State Education System Research Articles

Seeking Equilibrium While the Debate Continues: The Role of the Director of Religious Studies in Catholic Secondary Schools in the Diocese of Hamilton, Aotearoa New Zealand

This article aims to report on research that explored the role of perceptions of Directors of Religious Studies (DRSs) in Catholic secondary schools in the Hamilton Diocese, Aotearoa New Zealand (ANZ). The DRS position was established to preserve the Catholic special character of these schools after integration with the state education system with the passing of the Private Schools Conditional Integration Act of 1975. This investigation was researched using Glaser and Straus’s (1967) classical grounded theory methodology to develop theory on the extent to which various aspects assist or inhibit DRSs in fostering special character in Catholic schools.

Business and Religion: The Intersection of Faith and Finance

Business and Religion: The Intersection of Faith and Finance

Between Knowing and Experiencing: Israel’s Ministry of Education Policies and Practices for Enhancing Jewish Identity in the 1950s and 1960s

The article presents the policy of Israel’s Ministry of Education and the educational theorization and implementation of fostering Jewish consciousness and identity in the (non-religious) state elementary and secondary education system in the 1950s and 1960s. The guiding educational conception addressed the relationship between knowing and experiencing, emphasizing the experiential aspect and the evocation of emotion in the learning process. Policymakers anticipated that imparting knowledge about Jewish life experientially would lead to identification and the assimilation of Jewish identity among both school pupils and the “secular” Jewish-Israeli public. Two main educational practices to achieve this were used in the state education system, reflecting the experiential and emotional aspects of learning: first, designing teaching/learning materials for teachers and students in state schools; second, sending a delegation of high school and teachers seminary students in the summer of 1966 to see the extermination camps in Poland and Czechoslovakia.

Exogenous Shocks and Teachers’ Motivation to Learn: Pandemic and Professional Development in the United States

Abstract In this article, we examine how the COVID-19 pandemic, an exogenous shock to the United States education system, shaped teachers’ readiness and willingness to engage in professional development (PD). We borrow the concept of exogenous shocks from economics and sociology to illustrate how education practice can be driven as much by factors outside the field (e.g., viral outbreaks) as by those within it (e.g., policy and scholarship). Using the four substantive domains in Appova and Arbaugh’s (2018) framework on teachers' motivation to learn in PD—teacher education and PD, educational psychology, andragogy and adult learning, and policy and accountability—we argue that teacher motivation, rather than mere PD structure or content, is the true linchpin of teacher learning. In that light, we describe some of the pandemic’s demotivational effects on teachers’ learning in the U.S. and offer a roadmap for scholars to center motivation in future PD research. We outline several pathways of inquiry, including a renewed focus on links between teacher motivation and PD effectiveness, the generation and application of new measures and models of teachers’ motivation to learn, and the use of PD as an instrument for teacher resilience and efficacy after an exogenous shock. Keywords: professional development, teacher learning, teacher motivation, COVID-19, pandemic

The ‘everywhere and nowhere’ English language policy in Queensland government schools: a license for commercialisation

ABSTRACT The paper explores the policy logics of privatisation through service provision for students with English as an Additional language or dialect (EAL/D) in the state education system of Queensland, Australia. In the context of EAL/D, specifically targeted policy has been subsumed by a broader umbrella or meta-policy of inclusion, whilst at the same time, funding support for EAL/D learners is substantial. The devolution of EAL/D support to individual schools through autonomous targeted funding results in policy ‘everywhere’, distributed across broad portfolios dedicated to ensuring schools provide quality education services for all learners, but also ‘nowhere’, lacking systemic support and detail on how inclusion should be enacted for EAL/D and with no accountability placed on schools to demonstrate that they are addressing EAL/D learner needs. The co-location of EAL/D policy with a broad systemic policy of inclusion, the absence of systemic professional support, combined with devolution to school sites has had real effects on the policy in practice. The analysis demonstrates there is the potential opening of EAL/D provision to market forces at school sites, where the private sector can potentially sell commercial ‘solutions’ directly to schools, which have greater autonomy over one-line budgets.

Reducing racial and ethnic disproportionality in school discipline through an assessment‐to‐intervention process: A framework and process

AbstractRacial and ethnic disproportionality in discipline (REDD) represents a longstanding and pervasive issue in the United States educational system. However, researchers and interventionists have not sufficiently provided educators with appropriate frameworks and feasible tools to disrupt REDD and promote equity. The goal of this paper is to present a framework of eight malleable factors associated with REDD and describe the Disproportionality in Discipline Assessment for Schools (DDAS). The DDAS is a suite of user‐friendly tools based on this framework, designed to help school teams identify and address REDD. Two studies are described. Study 1 presents the results of educator feedback on a presentation of the framework and the DDAS in terms of their perception of its feasibility, usability, and validity/logical soundness. Study 2 presents the process of applying the DDAS in four real‐world school settings. Results indicated that the framework and the DDAS were useful and feasible tools to help schools increase equity and address REDD. Modifications to the framework and the DDAS were made to improve validity and appropriateness.

Latinx Parents, Latinx Students, and In-School Suspension: A Quantitative Study of School Discipline

ABSTRACT Over the last several decades, “zero-tolerance” policies have been implemented by federal, state, and local educational systems, which have altered the culture of learning. A consequence of this “tough on education” culture is what some scholars have called the “school-to-prison-pipeline” which disproportionately impacts students of color. By using a national representative sample of Latinx students from the National Center for Education Statistics’ (NCES) High School Longitudinal Study (HSLS), and intersectionality as a theoretical framework, this paper examines the relative impact of parent-level variables, student-level variables, and key demographics on in-school suspension. That relationship is further interrogated separately for Latinx students below and above the Federal poverty line. Findings indicate that Latinx males living in poverty and Latinx students who are above the poverty line, who attend public schools, are more likely to receive in-school suspension. This suggests that structural inequities of discriminatory practices might play a larger role in secondary schools’ disciplinary procedures.

Trajectories of public education in Muslim families of the Republic of Bashkortostan

The problem of conservation and transmission of their culture is important for the religious communities, namely for Muslims. The educational path of children born to Muslim families in the multicultural society may either coincide or differ from the path of their peers. This article examines the existing trajectories of public education in the Muslim community of Ufa. Analysis is conducted on such forms of education as: public schools for religious children; stay-at-home family education; and private schools. In the first instance, the restraining factors for believers are the absence of halal food and the difficulty of manifestation of identity through clothing. In the second instance, believers there are no two aforementioned problem, but lack of socialization. In the third instance, the financial situation of the religious families matters. Meanwhile, the Ufa Muslim community is discussing the creation of educational projects that would meet the needs of religious parents, produce and reproduce the Muslim elite, since the state education system is not yet capable of solving these issues.

Alternation of Lenis and Fortis Consonants in Ẹ̀dó and Ésàn as Indicators of a Dynamic Sound Change in Ẹdo

Ẹdo and Esan belong to the group of genetically related languages referred to as the Ẹdoid group of languages, which in turn belongs, along with other Nigerian languages such as Yoruba, Igbo, Nupe, Idoma, and Izọn, to the Kwa branch of the Niger-Congo language family. The similarities between the speech forms of Ẹdo and Esan compared to the other Ẹdoid languages are evidenced in the high number of cognate sets based on a lexical statistical analysis. This naturally implies that the behaviour of sound segments in any of the two languages could serve as indicators of any evolutionary trend in any of the two languages. It is observed that the phonetically weak consonants [ɱ, n, ɹ] in Ẹdo lexical items alternate with their corresponding strong counterparts [m and l] in similar lexical items in Esan. The relative stability of the strong forms in contemporary Esan language seems to give credence to the claim of a dynamic sound change observable in contemporary Ẹdo language where the proto bilabial stops /b/, and /m/; the alveolar lateral stop, /l/, evolved into the relatively weak bilabial oral and labiodental nasal approximants, [β] and [ɱ] respectively, and the alveolar lateral approximant [ɹ], which is currently being outrightly deleted in any position of the words in which it occurs, thus following the evolution pattern /l/ > [ɹ] > [ø]. The over bearing influence of the English language and the Nigerian pidgin, the two languages that have taken over practically all Ẹdo homes, and the non-teaching of the language in the Ẹdo State educational system have been identified as catalysts to the endangerment of the Ẹdo language that may go into extinction in the very near future if drastic measures aimed at reversing the trend are not urgently and diligently applied.

Історичні та соціокультурні передумови розвитку домашньої освіти в США

The article describes social, cultural and pedagogical foundations for the development of home education as one of the alternative forms of education in the USA. The author of the article defines the social preconditions that contributed to the development of homeschooling, including suburbanization, feminist movement, political radicalism and privatism, bureaucratic and secular features of the state school system. The main historical characteristics of the development of these prerequisites in American society are also highlighted. As a result of the analysis of scientific and pedagogical literature, it is stated that the most valuable contribution to the formation of American home education was made by M. Gaither, J. Holt, R. Moore as its main supporters. It is argued that the features of the development of homeschooling and the increased interest to home education depended on some historical aspects and certain socio-political changes, which are described by the author of the article. The analysis of recent research on homeschooling helps to determine the reasons for parentsʼ dissatisfaction with private schools and the main reasons for parentsʼ choice of home education. The process of legislative consolidation of the homeschooling phenomenon came through various stages, from isolated perception to generally accepted approval at the state level, as well as the requirements for homeschooling parent-teachers, including their pedagogical certification. It was revealed the tendency to choose homeschooling as a form of protest against the state education system. The conclusions indicate the modification of the American home education from the moment of active introduction to the current state, along with prognostic prospects for its further development in quantitative and qualitative measurement. Keywords: home education, development, the USA, history of home education, home education in the USA.

Effective Implementation Capacity to Impact Change Within State Education Systems to Support Students With Disabilities

Effective Implementation Capacity to Impact Change Within State Education Systems to Support Students With Disabilities

Association between lifestyle and emotional aspects of food consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background and aimsAdequate nutrition during infectious outbreaks require a personal management strategy, especially when there are emotional factors involved. To evaluate the association between lifestyle and emotional aspects of food consumption during the pandemic COVID-19. Methods and resultsCross-sectional study using online self-applied questionnaire with 15,372 active schoolteachers who worked in primary education (kindergarten, elementary and high school) from Minas Gerais, Brazil. Poisson Regression model with robust variance was used to determine the association between lifestyle and emotional aspects and food consumption. Greater adherence to the healthy consumption profile showed a statistically significant association with decreased weight (PR = 1.58; p = 0.000), decreased physical activity (PR = 1.27; p = 0.000), reduced income, (PR = 1.26; p = 0.000), reduced alcohol consumption (PR = 1.22; p = 0.000), and changes in mental health (PR = 1.19; p = 0.000). Unhealthy consumption profile was significantly correlated with weight gain (PR = 1.54; p = 0.000), consuming more alcohol, or started drinking during the pandemic (PR = 1.44; p = 0.000), increased physical activity (PR = 1.43; p = 0.000); increased cigarette consumption (PR = 1.17; p = 0.000), and being a younger adult (PR = 1.17; p = 0.000). ConclusionsThe COVID-19 pandemic influenced the food profiles of basic education teachers in the Minas Gerais state education system in a bidirectional manner, favoring the practice of consuming healthy or unhealthy foods.

Environmental education in the Polish core curriculum

SummaryThe purpose of the study was an investigation on a content of the core curriculum in Poland, for kindergarten children (aged 3–6) and primary school students (aged 7–18), in reference to educational demands, created by the global ecological crisis. As a source of these demands, IPCC Assessments Reports on Climate Change and UN over-arching strategies for sustainability and environmental education were used, as well as the European Union green policies’ package (The European Green Deal). Poland, as a member of the EU and a party of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, is obliged to promote and implement “green” policies, through incorporation of them into national legislation and the state system of education.The analysis revealed in Polish core curriculum lack of content, connected with the global ecological crisis and climate change, as well as with strategies of combating them. This result shows a dramatic content gap in environmental education of Polish students, regardless the fact that ecology is a fundament of global and European developmental strategies. The responsibility for this situation is beard on decision makers for a state educational policy; in a context of Polish law, this is the Ministry of Education and the Minister for Education himself.

Guest Editorial/Corona Creative

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Additional informationNotes on contributorsEric K. CurtisEric K. Curtis, DDS, MA, is the editor for the Arizona Dental Association. He teaches creative writing in the Arizona state educational system and practices family dentistry in Safford, Arizona. Reprinted with permission from Inscriptions, the Journal of the Arizona Dental Association, June 2020 issue.

Historical Aspects of the Development of the State Educational System in the Field of Clinical Toxicology in Russia

Summary. The analysis of the historical development of the state system of training in the field of clinical toxicology showed that the opening of the first specialized departments (centers) served as an impulse for the adoption in the future of appropriate organizational decisions and regulatory documents that led to the creation of the country’s first department of clinical toxicology. In addition, this became possible after the emergence of qualified personnel of clinical toxicologists, as well as scientific and practical areas, primarily general resuscitation and toxicological chemistry, and the achievements of fundamental sciences, new pharmacological and technical means of detoxification of the body, on which basis educational materials of the proper level were formed.An important role for the creation of the Department of Clinical Toxicology was played by the publication by E.A. Luzhnikov, the country’s first textbook on clinical toxicology. The results of the activities of Academician E.A. Luzhnikov in the organization of training in the field of clinical toxicology also contributed to the acquisition of a comprehensive level of knowledge and the expansion of teaching in this direction.However, today, clinical toxicology has not become a basic specialty in the vast majority of medical institutions of higher education, including Moscow, which, in our opinion, hinders the process of training the required number of practical, scientific, and teaching personnel in this area.The choice of clinical bases for training is of fundamental importance, of which multidisciplinary research emergency hospitals or emergency hospitals are optimal.Along with the proven form of teaching in the form of field cycles, further reflection requires the place of distance learning as another approach to expanding the audience of listeners. It is also absolutely necessary to support the teaching process within the framework of continuous professional education, including cooperation with scientific and practical medical societies.The most important component of the learning process is the accumulation of scientific experience in the specialty, to which a decisive contribution is made by the creation of scientific schools on the bases of toxicological subdivisions. Additional opportunities are also provided by the modern formation of the scientific specialty “Toxicology”, which makes it possible to achieve the most qualified examination of the results of scientific research.Conclusion.The development of the state educational system in the field of clinical toxicology in Russia is closely related to its formation as an independent scientific and practical direction in medicine, which has high social significance, and the adoption of the experience gained in the course of educational activities.

Home education in the face of the XXI century plague first „waves”

The article presents, along with the necessary definitions and a sketchy, pre-pandemic history of home education, its quantitative and qualitative situation in the conditions of a pandemic in Poland and several other countries, against the background of a few selected dimensions of the functioning of state education systems and schools.

A virtual coaching model of professional development to increase teachers' digital learning competencies

Recent changes in the United States education system have accelerated the need for enhanced technology-based teaching and learning techniques (i.e., digital literacy) and support. Currently, digital literacy integration research focuses primarily on students. Teacher-focused research highlights teaching digital literacy versus using it to learn. Furthermore, little research assesses the effectiveness of professional development methods in providing digital literacy support to teachers. This mixed-methods experimental study addresses these concerns by creating a virtual coaching professional development model to increase teachers' Digital Learning Identity. With teachers demonstrating concerns over staying current with changing technology, study results indicate coaching as one innovative approach to professional development.

Key aspects of the development of secondary vocational education: a case study of the Rostov Region

Introduction. Today, the effectiveness of the economic development of a region is determined by social and economic indicators, including an increase in the performance of works and the growth of employment, which in turn depend on the state of the education system in the region. Secondary vocational education is an important part of the education system, since it develops the key competences required in the region and provides the region’s economy with highly qualified human resources. Purpose. The purpose of our study was to determine and classify the indicators revealing the state of the secondary vocational education in the region by analysing the approaches to its formation within the IT environment of the region. The article substantiates the estimate of institutional and reproduction indicators of the secondary vocational education system in the Rostov Region. It also suggests a series of measures for providing the region’s economy with qualified professionals. Methodology. In our study, we used systems analysis and machine learning methods, and human capital theory. The database included statistical data regarding the social and economic performance of the Rostov Region in 2007-2017 published in a statistical digest “Regiony Rossii”, and the results of the Rosstat monitoring of the development of information society in the Russian Federation. Results. The article suggests a concept of a secondary vocational education system in the region taking into account the influence of the interrelated factors of the IT environment. The main development areas, including in the Rostov Region, are considered, and a classification of the indicators of the state of the secondary vocational education system in the region is suggested. The indicators are divided into two groups: institutional and reproduction indicators. Based on the statistical analysis and trend lines, we estimated these indicators for the Rostov Region and suggested a series of measures aimed at providing the region's economy with qualified human resources. Conclusions. The suggested development of the system of secondary vocational education should facilitate sustainable social and economic development of the region since it will help to provide the hi-tech industries of the region with an adequate number of qualified professionals.

Educational development in a period of transition: the case of Kazakhstan

The development of education in the post-socialist space is one of the most interesting objects for comparative research. Countries that had similar or even identical education systems before the fall of the socialist regime can today serve as a research platform for testing modern theories of social development. According to modernization theory, the “underdeveloped” post-socialist countries had to catch up with their more “advanced” Western counterparts. Due to the fact that in all countries the goals of the reforms were similar, the expected result should have been more or less the same. However, despite the recommended reforms of Western consultants, different trajectories are observed in the educational system. Obviously, the prevailing tendencies in the educational system are divergence instead of convergence. According to the theory of dependence, the world is a single economic system, and countries, in turn, perform different roles and functions. On the example of Kazakhstan, we see that over 30 years of independence, the education system of independent Kazakhstan has received a worthy international recognition. During the years of Independence, a national model of education has been formed, aimed at improving the quality of training of human resources, meeting the needs of the individual, society and the state. A regulatory legal framework has been formed. The laws of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On education”, “On higher education”, “On science”, “On the rights of the child in the Republic of Kazakhstan”, “On the state educational accumulative system”, “On the commercialization of the results of scientific and (or) scientific and technical activities “,” On the status of a teacher “and others. Key words: Post-socialism, educational transformations, transitory period, theories of modernization and dependency.

Do High School Industry Certifications Reflect Local Labor Market Demand? An Examination of Florida

Industry-recognized credentials, or certifications, provide one path to match people with jobs effectively. Certifications are nationally recognized, standardized credentials created by businesses and industry groups to demonstrate proficiency in skills related to specific jobs. State education systems increasingly provide students the opportunity to earn certifications in secondary school. In this study, we examine whether local labor market demand for certifications is associated with the likelihood of earning a certification in high school. Using comprehensive administrative data on a cohort of first-time ninth graders from the state of Florida, which has legislation encouraging certification attainment in high school, we find limited evidence for a relationship between certification demand and certification earning. However, high school students are more likely to earn certifications in some fields, such as health science, when local labor market demand for those certifications is high.