Secondary School Education System Research Articles

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.

Encountering the Face of Tū-mata-uenga: The Educational Experiences of Rangatahi Māori Apprehended for Offending

Marginalised and ousted from the New Zealand education system, 70% of youths apprehended for offending and appearing in a New Zealand Youth Court or Rangatahi Court experiencing complex needs are not engaged in education, employment, or training (Oranga Tamariki, Oranga Tamariki. (2020). Quarterly report—September 2020). This article reports findings from a broader PhD study investigating the educational experiences of 10 rangatahi Māori (Māori youth) aged 15–17 years apprehended for serious youth offending and excluded from mainstream education. Drawing on mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) and kaupapa Māori, notions of indigenous resilience are used to unpack the rangatahi Māori participants’ responses to negative educational experiences in the mainstream English medium secondary school education system. This article posits that resilience was evident when the rangatahi Māori exercised tino rangatiratanga (sovereignty) through boldness (a characteristic of Tū-mata-uenga the guardian of war), resistance and liminality to reject educational spaces where they perceived they were underserved, discriminated against, and marginalised. Changing the negative Māori student exclusion and disengagement statistics in mainstream education is critical. To address the exclusion statistics, classroom practitioners could be more responsive to rangatahi Māori experiencing complex needs by recognising their experiences and understanding their responses to those experiences. Understanding how resilience as resistance, liminality, and boldness is understood within te ao Māori (the Māori world) perspectives will enable a more culturally responsive approach to working with these rangatahi Māori in mainstream education.

A Study on the Efficiency of Resource Allocation and Influencing Factors in Secondary School Education in China

This study investigates the effectiveness of resource allocation in China’s secondary school education system, as well as the variables that influence it. Key assessment indicators are discovered by a survey of relevant literature, such as the resource input-output ratio and resource allocation balance. The research uses quantitative analysis of data from different secondary schools throughout the country to provide an impartial evaluation of resource allocation efficiency. Furthermore, the research examines crucial aspects that influence efficiency, such as the regulatory environment, economic development levels, school administration methods, and allocation mechanisms. The results emphasize the need of optimizing resource allocation to improve educational quality. Based on these findings, the paper provides policy proposals to increase the efficiency and logical allocation of educational resources, as well as counsel for stakeholders in China’s secondary education system. The ultimate goal of this study is to help improve resource management and educational results.

Learner perspectives on corporate world involvement in secondary schools’ curricula

South Africa is in a competitive global economy, with enterprises, industries, and service sectors demanding world-class academic, technical, and professional skills and competence. To meet these expectations, the secondary school education system must deliver high-quality learning experiences that connect all secondary school students to the real world by building a strong foundation of academic, technical, and work-related skills. This study’s aim is to explore the corporate world's involvement in the advancement of secondary school learners in moulding learners to be assets for a future workforce. In this study, we borrowed the theory of Bourdieu’s (1995) Social Theory to analyse data and to answer our question: To what degree does the corporate world involvement in secondary school benefit learners? We choose the constructivist paradigm in order to use qualitative methodologies to investigate the reality of the participants. Semi-structured interviews and photovoice were employed to collect data for this study. The population sample comprised of two secondary schools from which the researchers sought to acquire learner perspectives’ and to draw conclusions about how much the corporate sector has been able to contribute to the secondary schools to benefit learners. The study discovered that corporate world businesses get involved in various ways such as offering bursaries to learners, motivational workshops, sports kits, and so forth. This type of involvement by the corporate world usually results in improved teaching and learning, workplace experience, and chances for future employability.

Stavovi o teškoćama koje se javljaju u procesu inkluzivnog obrazovanja kod srednjoškolskih nastavnika

The paper presents a brief overview of the research on attitudes related to the difficulties that arise in the process of inclusive education among secondary school teachers. The sample of this research is intentional and includes 80 secondary school teachers. The sample is convenient and unsystematic. The research was done in secondary schools. Descriptive method, scaling technique, Likert-type scale consisting of 23 items was applied. Modern society requires the provision of equal conditions for the development of the potential and abilities of each individual, which implies the creation of a school tailored to the child. In order to manifest the positive effects of inclusion, systematic changes in the school are necessary. Individual examples are not enough, there are a large number of barriers in practice that hinder progress in inclusive education in secondary schools. The inclusion of a child with developmental disabilities in the secondary school education system is still a difficult problem to solve. The key is how to motivate parents for their child's education.

TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY DYNAMICS IN SMALLHOLDING CASSAVA-BASED FARMING IN RURAL NIGERIA

Dynamics of production efficiency is a key factor in assessing resource-use patterns and production growth. Raising technical efficiency of smallholder farmers in rural areas would not only increase their income but also stimulate the rest of the economy. This study therefore assessed movement of smallholder farmers in and out of technical efficiency regime over time in Nigeria. Panel data from Living Standard Measurement Survey was analysed using stochastic production frontier model, Markov chain and multinomial logit model. Farm size, labour, cassava cuttings and the use of pesticides, significantly influenced the productivity of cassava production while age squared, household size, no access to extension services and membership of a cooperative society reduced the efficiency of the farming households. A higher percentage (64.83%) of cassava farms under mono-cropping system were efficient in 2010/2011, while a large proportion of about 92.91% were inefficient in 2015/2016. Further, the rate of entry into technical inefficiency (31.32%) was more than the rate of exit from technical inefficiency (14.89%). Transition into technical inefficiency was explained by age, age squared, farm size, gender, household size, marital status, secondary school education and farming systems. In the long run, the probability that rural cassava farmers will be technically efficient was higher than that of being technically inefficient in the future.

Pedagogical pattern of running a course on secondary school students’ achievement in waves

<span>This study investigated the comparative effectiveness of pedagogical pattern of running a course and talk-chalk methods on senior secondary school students’ achievement in waves. It is triggered by reports of persistent students’ low achievement in physics contributed largely by students’ poor performance in waves-related items. It adopted the quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design. Three research questions and hypotheses guided the study. There were 216 students who participated in the study. Physics Achievement Test (PAT) containing 50 multiple-choice researcher-developed items were used as instrument for data collection. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while ANCOVA was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Results showed that: the pedagogical pattern of running a course method was superior method in fostering students’ achievement in waves; female students achieved higher than male students using pedagogical pattern of running a course strategy to teach waves; and there was no significant interaction effect of teaching methods and gender on students’ achievement in waves. From the findings, it was recommended that the pedagogical pattern of running a course strategy should be used in teaching physics in secondary school education system and in training of teachers.</span>

Reading collaborative reading partnerships in a school community

ABSTRACTThis article is an investigation into the Reading Partners scheme at a large inner London comprehensive school in England; this research comes from a small scale study I carried out as part of my Masters of Teaching at the Institute of Education, University College London. Reading Partners is a project whereby younger and older students within the secondary school education system are paired up to read aloud together in the school library every week over the course of a school year. The purpose of my study was to explore the relationships between these readers and to further understand what is gained from such shared reading. I argue that such collaborative reading aloud provides fertile ground for students’ development and that the sessions go beyond ‘just’ reading and, in fact, make reading become a ‘social’ activity. The significance of the personal relationship these students build and all that happens ‘beyond’ reading texts together should not be underestimated.

Benefits of Integration of Computer and Information Technology into Nigerian Secondary School Curriculum.

The benefits of integration of Computer and Information Technology into Nigerian secondary school curriculum were identified and discussed. Already, Nigeria is on the wrong side of the international digital and global world of computer technology, as it has not made significant effort to integrate Computer and Information Technology into secondary school curriculum especially State and private owned secondary schools. A great deal of instructional and administrative work in secondary schools in Nigeria is still carried out manually. This paper, therefore, examines the major obstacles militating against the teaching and learning of information Technology, and also the use of computer technology in secondary education in Nigeria. It further identifies the high cost of computer hardware and software resources; weak infrastructure; lack of human skills and knowledge in Computer and Information Technology, as the major stumbling block to the adoption of Information and Communication Technology in secondary school education system in Nigeria. The study recommends that efforts should be made by government to post skillful teachers with knowledge of Computer and Information Technology to teach in the secondary schools so as to impact computer skills to the students, and also stabilize electricity supply in Nigeria for effective teaching and learning process of Computer and Information Technology.

The Effect of War to the Nigerian Educational Activities: A Systematic Review

War is the leading cause of destruction to educational sector in Nigeria, in particular, the primary and secondary school education system. The focused of this review is to examine how the war affects the entire educational system of Nigeria by leading to the prevalence of numerous problems that hinder the successful achievement for “Educational for All” and the new Millennium Development Goal. The exploration activities of related references on the effect of war were systematically guided by PRISMA Statement which consists of a 27-item checklist and a four-phase flow diagram. The Prisma Diagram Generator was also utilized to generate the process of scrutinizing the articles. The end results render Nigeria as backward and the poverty-stricken nation that made it very difficult to support and sustain its educational sector according to global standard as enshrined by UNICEF.

Management accounting practices, governing boards and competitive advantage of Ugandan secondary schools

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report on the results of a study carried out to determine the use of Management Accounting Practices (MAPR) in Ugandan secondary schools. The study also sought to determine whether MAPR and governing boards (board size, gender diversity and frequency of board meetings) influence the perceived competitive advantage.Design/methodology/approachThis study is cross-sectional and correlational. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey of 200 secondary schools. The data were analysed through ordinary least squares regression using Statistical Package for Social Scientists.FindingsThere are wide variations in MAP in terms of the extent to which the schools employ management accounting techniques. Also, MAP and governing boards have a predictive force on the schools’ competitive advantage. However, governing board’s size has no effect on competitive advantage. In terms of the control variables, the results suggest that while government school ownership has a positive effect on competitive advantage, the school’s size has no effect. There are intertwining relationships of frequency of board meetings, board size and school size.Research limitations/implicationsThe present study was limited to the secondary schools in Uganda which limits generalisability. Still, the results offer important implications for secondary schools’ governing boards, owners and for similar African governments who are a major stakeholder in the secondary school education system. The exact mechanism by which intertwining relationships of frequency of board meetings, board size and school size impact competitive advantage is not been explored in this paper. Future researchers may direct research effort in this endeavour.Originality/valueTo the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to investigate use of MAPR in secondary schools and to provide evidence of their efficacy.

Selective Secondary School Education In Barbados: The Need For Change

This article examines the implications of selective secondary school education in Barbados for the provision of an inclusive and equitable education system and highlights its impact on educational outcomes. The concepts of inclusion and equity in education are discussed and their importance in achieving the education goals of nations within the Englishspeaking Caribbean are highlighted. The historical development of the selective secondary school system in Barbados is outlined and the inequity perpetuated by high stakes selection examinations are examined. The ongoing effects of the ability grouping that result from this process are discussed. The need for a move away from a selective secondary education system is proposed and a possible means for bringing about this change in Barbados is explored. This has important implications for countries in the Caribbean and in other parts of the world that have selective secondary school education systems.

Управлінські компетентності директора школи: сучасні тенденції

The article deals with the problem of development of management competences of school principals. The author makes a review of world education trends, pays attention to the new approaches of modern competences such as critical thinking, analysis, and problem solving which have been regarded as key indicators for success. Taking into account the theoretical & methodological foundations of the problem which was researched by many Ukrainian & foreign scientists, the author underlines the importance of solving some social & economic problems in order to make modernization of secondary school education system. Very important is to use new approaches of 21st Century Pedagogy: teach how to ‘learn to learn’, promote teamwork, exploit technology to support learning, foster students’ creativity & others. Special attention is paid to World Bank Report 2018 where the analysis of the world education situation is given & to main approaches to competences of a modern person which are described by Association for Talent Development. All these materials are used for scientific research & experimental work on the problem of development of management competences of school principals which are done by the University of Education Management. Analyzing the results of experimental work, the author underlines the fact that all school leaders which took part in the research are ready to learn & to develop their management competences. In the process of the development of such competences a very important thing is to use modern principals: transparency, integration, rights & freedoms, innovation, activity, dynamic & mobility. Critical thinking, knowledge management, performance improvement, instructional design, learning technologies, managing learning programs, coaching, integrated talent management, managing learning programs should be developed in the process of professional activity of school principals.

The Situation in the Sphere of Science and Innovation

Two ongoing parallel processes marked the year 2016. The first one had to do with the continuing implementation of previously planned measures, although it clearly fell behind the earlier established schedule. The scientific research community defined it as progressive stagnation. The second process involved the active elaboration, at the government level, of new strategic documents aimed at a fundamental revision of current policies in the sphere of science and innovation. These were the Strategy for Scientific and Technological Development of the Russian Federation, the National Technology Initiative (NTI) Strategy, and the draft federal law On Scientific, Scientific-technological and Innovation Activity in the Russian Federation, to supersede the Federal Law On Science and State Scientific and Technological Policy enacted in 1996. In August, a new RF Minister of Education and Science was appointed, and so it could be expected that the priorities of the government policy in the field of science and related measures would likewise be adjusted. The focus may well be shifted towards the sphere of education, which is also important from the point of view of science: the creation of high quality human resources in the field of scientific research begins in the secondary school education system. In spite of the introduction of a number of comprehensive measures aimed at support and promotion, some aspects of the issues that have to do with lack of personnel in certain key areas have never been resolved. Among other things, it is necessary to alter the hierarchical and age structure of research personnel, create proper conditions for their career growth, and properly adjust the highest-level qualification training system.

Transformation of teaching quality in secondary school education: Teachers’ conception

Teaching is a versatile and valued exercise that is geared towards bringing about achievement in students’ learning. In view of the importance of teaching, there is need for it to be effective and of good quality. Education in secondary school within South Africa is seen as an imperative sub-sector in the educational system that aids the growth of the economic system through transformation. Although, there are various transformational systems to improve teaching quality in education, it is generally believed that there is no common agreement on what transformation systems entail in secondary school education in developing nations. This study investigates the perceptions of teachers in the transformation of teaching quality education in secondary schools. Eight teachers were selected from four secondary schools in the East London Education District in South Africa. The respondents varied in gender, age, years of teaching experience, academic qualifications and professional qualifications. The study used semi-structured interviews to gather data. A thematic approach was used for data analysis while trustworthiness was adopted for the validity of the instrument. The findings revealed that some of the teachers were aware of the need for transformation to improve the secondary school education system in South Africa. However, it was noticed that there was no adequate training and monitoring on the use of infrastructure. In addition, the findings further indicated that some teachers have a negative perception toward any additional role in transforming and improving the quality of teaching. Furthermore, the findings also indicated that transformation in teaching should be the responsibility of the government and head of schools. In light of this, the study recommended that policy makers should increase the budget on secondary school education as well as monitor the process of implementation to achieve the desired goal. Moreover, there should be regular effective training and workshops for teachers in secondary schools to remind them of their roles and responsibilities in teaching.

Analysing the correlation between secondary mathematics curriculum change and trends in beginning undergraduates’ performance of basic mathematical skills in Ireland

The phenomenon in which students enter university under-prepared for the mathematical demands of their undergraduate courses, regularly referred to as the ‘Maths Problem’, has been widely reported in Ireland, UK, Australia, and the US. This issue has been of particular concern in Ireland recently, with beginning undergraduates’ performance of basic mathematical skills showing signs of significant decline in recent years. New mathematics curricula, commonly referred to as ‘Project Maths’, were gradually introduced into the Irish secondary school education system from 2010 onwards. These new curricula aim to place greater emphasis on student understanding of mathematical concepts, use of contexts, and applications of mathematics. This study analyses, through mathematics diagnostic test data gathered between 2008 and 2014, the change in the basic mathematical skills of beginning undergraduates over the time period in which the new mathematics curricula were introduced to secondary education in Ireland. It was found that students’ basic mathematical skills have declined over the time period during which the new mathematics curricula were introduced. Significant declines in beginning undergraduates’ performance of basic mathematical skills were observed during the period 2008–2014, particularly among students who have achieved Higher Level C grades and Higher Level D grades.

Instructors’ Principles and Practices in the Implementation Stage of Classroom-Based Language Assessment in Higher Education in Turkey

The aim of this study is to explore Instructors’ perceptions relating to the implementation of classroom-based language assessment (CBLA). In this study, the current perceptions of higher education Instructors in Turkey are examined. The findings of the questionnaire were analyzed statistically, with the understanding that the Instructors usually exercise their own beliefs concerning CBLA. The results of the questionnaire showed that they did not put a number of their principles into application. Throughout the study, the Instructors mentioned that in some cases they did not have a chance to put their beliefs into practice due to the central assessment system of the institution, intensive syllabuses that they had to finish in a very restricted time, and students’ educational backgrounds that they brought from the primary and secondary school education systems.

Designing environmental literacy curriculum for secondary school education system in Iran: Using an integrated approach

Aim: This study was aimed to design environmental literacy curriculum for secondary school education system in Iran using an integrated approach. Methods: This study is a quantitative type. Theory basis, former resources, and environmental literacy component were extracted from theoretical resources and research background using a descriptive narrative overview, and then the proposed environmental literacy training framework study were classified as four elements (purpose, content, methods of teaching-learning and evaluation) that consists of three components of knowledge, skills, and attitude to the environment. Result: Data were presented to environmental experts and curriculum developers. Kolmogorov-Smirnov single group test, binomial distribution test, single group t-test, and Friedman test with SPSS software (version 20) were used for analysis purposes. Binomial distribution and t-test results ( P ≤ 0.05) represent the item's importance in the views of the participants. Conclusion: The findings show that develop the four basic elements of the curriculum based on the integrated approach, based on three main components of the knowledge, skills, and attitude, facilitate environmental literacy in high school students. In this context, it can be a combination of objectives, content, teaching methods, and evaluation are applying. Environmental literacy Integrated method proposed in this research is cross disciplinarily.

OLYMPIC EDUCATION AS THE FACTOR OF PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT OF YOUNGER ADOLESCENTS: PROBLEM STATEMENT

The article provides brief theoretical analysis of the concept of ‘Olympic education’, which generally has two main approaches. The first views Olympic education in a very broad sense, which includes physical education. The second view point is a very narrow understanding of Olympic education as the knowledge about the Olympic Games and the Olympic Movement. In this study we view Olympic education as a factor of personal development and as a kind of education, which includes certain knowledge, skills, and moral values of the Olympic culture. The article presents the results of the first stage of the survey conducted among 432 secondary school students of the 5 th and the 6 th grades [1] . Younger adolescents’ socialization and tolerance level were estimated with the help of M.I. Rozhkov’s methods and the questionnaire ‘Index of Tolerance’ (by G.U. Soldatova and coauthors). As the result of the survey more than a half of the respondents showed above average level of socialization. Although a very small number of respondents have below average level of socialization, students with the average level of socialization amounted to more than a third of the respondents. Regarding the tolerance the vast majority of students showed the average level. The number of students with the level of tolerance above average is not significant. The level of ethnic tolerance is particularly low. We conclude that there are grounds for advancing and proving the hypothesis of the positive influence of Olympic education on socialization and tolerance among young adolescents. [1] Translator’s note: In the Russian secondary school education system the 5 th and the 6 th grades approximately correspond to the age of 11-13.

A Critical Analysis of Selected Policy Making Decisions in the US and the UK with Regard to the Implementation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in National State Primary and Secondary School Education Systems

Information and Communication Technology has played an important and pervasive role in modern business and everyday living over the last decade and more. The industry accounts for trillions of annual revenue. Yet, it has proved hard for a similar role for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to emerge in education. In this paper, I will argue that policy regarding ICT use at national state levels in the UK and the US has striven to create, and continues to perpetuate, a system of education with technological divisions of labour, and marginalized innovative and communicative practical uses of technology for enhancing education in schools.