThis paper offers readers the chance to think about succession planning strategies. Also, it adds value in their critical analysis of the succession plan. The study advised the learners to consider additional elements that can impact succession planning, such as experience, educational requirements and their desire to work. It will aid researchers in considering the societal perspective of the successor, which is also a significant worry.Originality/valueIt focuses on a specific context, private schools in Nepal, and examines the challenges they face in implementing succession management strategies. The paper tries to identify the approach that may reveal potential solutions that have not been considered. The paper aims to clearly articulate the unique contributions of the study and explain how it advances the existing literature on succession management.

Factors Affecting the Achievement of Students in Mathematics

The program offered at the secondary level (specially in class 9 and 10) of Nepal requires the completion of mathematics courses. To go to science and technology subjects in class 11 and 12 as well as in university level, the students should succeed in the class 10 examination (SEE) in mathematics so that this will provide the pathway for them to be succeed in the study of university level. This research aims to investigate the factors affecting the achievement of students in mathematics at secondary level. For acquiring this aim, this study has used qualitative research method for completing the entire work. The primary data for this study was collected through focus group discussion with mathematics teachers and head teachers. All secondary schools in Nepal were considered as the population of the study and selected four districts viz Chitwan, Gorkha, Makawanpur and Parsa as the first stage of sampling. In the second stage, secondary level mathematics teachers of Chitwan, Gorkha, Makawanpur and Parsa districts were taken as sampling population. Eight groups of mathematics teachers consisting of two groups from each district and two group of head teachers from Chitwan district chosen using purposive sampling method were sample for this study. The collected information was analyzed using constant comparison method of data analysis. The results of the study showed that teachers beliefs solely not responsible for the students’ achievement in mathematics, but integrated effects of variables such as students’ factors, teachers’ factors, system factors, environmental and societal factors were the causes for the low achievements of students in SLC/SEE.

EMI Strategy: A Misconception in Early Grade

This article discusses on the debatable EMI (English as a Medium of Instruction) issue as there is confusion either English must be taught right from the Nursery or at some later stage. Nepalese classrooms are the product of multilingual, multicultural and bilingual society. Without considering the fact of multilingual and multi-ethnic context, EMI (English as a medium of Instruction) is strictly adopted in schools in early grade. Our school system, including textbooks, instruction, curriculum, teaching practices, is influenced heavily by the dominant English hegemony in early grade. In this context, this paper aims to explore the difficulties and struggles of Nepali language speaking children’s experiences as they find in between the Nepali-speaking home environment and English-speaking school environment at their early grades. To fulfill this objective, the researcher adopted narrative research design under qualitative method incorporating interpretative philosophical guideline. It is based on the unstructured interviews aimed at eliciting personal stories and experiences related to EMI in early grade. Discussing on a narrative analysis, this paper revealed that how the learners are discouraged to what Bourdieu’s term symbolic violence with some examples of how such demotivation is seen in school’s teaching-learning practices. The results further concluded that to address the problematic nature of schooling for such learners in most of the schools in Nepal, this paper highlights the need for socially responsive school policies and pedagogy understanding local context entertaining the linguistic and cultural diversity of students.