Secondary School Sector Research Articles

Leadership Style of School Head-Teachers and Their Colleague's Work-Family Conflict.

This paper aims to investigate the relationship of people-oriented and task-oriented leadership styles with the work-family and family-work conflicts and the intensity of mutual relationship between work-family and family-work conflicts. Data for the research were collected through a survey of public sector elementary and secondary school teachers of Punjab in Pakistan. Factor analysis and Pearson’s correlation were used to estimate the relationship of people-oriented and task-oriented leadership style with the work-family and family-work conflicts. The results show that the three underpinnings of relationship are positively related with each other. Significant relationship exists in the work-family and family-work conflict. People-oriented managers and principals are significantly more facilitators than task-oriented administrators at elementary and secondary school level. Leaders at higher levels of people orientation mediate the work-family conflicts between work commitment and family obligations. The research focuses on teachers at public school education sector; further research in other sectors may be necessary before generalization can be made on the entire service sector. In this study people-oriented leadership style plays an important role in work family conflict. People-oriented managers tend to be more spurring than task-oriented. Although, there are studies on relationship work family and family work conflict but research on leadership roles in it is very limited. By contributing to the body of knowledge in this area, this research adds significant value. Moreover, the study presents valuable information on the leadership behaviour of teachers, which may be unfamiliar to many readers. Key words: Task-oriented, people-oriented, leadership style, work-family conflict, family-work conflict, teachers, public sector

Attitude Toward Democracy In Pakistan: Secondary School Teachers Perceptions

The study aimed at exploring the public sector secondary school teachers’ perceptions for development of democratic values and strategies to improve the democratic system and attitudes toward democracy. Sixty secondary school teachers were selected as a sample. The qualitative data in the form of interview responses were collected to explore teachers’ perceptions about democracy, problems in the smooth running of democracy and remedies to these problems. Five-point Likert-type attitude toward democracy scale (ATDS) was developped to assess the attitude of secondary school teachers toward democracy. The data were analysed by applying one sample t-test. The study provide discussion at concusions drawn about democratic values and attitude of teachers toward democracy.

De-constructing technology’s masculinity

Several studies conducted by the European Union (e.g., Eurostat 2004, Implementation of “education & training 2010” work programme) demonstrate that women and girls are consistently significantly underrepresented in technological education, areas, and jobs. This is highlighted in the Joint Interim Report “Education and Training 2010” by the European Commission under the domain of Maths, Science and Technology (MST). The joint report highlights the persistent shortage of women in technical fields and calls on Member States to encourage the development of a technical culture among its citizens. In particular, it was recommended that action be taken to motivate young people, especially girls, to undertake scientific and technical studies and careers. In this paper we will explore issues related to the delivery of technology education in the middle and secondary school sectors. Other papers in this special edition consider various curricula from around Europe and offer an analysis of early years and primary education in this respect. We do not intend to undertake an in-depth analysis of technology education curricula in the secondary sector but will, rather, explore the kinds of perceptions that are held by school students about technology and technology education when they enter into the secondary stages. We will argue that technology education is perceived to be masculine in nature, procedural in delivery and lacking in any conceptual dimension. This, we will claim, serves to restrict female interest in the subject. We will also discuss a case study undertaken in the name of the UPDATE project that attempts to redress this imbalance. It should be noted, however, that whilst the emphasis in this paper is on the female, it must be acknowledged that the same conclusions will also hold for many males.

Old Masters and New Allies

AASR Presidential Address 2003
 
 Proposing a possible way forward for Studies in Religion in Austral in its formal academic setting with the university and the secondary school sectors in particular.

The long-term effects of denominational secondary schools

In the present study we examined the graduate students of higher educational institutions with Hungarian as the language of teaching in Hungary, Rumania and the Ukraine. We were interested in seeing whether divergences could be traced, years after graduation, among students coming from certain secondary school sectors. Our results revealed that the more advantageous situation of former denominational high school students could be detected especially in the attitude to one’s work, the work concept of serving the common good, and the consumption of intellectual high culture in the traditional sense. These achievements of former denominational school students could not be explained with their social status, since these young people, in many respects, are more disadvantaged than the average. However, their value system and relationship network, and most of all their religiosity have a characteristic aspect. In regression models, we matched the strength of the seemingly significant explanations in the two-variable analysis. On the basis of the matching, we found that minding the influence of other explanations, regarding the readiness of entering service, the work concept of seeking social utility, as well as time spent on reading, sector-effect (effect of school maintainer) carries a very remarkable weight. After the passing of denominational school-years the personal or small-community worship can also inspire the formation or observance of this type of work concept, the attendance of students’ extracurricular tasks and the classical intellectual leisure time habits.

‘Minding’, ‘Working’, ‘Teaching’: Childcare in Aotearoa/New Zealand, 1940s—2000s

Over a sixty-year period, staff working in childcare have been transformed from childminders into teachers on a path towards pay parity with teachers in the kindergarten, primary and secondary school sectors. Similarly, childcare provision has shifted from being deemed potentially harmful for children, and unnecessary except in exceptional situations, to become the major provider of early childhood education in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Sixty years ago, childcare centres were excluded from government interest in terms of policy and funding. In the 2000s, childcare is a major plank of government policy interest. This article documents the political ‘gazes' that have framed three ‘windows' or points in time when significant government reports became blueprints for policy shifts. Advocacy was a key driver in shifting government opinion and policy.

School exclusions and masculine, working‐class identities

In this paper attention will be paid to issues arising from school‐based research into the experience of working‐class boys who are excluded. National and local school exclusion statistics indicate an overall gender imbalance: in the secondary school sector, for every four boys who are excluded only one girl is excluded. Furthermore, statistics show that other groups such as pupils living in poverty (as indicated by receipt of free school meals) have an increased likelihood of being excluded from school. Explanations for the disproportionate exclusion of working‐class boys are considered here in relation to three pupil case studies drawn from a group of 20 case studies gathered in four secondary schools. There are indications that the processes by which some working‐class boys actively negotiate their masculinities are the same processes that lead to their exclusion from school. This paper uses empirical data from interviews and classroom observation to analyse these twin processes, considering how and why certain masculine identities are marginalized in school settings.

An analysis of Independent Schools Inspectorate reports to assess the state of school libraries in the independent secondary school sector in England and Wales

PurposeThis research paper is part of a PhD research project into the management of secondary school libraries in the independent sector in England and Wales. It aims to demonstrate one method of providing qualitative evidence of library provision in such schools.Design/methodology/approachThis research paper uses the inspection reports of independent schools by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) as a qualitative source of information about the provision of school library services within the independent secondary school sector in England and WalesFindingsThe reports indicate that there is a wide range of quality in independent school libraries, just as there are in those schools run by local education authorities.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper outlines just one method of assessing the state of school libraries in independent secondary schools. Other methods are being used in the wider PhD research project.Practical implicationsBecause independent schools are by their very nature self managed and independently run, the use of ISI reports provides an autonomous, external appraisal of individual schools which will contribute to providing a clearer picture of the whole sector. The research will eventually provide practical advice and guidance to school library practitioners as well as the wider school librarianship and independent school sectors.Originality/valueThe use of inspection reports as a qualitative appraisal of independent schools will be original. While the general school library sector is researched, there has been very little done specifically on independent secondary schools, which educate 7 per cent of the secondary school population in England and Wales.

Efficiency Potential and Efficiency Variation in Norwegian Lower Secondary Schools

The paper performs an efficiency analysis of the lower secondary school sector in Norway. The efficiency potential is calculated to 14 percent based on a DEA analysis with grades in core subjects (adjusted for student characteristics and family background) as outputs. The analysis of the determinants of efficiency indicates that a high level of municipal revenue, a high degree of party fragmentation, and a high share of socialists in the local council are associated with low educational efficiency. The negative effects of the share of socialists and party fragmentation seem to reflect both higher resource use and lower student performance.

Efficiency Potential and Efficiency Variation in Norwegian Lower Secondary Schools

The paper performs an efficiency analysis of the lower secondary school sector in Norway. The efficiency potential is calculated to 14 percent based on a DEA analysis with grades in core subjects (adjusted for student characteristics and family background) as outputs. The analysis of the determinants of efficiency indicates that a high level of municipal revenue, a high degree of party fragmentation, and a high share of socialists in the local council are associated with low educational efficiency. The negative effects of the share of socialists and party fragmentation seem to reflect both higher resource use and lower student performance.

The Effects of Temporary Services and Contracting Out on Low-Skilled Workers: Evidence from Auto Suppliers, Hospitals, and Public Schools

We examine why employers use temporary agency and contract company workers and the implications of these practices for the wages, benefits, and working conditions of workers in low-skilled labor markets. Through intensive case studies in manufacturing (automotive supply), services (hospitals), and public sector (primary and secondary schools) industries, we define the circumstances under which these workers are likely to be adversely affected, minimally affected, or even benefitted by such outsourcing. Adverse effects on compensation are clearest when companies substitute agency temporaries or contract company workers for regular employees on a long-term basis because low-skilled workers within the organization receive relatively high compensation and employment and labor law or workers and their unions do not block companies from such substitution. Often, however, organizations only contract out management functions or utilize agency temporaries for brief periods of time, with little direct effect on in-house, low-skilled workers. Moreover, employers often use temporary agencies to screen workers for permanent positions. Because temporary agencies lower the cost to employers of using workers with poor work histories or other risky characteristics, agencies may benefit these workers by giving them opportunities to try out for positions they otherwise might not have had.

The Effect of the Quasi–market on the Efficiency–equity Trade–off in the Secondary School Sector

Britain’s education system was radically transformed during the 1990s following the Education Reform Act (1988). The primary objective of these reforms was to raise educational standards through the creation of a quasi–market based upon greater parental choice and the transfer of control over resources from local education authorities to schools. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of the quasi–market on efficiency and equity in the secondary education sector in England during the 1990s. Two primary questions are addressed. Has the quasi–market led to an improvement in efficiency in the secondary education sector? Has the quasi–market had any adverse consequences on the social segregation of pupils between schools? Using data obtained from the Schools’ Census and the School Performance Tables, we find strong evidence that the quasi–market has led to a substantial improvement in efficiency (as measured by a school’s exam performance and by the productivity of staff) during the 1990s. The same market forces have led to a greater social segregation of pupils between schools.

Parental Choice or School Choice: Who Benefits from the Removal of Zoning?

This paper considers the issue of parental choice, a key aspect of the Picot Report and Tomorrow’s Schools reforms. It seeks to explore two key research questions pertaining to the secondary school sector. Firstly, does the abolition of school zoning lead to greater parental choice? Secondly, do enrolment schemes create more choice for parents and students? The findings suggest that amendments to the Tomorrow’s Schools policy created less choice for some parents, particularly those who were Maori or those of low socio-economic status. It is argued that a level of state intervention is required to ensure fair, transparent selection of students in oversubscribed schools.

Poverty, deprivation and the politics of educational inclusion in Thanet and Lille

The paper reports on one outcome of a European Union-funded research project into some transnational aspects of youth marginalization. It discusses different discourses of inclusion and notes that poverty, deprivation and other social factors increase barriers to inclusive practices. The structure, provision and functioning of the education systems in the city of Lille, France, and the District of Thanet, England, are then compared and contrasted, and some barriers that prevent a proportion of the pupil populations from fully accessing school provision are identified. Both countries espouse inclusion but provide very different cultural contexts for its enactment. In Thanet, the market context inhibits equity of access to education and deepens social and educational disadvantages, while in Lille, despite French egalitarian ideals, the benign market between the private, largely denominational, secondary school sector and the public state provision, together with the informal systems of entry into the more prestigious lycées, are biased against the disadvantaged. Poverty and deprivation in both areas add to the difficulties of educational access and contribute to the formation of a group of disaffected young people who are marginalized as a consequence of an inability to participate fully and effectively in the education services provided. Some structural solutions to these problems are suggested and the paper concludes by advocating transnational policy considerations that could help to mitigate these difficulties.

Records of Achievement in England and Wales: from rhetoric to reality?

This article identifies a number of potential benefits of records of achievement (ROAs), linked to arguments that have been advanced as to why ROA schemes should be pursued. It then reviews the (limited) evidence that exists regarding these benefits, at least in relation to the secondary school sector. The conclusion drawn is that they do not appear to have materialised to any significant degree, though clearly there are exceptions in this or that institution. The article then outlines the key elements of two recent ‘initiatives’ that can be taken as representing advocacy for ROAs‐‐University and Colleges Admissions Service projects and the Dearing review of post‐16 qualifications‐‐and considers the promise they hold for greater realisation of potential benefits. The view taken is that these initiatives do hold some promise for impacting on the ‘supply’ side of ROAs, especially on their quality and in extending the use of the National Record of Achievement in the post‐compulsory sector. However, they seem to hold little promise in affecting the ‘demand’ side by way of stimulating greater use by end users. While there are intrinsic reasons for investing effort in ROA activity, a (continuing) lack of extrinsic motivation occasioned by widespread lack of end user interest could mean that the rhetoric to age 16 will be continued and extended to age 19.

Political Literacy or a ‘Sentimental Education'?—Programmes for coexistence in Israeli Schools

This article describes the provision of activities to promote co‐existence between Arabs and Jews in Israel, specifically in the secondary school sector. In examining patterns of change in this area it becomes clear that student and teacher participation in the activities has been determined by several main variables, including the level of political violence in the society, with which there is a negative correlation, the peace process which has had a similarly strong positive influence on the uptake of coexistence activities; and the changing roles of government and non‐governmental organisations in this field. The article also examines the theories and ‘purposes’ underpinning the activities, as perceived by Israeli educationalists. The former can be located on a broad spectrum ranging from a ‘human relations’ approach, stressing the affective capacities of students, to a more explicitly political, cognitive approach. There are significantly fewer differences among the ‘purposes’: the specific skills which educationalists hope students will develop. Many skills considered central to co‐existence activities were common to both the ‘human relations’ and ‘political’ approaches. This indicated either a lack of communication between representatives of NGOs from whom the theories are developed and articulated and the teachers and schools who implement the programmes, or an ultimate mutual dependence between the affective and cognitive modes of conflict resolution.

Parity of Academic and Vocational Awards: The Experience of Modularisation in Scotland

This article considers the experience of modularisation in Scotland and its impact on the status of academic and vocational awards. It focuses on the National Certificate, the modular system of vocational awards introduced in 1984, and, in particular, its use in the general secondary school sector alongside traditional academic courses. It is here that the issue of the parity of vocational and academic awards is most visible.

Community financing of education: issues from Kenya

Given the squeeze on national budgets and the need for priorities over investment choices in education, many governments have turned to communities in the search for alternative sources of revenue. In Kenya, there is a long and rich history of community involvement in the financing of education at all levels, rooted within the phenomenon of the dynamic self‐help movement harambee, which underpins much of Kenya's grass roots development activity. Within education, the conscious partnership between communities and government has been most manifest within the unaided harambee secondary school sector, although a more recent policy shift has witnessed the transfer to communities of all capital expenditures associated with a structural and curriculum reform, particularly at primary level. Despite opening up access to education to a high percentage of the school age population, there remain, however, fundamental questions associated both with the quality and equity of systems dependent upon community financing.