Secondary School Teachers Research Articles

Distributed leadership mirrors teacher professionalism via collaborative learning and relational trust: evidence from China

PurposeThe study seeks to unpack the effect of distributed leadership on teacher professionalism, and the mediating roles of collaborative learning and relational trust in the Chinese cultural context.Design/methodology/approachThe proposed framework was examined based on the questionnaire data from 522 primary and secondary school teachers in China using structural equation modeling.FindingsIt was found that distributed leadership had a direct positive impact on collaborative learning and relational trust, which also exerted the direct positive impact on teacher professionalism. However, distributed leadership cannot directly affect teacher professionalism in China. Only through the full mediation of collaborative learning and relational trust, could distributed leadership facilitate teacher professionalism in an indirect way. The proportion of sequence mediating effect was the highest, followed by the single mediating role played by relational trust.Originality/valueWe have demonstrated to international scholars the indirect value of distributed leadership in enhancing teacher professionalism in China. The results not only enrich the existing influencing mechanism framework of professionalism, but also provide valuable implications that school leadership does not have a completely positive effect on teacher professionalism. Only when the empowering leadership style is truly perceived by teachers and strengthens their collaborative learning and mutual trust, can a team of capable educators be formed to promote teacher professionalism. It also indicates that teacher professionalism becomes a systematic and structural process requiring support from multiple parties, such as schools, leaders, colleagues and self.

Mental health literacy in secondary school teachers and interventions to improve it – a systematic review and narrative synthesis

Mental health literacy in secondary school teachers and interventions to improve it – a systematic review and narrative synthesis

TEACHERS’ AND STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS TOWARDS THE USE OF CHATGPT TO IMPROVE WRITING IN THE MALAYSIAN SECONDARY SCHOOL CONTEXT

The use of artificial intelligence in education has gained traction among teachers as well as students in recent years. Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered language models such as ChatGPT have been widely used for various purposes, including to produce improved writing. This study sought to investigate the perceptions of secondary school students and English teachers in Malaysian public schools on the use of ChatGPT to enhance students’ English writing. Alongside that, this study also investigated how ChatGPT was used by both students and teachers and factors that influenced their use of ChatGPT. This study employed a qualitative research design. The participants in this study hail from six schools around Sabah: SMK Tansau, Penampang; SM St. Michael, Penampang; SMK Shan Tao, Kota Kinabalu; SMK Bongawan II; SMK Umas-Umas, Tawau; and SMK Desa Kencana, Lahad Datu. A total of 20 participants participated in this study. 12 of them were students, and the rest were English teachers. Data for this study was collected using an open-ended questionnaire designed based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The data were analyzed thematically. The findings of the study showed that both students and teachers generally believe ChatGPT to be an effective tool to enhance students’ English writing proficiency. Among the features of ChatGPT that were lauded by the participants were its ability to provide personalized feedback and perform tasks that are useful for writing, such as proofreading and idea generation. Several challenges were also pointed out, such as difficulties using ChatGPT due to lack of resources and digital literacy. The participants also expressed their concern about the possibility of overdependency on ChatGPT, which can hamper the development of the students ability to write independently. The findings of this study contributed to the current knowledge of the perceptions of the use of ChatGPT among secondary school students and English teachers in Malaysian public secondary schools. This knowledge can guide educators and policymakers on matters related to the integration of AI into English writing instruction.

Experienced autonomy in the curriculum and Didaktik traditions

ABSTRACT This study investigates Finnish and Californian (US) elementary and secondary school teachers. The main objective of the study is to explore the experienced autonomy in different educational policy regimes. The ideologies and traditions that these two countries represent can be called Didaktik tradition and curriculum tradition. The research question is: How do the teachers’ perceptions of curriculum traditions in the two country contexts differ concerning experienced autonomy, and what might the theoretical and methodological implications of such comparison be? A total of 17 Finnish and 15 US teachers were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. The results show that both groups of teachers experienced a lot of autonomy despite of the fact that the US teachers operate in a more restricted accountability policy than the Finnish teachers. This raises some methodological and theoretical implications and limitations of self-reporting comparative studies on teacher autonomy.

Entrenching CALL for English Language Multicultural Pedagogy in Nigerian Secondary Schools: Issues, Prospects and Perceptions of Critical Stakeholders in Osun State, Nigeria

This paper examines the possibility of adoption of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) in Nigerian secondary schools especially those in Osun State, Nigeria in the light of recent developments necessitating greater familiarity with the computer by the students for their external examinations. The paper argues that secondary school students are more positioned now than ever to harness the benefits of CALL in developing necessary competences to excel in their English language exams and generally develop adequate proficiency in the language for their growth in the Nigerian nation and beyond. Data for the study comprise responses to questionnaires designed for secondary school students, English language teachers and Ministry of Education senior officials in Osun State Nigeria. The sample comprised 120 teachers across the three senatorial districts in Osun State, 36 teachers and 15 Ministry of Education officials. Data analysis revealed that there is great awareness of CALL among all the categories of subjects. In addition, the subjects emphasise the potential agency of CALL for enhancing the delivery of English language topics and the professional development of teachers, even though about 30 percent of the teachers sampled doubted its feasibility. The study therefore concludes that given the positive disposition of students to the introduction of CALL for English language teaching and being primary actors in the education process, there is need for immediate full-fledged adoption for English language teaching in Nigerian secondary schools.

Comparing the roles of secondary schools and universities in the formation of British cabinet ministers, 1922–2022

AbstractThe role played by the education system in the creation and reproduction of governing elites, and its countervailing potential to create a more meritocratic and egalitarian society, has been a topic of enduring concern. However, these debates have been rendered opaque by an inability to directly compare elite formation systems both within and between countries. To resolve this problem, we employ elite formation quantitative indices to compare the roles of the secondary school and higher education systems, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, in the formation of its political elite—cabinet ministers—between 1922 and 2022. Our findings show that the universities educating cabinet ministers have been more elite and influential than the secondary schools, but not more exclusive. Additionally, while only a small number of universities and schools supplied more than one cabinet minister over the century, a very small number of universities and schools supplied a great many.

Factors Impacting Students’ Learning Performance in Higher Education in Chengdu, China

Background and Aim: The effectiveness of education has always been a focus of social attention. Previous research has mostly focused on the level of education in primary and secondary schools, and some studies have shown that college students may have different motivations and learning concepts. Therefore, this study aims to take Xihua University in Chengdu, China as an example to systematically examine various factors that affect the academic performance of university students. Through quantitative analysis, this study investigated the impact of five independent variables (learning attitude, learning anxiety, learning motivation, teacher ability, and student participation) on the dependent variable (academic performance), especially in higher education. Moreover, it aims to identify significant differences between variables. Methodology: Research Design, Data, and Methods: This study used the Project Objective Consistency Index (IOC) to test the validity of the questionnaire, and Cronbach's Alpha was used as reliability in the pilot study (n=30). They used the multiple linear regression method to analyze the effective responses of 80 students at Xihua University and verify the significant relationship between variables. Afterward, a group of 30 students underwent a 14-week planned study. Then, the quantitative results after and before the scheduled study were compared in paired sample t-tests. Results: In multiple linear regression, studies have shown that learning attitude, learning anxiety, learning motivation, teacher ability, and student participation have a significant impact on student academic performance. Finally, the comparison results of paired sample t-tests indicate substantial differences in student academic performance between the post-strategic and pre-strategic plan stages. Conclusion: This research endeavors to foster students' learning performance in the context of Chengdu, China.

The Efficacy of Open Performance Review and Appraisal System on Teachers’ Work Performance in Tanzania. A Case of Selected schools of Vwawa, Iyula and Msangano Secondary Schools in Mbozi District

This study mainly sought to determine the effectiveness of the Open Performance Review and Appraisal System (OPRAS) on Teachers' work performance in the selected secondary schools of Vwawa, Iyula and Msangano in Mbozi district council. The study was also driven by the following main objective, which includes; how the practice of OPRAS has improved the work performance of secondary school teachers in Mbozi district council. A mixed research approach both qualitative and quantitative approach with 93 respondents was employed. Questionnaires and interviews were used to obtain data. Quantitative data was analyzed through descriptive statistics where inferences were presented in the form of frequencies and percentiles. Qualitative information was also analyzed through thematic and content analysis and presented in the form of concepts and narrations. Although Mbozi district has been effectively implementing OPRAS for the past 15 years, active data show that the district has a stable progression performance rate of 30.1 % since 2018 to date. The key variable that was tested was increased teacher commitment. Considerably, this has been established due to constant growth rates of indicators of performance against the performance of teachers from 2018 to 2023. The study recommended that the government should set and engage a realistic budget for training, and empowerment workshops and highly capacitate the Office of the public communications for the purpose of intensifying communication and feedback in public organizations including secondary schools

Using LLMs to support teacher reflections on using questions to deepen learning and promote student engagement

While much attention has been focused on improving student outcomes, there is growing interest in supporting teachers' reflection on their teaching practice using Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) technologies. This paper examines the application of Large Language Models (LLMs) such as GPT-4 to automate the analysis of secondary school teachers' teaching practice in Singapore, specifically within the context of one of the teaching areas identified by the Singapore Teaching Practice model: using questions to deepen learning. We aimed to demonstrate the effectiveness of LLMs in analyzing classroom lessons in this teaching area. The methodologies employed in this study included the collection of classroom data and their analysis, both manually and using LLMs. Specifically, this involved transcribing the classroom lessons and analyzing each question using LLMs, with the results compared to a ground-truth dataset created through manual analysis. The findings suggest that LLMs are effective in providing, forming the basis for future teacher reflection and the potential for automated self-reflection tools in Singapore schools.

Research Strategies of “Instrumental Music in the Classroom” in Secondary School Music Teaching

Nowadays, the state vigorously develops aesthetic education, and secondary school music education, as a part of aesthetic education, has received more and more attention. With the provisions of the music curriculum standard and the promulgation of the new curriculum reform in 2022, the importance of instrumental music teaching is increasing. Starting from the current situation of instrumental music teaching in secondary schools, we analyze the problems of instrumental music teaching in secondary schools through the investigation of internship schools, interviews with teachers and the study of secondary school music textbooks, as a direction to explore the specific strategies of “instrumental music in the classroom”. Through literature review and interviews, we take the recorder as an example to provide relevant strategies, such as choosing suitable instruments, innovating recorder teaching methods and modes, cultivating teachers, compiling school-based teaching materials, standardizing recorder classroom behaviors, and perfecting the teaching evaluation mechanism, etc., so as to effectively implement instrumental music teaching in secondary school music classrooms.

School administrators’ and teachers’ pedagogical responses to demographic change based on their meaning-making of multicultural students in South Korea

ABSTRACT Public schools in South Korea have faced unprecedented changes because of demographic shifts, particularly the influx and growth of three types of ‘multicultural students’: children of married migrant women, foreign workers, and North Korean refugees. In this situation, teachers are challenged to implement educational policies and a standardised national curriculum for those unfamiliar with the Korean language, culture, and education system. This study, conducted between Fall 2022 and Summer 2023, involved interviews with 16 elementary and secondary school administrators and teachers from urban and rural regions. It revealed that teachers’ perceptions and biases about multicultural students significantly influenced their educational practices, resulting from interpretive processes and problematic framing. The data indicate that teachers’ meaning-making and pedagogical responses to multicultural students are insufficient for systematically addressing the structural inequalities and social injustices faced by these students. Ultimately, these teachers’ responses and practices fell short of providing equitable education that South Korea’s multicultural education policies aim for. The study concluded that comprehensive teacher training in cultural competence and bias awareness is essential for bridging the gap between policy and practice. It recommends the development of reflective practices, continuous professional development, and the creation of supportive school environments to enhance multicultural education’s effectiveness.

Self-Esteem among Pre-Retirees and Retirees from Secondary Education in the Departments of Atacora and Donga (Benin)

The aim of this research is to highlight the quality of self-esteem in the way pre-retired and retired secondary school teachers perceive the end of their careers and adapt to it. It offers a better understanding of some of the psychosocial realities that emerge with the end of working life. To carry out this research, a mixed- method approach was adopted, based on semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, self-esteem assessment tests and participant observation of the facts and behaviour of the actors and/or subjects. Forty-two (42) permanent and contract civil servants were selected, regardless of sex, religion or marital status. The results collected and analysed showed that most of the subjects had a very low level of self-esteem. For these pre-retirees and retirees, retirement is a stage in their lives when they feel they have been left to fend for themselves. The end of their careers raises psychosocial issues for them, particularly in terms of identity, image and rehabilitation. For a better understanding of the end- of-career experience, it is crucial to study the self-esteem of pre-retirees and retirees in order to offer admission managers and the people concerned appropriate psychosocial and professional support for a happy retirement.

Factors Associated with Effectiveness of Comprehensive Sexuality Education in Secondary Schools in Luanshya District, Zambia

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of sexuality education policy in secondary schools. Methodology: Its school based cross-sectional study which was conducted among secondary school teachers and secondary school going pupils in an urban area of Luanshya district. A self-administered semi structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Students were to answer one option unless specified otherwise. Open-ended questions were given wherever description of answers was required. The questions were framed in English. Completed questionnaires were compiled and entered into Epi data and analyzed using Stata 12. Descriptive and inferential statistics such as frequency tables, percentages and correlation tests were also be used. Findings: This study allowed for a better understanding of the teachers’ and pupils’ attitude, knowledge levels, curriculum appropriateness and cultural influence towards provision of sexuality education in secondary schools. Majority of respondent had positive attitude towards the provision of sexuality education and generally majority of respondents had low knowledge levels on sexuality education. Furthermore, most respondent indicated that culture has negative influence towards provision of sexuality education and majority of respondents indicated that the curriculum was appropriate for the delivery of sexuality education. Each school has a different outlook and direction on the subject of sexual education programs; therefore, it is crucial to understand what, where, and why it is being offered. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Teachers need training in sexuality education in order to overcome their anxieties about sexuality education and rid them of any negative cultural beliefs they may have regarding sexuality education. In addition, the government should organize trainings and workshops for teachers intermittently to improve their teaching skills in sensitive areas like adolescent sexual health. Lastly Sexuality education should start in primary schools.

Emergency remote teaching during COVID-19: an examination of selected secondary school teachers’ experiences on technology integration in Namibia

This study examines the experiences of secondary school teachers in Namibia in integrating technology during emergency remote teaching (ERT) necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Aided by the TPACK framework and an interpretive qualitative case study approach. The data were gathered through semi-structured interviews of 17 secondary school teachers selected using purposive sampling. Findings revealed teachers innovatively employed available technological resources to ensure continuity of education, sharing and customising instructional content to promote student interaction. The study also found a significant role for parental involvement in supporting ERT. However, the integration of technology in the transition to ERT was associated with challenges, including lack of access to digital technologies, technical glitches, and maintaining student engagement. Unexpectedly, feelings of professional isolation were also reported among teachers, potentially due to the abrupt shift to online teaching lacking conventional face-to-face professional collaboration. The research underscores the importance of adequate digital literacy skills, essential technological resources, and the role of policymakers and educators in creating effective tactics to overcome emerging challenges. The findings suggest technology can significantly enrich and support educational continuity in crisis situations.

Assessing Teacher Accountability: Development and Validation of the Teacher’s Professional Accountability Scale (TPAS)

This study aims to develop and validate the Teachers’ Professional Accountability Scale (TPAS) constructed by the researcher, which addresses the need for a comprehensive tool to measure professional accountability among Secondary school teachers. Professional accountability is the obligation of educators to adhere established standards and practices with competence and integrity, is crucial for improving educational quality and ensuring favorable student outcomes. A descriptive survey method was employed, and the TPAS was constructed and standardized through a pilot study. The scale consists of 94 items across four dimensions: procedural responsibility, consequential responsibility, instructional responsibility, and school and classroom responsibilities for student outcomes. Item analysis and selection resulted in a final draft of 74 items with satisfactory discrimination power. Reliability analysis using split-half method and Cronbach’s alpha yielded coefficients of 0.85, indicating high internal consistency. Content validity was established through expert reviews, and norms were developed based on z-scores from a sample of 281 Secondary school teachers. The TPAS provides a validated measure for assessing professional accountability, contributing to the advancement of educational research and practice, The study reached some recommendations, including the commitment of the school administration and senior management to the accountability standards reached, and the provision of joint workshops to ensure the efficiency of the implementation of professional accountability standards for teachers.

Unveiling Hype Cycle Patterns: Examining 3D Modeling and Printing Adoption Among Secondary School Teachers

Unveiling Hype Cycle Patterns: Examining 3D Modeling and Printing Adoption Among Secondary School Teachers

From museum to school and back again: tracing the biographies of natural history objects, 1866–2024

ABSTRACT The article traces and examines the history of some of the specimens used in teaching in Swedish secondary grammar schools from the mid-nineteenth century up until today. Previous research has focused on empirical analyses of teaching materials and school collections, while this paper adds new knowledge to the history of education using an object-biographic approach. Whilst focusing on the history of two distinct specimens, a bird and a small collection of butterflies, and how these were circulated and recontextualised, the paper raises wider questions about how different actors are involved as meanings and knowledge content change. Through the object-biographic approach, we show that the use of natural history objects was multifaceted and had several purposes at the same time, ranging from research to education to providing status or being a hobby. The use of natural history specimens changed with reforms of the Swedish educational system. New teaching materials and new educational ideals were developed, and from 1960 onwards the importance of these objects decreased. We show how the specimens have taken on new meanings today as selected and displayed museum objects.

When creativity wakes up emotions: an illustration of a creative course for pre-service teacher training

In the current dynamic society, creativity stands as a crucial asset, empowering individuals to devise new and inventive solutions to navigate the shifts accompanying societal evolution. This trend significantly influences both the preparation of future educators and the ongoing professional growth of practicing teachers. It's essential to consider the connection between students' emotional experiences during the learning process to foster their creativity. The correlation between a person's emotional state and their creativity shows that both negative and positive emotions can influence creative expression. Furthermore, emotional intelligence (EI) is assumed to help prioritize thinking and manage emotions in different life situations, with the initial EI process being assessing and expressing of emotions. This study evaluates the emergence of emotions experienced by students in an academic context, focusing on action-research with Master’s students (n = 10), who are future teachers for Secondary schools in Switzerland. Throughout the creative course, participants utilized a Creative Process Report Diary (CRD) to document the emotions they experienced while engaging in the diverse creative activities. The findings of this study indicate that participants predominantly encountered positive emotions during creative activities, such as enthusiasm and pleasure. Initial emotions sometimes leaned towards the negative spectrum, characterized by frustration or fear. However, as the creative activity unfolded, these emotions evolved into more positive ones, such as pleasure or interest. This study contributes to our understanding of the interplay between emotions and creativity and provides insights into how managing these emotions can foster a productive and creative learning environment for future teachers, even though emotional intelligence was not directly tested in this research.

Language teacher emotional intelligence: A scoping review

The current study reviewed and synthesized empirical research on foreign/second language teacher emotional intelligence (EI) using a scoping review approach. Specifically, 15 articles published between 2018 and 2024 were included and analyzed with a particular emphasis on the theoretical perspectives, research themes, research background, and methodologies. The results indicated that there were a variety of models and theories in language teacher EI research, with the trait EI model and theories of self-efficacy and emotion regulation receiving the most attention. Moreover, most reviewed studies regarded language teacher EI as an independent variable or antecedent, examining its impact on other individual and environmental variables. Underdeveloped regions, other target languages apart from English, multilingual teachers, and primary or secondary school teachers haven’t received much attention in the included articles. Additionally, homogenization in research design among these studies was noticeable, with quantitative studies, cross-sectional design, and self-reported questionnaires being prevalent. Finally, implications were provided based on these findings for the further development of language teacher EI.

Mapping TPACK Competency among Life Sciences Teachers in Rural and Marginalised Secondary Schools: A Descriptive Analysis

This descriptive study assessed technological, pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) competency among life sciences teachers in rural and marginalized schools. The study was guided by Koehler and Mishra’s (2006) TPACK framework as its theoretical lens. Data gathered through questionnaires from 235 teachers in the Eastern Cape province, South Africa, was analysed using descriptive statistical analysis. The results unveiled a prevalent low level of TPACK competency among respondents. Moreover, an examination of individual TPACK domains, a significant mastery in non-technology-related areas such as content knowledge (CK), pedagogical knowledge (PK), and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) surfaces, underscoring the pivotal role of teaching experience in fostering foundational knowledge. Despite competency in these traditional domains, a distinct gap emerges in technology-related TPACK domains, including technological knowledge (TK), technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK), and overall TPACK competency. This research addresses a critical gap in educational literature by spotlighting the often-overlooked population of rural school teachers. It recommends tailored professional development initiatives to enhance teachers’ overall TPACK competency and enable them to effectively utilise technology in their teaching, thereby facilitating enhanced learning experiences.