School Work Research Articles

Influence of School Working Conditions of Teachers’ Turnover on Learning Achievement in Biology in Public Secondary Schools in Garissa County, Kenya

The modern propensity toward multi-disciplinary research and the alignment of scientific knowledge from different fields has led to significant overlap of the field of Biological sciences with other scientific disciplines. Modern principles of other fields such as Chemistry, Medicine, and Physics are integrated with those of Biology in areas such as Biochemistry, Biomedicine, and Biophysics, making Biology a valuable subject to humankind. However, the government’s inability to retain qualified and experienced teachers in some schools due to high turnover impacts negatively on the students’ learning achievement in this subject. This paper looks into the influence of school working conditions of teachers’ turnover on learning achievement in Biology in public secondary schools in Garissa County. The study was conducted using pragmatic worldview and adopted a convergent mixed-methods design. With a target population of 2786 respondents from 40 public secondary schools, a sample size of 387 respondents was obtained. Using stratified random sampling, 27 schools were selected from which 336 students and 51 teachers of Biology were randomly and purposively drawn respectively. Data collection was done using Biology teacher questionnaire and document analysis guide. The quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics while qualitative data was analyzed thematically. The study findings showed that school working conditions (r=0.73, p<0.05) had a positive significant correlation with students’ learning achievement in Biology. Qualitative data findings revealed that majority of the teachers intended to transfer from rural to urban schools on the basis of unsuitable working conditions and insecurity. The study concluded that school working conditions of teachers’ turnover influenced low learning achievement in Biology in the study area. The study therefore, recommended strategies that should lower teacher turnover and increase learning achievement in Biology as follows; school principals should provide good leadership and adequate instructional resources for effective teaching of Biology while the government should post security officers to every learning institution in Garissa County to safeguard the non-local teachers’ safety and security

Identity development of Arab drama therapists: The role of ethnic boundary work

Previous studies have suggested that creative arts therapists who work in conservative societies must adapt their Western therapeutic ideologies to collectivist and traditional norms. Less is known about how these creative arts therapists construct and maintain their professional identity in diverse sociocultural contexts. Building on the literature that emphasizes the role of ethnic boundary work in professional identity processes, we examined how Arab drama therapists maintain, challenge, and negotiate ethnic boundaries in the process of professional identity construction.Participants were 38 Israeli-Arab drama therapists (36 female) working in Israeli-Arab schools. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews (27 participants) and playback theater groups (12 participants). Thematic analysis revealed three different forms of ethnic boundary work: "Distinguishing Arab identity from drama therapy", "Drama therapy as an act of challenging ethnic and gender boundaries", and "Negotiating ethnic boundaries within the context of drama therapy".The current study emphasizes the sociocultural context of boundary work by illustrating how Israeli-Arab drama therapists define their professional identity across ethnic, gender, and political tensions. We conclude with implications for research and practice.

Teachers’ Job Satisfaction and Turnover: Re-Examining Learning Achievement in Biology in Public Secondary Schools, Garissa County, Kenya

Teachers spend lengthy periods of their lifetime in school work environments and their satisfaction in the job has crucially far-reaching implications. Besides making them feel good about themselves, job satisfaction draws on teachers’ well-being as satisfied teachers are less susceptible to leaving their positions. The aim of this paper was to evaluate teachers’ job satisfaction as a teachers’ turnover factor in influencing learning achievement in Biology in public secondary schools in Garissa County. Guided by Becker’s Human Capital Theory of Occupational Choice, the study was driven by a philosophical paradigm borrowed from the Pragmatic Worldview and adopted a convergent mixed-methods research design. The study targeted 2786 respondents comprising 2691 form three students and 95 Biology teachers from 40 public secondary schools from which 27 schools were picked through stratified random sampling. The sample size constituted 336 form three students and 51 Biology teachers obtained through simple random and purposive sampling respectively. Questionnaire and document analysis guide were used in data collection. Both descriptive and inferential statistics using Pearson Product Moment Correlation and Linear Regression were done. The study established that job satisfaction (r=0.67, p<0.05) had a positive significant correlation with learning achievement in Biology. The study therefore concluded that, teachers’ job satisfaction influenced learning achievement in Biology in public secondary schools in Garissa County. The study recommended strategies that should lower teacher turnover and increase learning achievement in Biology thus; re-visit salary schemes for teachers to ensure they re-visit salary schemes for teachers in public secondary schools to ensure teachers are well paid besides are well paid, teacher promotions should be streamlined and staff development opportunities enhanced.

Social Work Practice in United Arab Emirates (UAE) Schools during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study

Besides their educational mission, public schools ground and support the health and psychological, emotional, and social development of students. The educational system is special because it combines multiple integrated responsibilities and duties that transcend the scope of any other social welfare program. Social workers are crucial constituents of educational systems and are expected to attend to the well-being of students while ensuring the effective performance of the educational system. Given such rigorous demands, this study assesses and compares the actual functions undertaken by social workers in schools in the United Arab Emirates during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. In so doing, it aims to help improve educational systems worldwide. The nuanced results of this study will better elucidate the crucial capabilities of social workers in the dynamic educational system and illuminate the challenges they confront during emergencies.

From classroom learning to real-world skills: an autoethnographic account of school field trips and STEM work immersion program management

Quality science education is crucial in preparing students for real-world challenges by fostering scientific literacy and critical thinking skills. Field trips and work immersion programs support this goal by providing hands-on experiences and real-world applications of scientific concepts, thereby enhancing student engagement and understanding. This autoethnographic study explores the management of school field trips and work immersion programs, emphasising their impact on student engagement and learning outcomes. Through personal experiences and reflective practices, I examine the logistical planning, risk management, and curriculum alignment necessary for successful implementation. The findings highlight how these programs enhance students’ understanding of scientific principles, foster critical thinking, and encourage STEM career interests. Key strategies include collaborative planning, flexibility, and ongoing evaluation, providing insights into optimising educational programs and bridging the gap between classroom learning and real-world application.

Making Sense of the Rural Special Education Teacher Shortage

Long-standing shortages of well-prepared special educators, especially within rural areas, have jeopardized positive outcomes for students with disabilities. In this multiple case study of administrators and special educators, the authors examined how individuals make sense of the special education teacher shortages in relation to the challenges of working in a rural school. Local contextual factors intersected with salary and state policies, highlighting how external, political factors affected districts’ ability to attract and retain special education teachers. Chief among implications for research, policy, and practice is the need to attend to multipronged approaches that have the potential to mitigate economic barriers to special educator recruitment and retention in rural school districts.

The Effect of Principal Leadership, Ethos, and Work Climate on Educator Performance MAN District of Sumedang

Education is seen as a valuable investment in improving the quality of human resources and building a nation. The research focuses on the MAN Se-Kab district of Sumedang to analyze the leadership of the head of the school, the work ethos, the working climate, and the performance of the educators. Quantitative survey methods are used with data collection using lifts. Data analysis includes validity, reliability, classical assumption tests, double linear regression, and hypothesis tests. Research at MAN Se-Kab district Sumedang found that the leadership of the head of school, the work ethos, and the working climate were rated "Good" (average 4.24, 4.58, and 4.27), as well as the performance of educators. (rata-rata 3,90). Nevertheless, the leadership of the head of the school did not significantly impact the teacher's version (t count -1,035 < 2,012, significance 0,306 > 0,05). On the contrary, the work ethos (2,621, significance 0.042 < 0,05) and the working climate (2,047, signification 0.053 < 0.05) had a significant positive impact. Simultaneously, the three variables influence the performance of educators (f counts 10,890 > f table 4,052, significance 0,045 < 0,05). The determination coefficient of 30.4% suggests that the head of school leadership, work ethos, and work climate variables can explain variations in teacher performance. In comparison, the other 34.8% variations are influenced by external factors such as culture and environment. Research recommendations include improved teacher performance and the role of the head of school in creating a productive working environment. The study provides in-depth insight into education dynamics in the MAN Se-Kab district of Sumedang, providing a basis for improving the quality of educators' performance and leadership.

Union Membership, Retention, and Perceived Safety for PK-12 Trans School Workers of Color

ABSTRACT In this study, we use data from a sample of 296 trans PK-12 school workers in the United States and Canada to consider the impact of union membership on an educator population who may be disproportionately harmed by systemic inequalities. Using intersectionality and trans studies as frameworks with a QuantCrit analytical lens, we examined union membership for trans workers of Color across race/ethnicity, country, gender, and years of experience. We measured retention and emotional and physical safety and found that union membership predicts retention, emotional safety, and physical safety for trans school workers of Color. Our results suggest unionization not only benefits all trans workers, but it buffers the problematic retention and safety concerns for the most vulnerable: trans workers of Color.

The Influence of School Culture, Transformational Leadership, and Teacher Motivation on Teacher Performance

The purpose of this study is to ascertain the following: (1) the impact of school culture on junior high school work motivation; (2) the impact of transformational leadership on this relationship; (3) the impact of school culture on junior high school teacher performance; (4) the relationship between transformational leadership and junior high school performance; and (5) the impact of work motivation on junior high school teacher performance. Using descriptive data analysis methodologies, the study was carried out at junior high schools in the Delitua District in the academic year of 2023–2024. Regression analysis techniques were included in the data analysis method. There is a sample of 128 teachers in the population. The study's findings demonstrated that: (1) work motivation is directly impacted by school culture; (2) work motivation is directly impacted by transformational leadership in a significant positive way; (3) school culture directly affects performance; (4) transformational leadership directly affects performance; and (5) work motivation directly affects performance. These findings suggest that teacher effectiveness is influenced by school culture, transformational leadership, and work motivation and are important factors in supporting teacher performance.

RESEARCH APPROACH IN METHODOLOGICAL FUTURE SCIENCE TEACHER TRAINING

The article is devoted to a research approach implementation in the methodological training of future science teachers. The author emphasizes the need to develop research competence in higher education students majoring in the subject specialty 014.15 Secondary Education (Natural Sciences) and obtaining a professional qualification of a teacher of natural sciences, physics, chemistry, and biology to work in the New Ukrainian School. The article’s purpose is to reveal the essence of the research competence of future science teachers and the peculiarities of implementing the research approach in their methodological training. It has been established that the research approach involves the organization of the educational process in which learning takes place through research activities. The research competence of future science teachers is interpreted as an integrative quality of a personality that combines motivation for research, methodological knowledge and knowledge of research technologies, research skills, the ability to carry out research activities, organize them with students in teaching science subjects, and evaluate their effectiveness. It is determined that this research competence combines motivational, cognitive, activity-operational, and reflective components. The importance of methodological disciplines in the formation of research competence of future teachers of natural sciences, physics, chemistry, and biology is emphasized. It has been found that the research approach in the methodological training of future teachers requires the use of specific teaching methods and technologies (project, contextual, case technology, research laboratory work). It contributes to the research competence of higher education students development, in particular, their ability to organize students’ research activities in science classes in general secondary education institutions.

Student perspectives on school-based social workers: a mixed-methods study

PurposeSchool social work, in various forms, is well established internationally and has a growing evidence base. Yet existing research focuses on professional perspectives rather than those of students. This study aims to fill this gap by exploring secondary school student perspectives of having social workers in schools (SWIS). It was undertaken in England as part of the SWIS trial, which tested whether secondary school-based social workers could improve child safety and well-being, identify issues more quickly and reduce the need for statutory services.Design/methodology/approachA mixed-methods approach comprised a survey (n = 1,998 students) and interviews (n = 27 students). Surveys included questions on awareness, understanding, interaction with and attitudes towards the school-based social workers. Interviews involved a Q-sort activity followed by semi-structured questions on general attitudes and experiences. The Q-sort characterised prominent perspectives and how many students subscribed to them.FindingsStudents were broadly positive about having a social worker in their school in the survey and interviews. Two prominent perspectives on SWIS were identified. The first (n = 17) was defined by students feeling positively overall and strongly agreeing that they trusted the social worker. The second (n = 4) was mixed in sentiment, defined by some anxiety about working with the social worker. In interviews, students relayed that social workers were easily accessible, offered emotional support and acted as a bridge between school and home.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to quantify student perspectives on having social workers at school and evidence attitudes and experiences about school-based social work as practiced during the SWIS trial.

Laying Foundations for Islamic Teacher Education

Increasingly, educators committed to the vision of Islamic schooling are expressing sentiments of moral dissonance. On the one hand, they choose Islamic schools because they aspire to affect hearts, nurture whole human beings, and grow spiritually while impacting their learners’ sense of higher purpose. On the other hand, they are up against an era of globalised educational reform, characterised by neoliberal-engendered market forces and neoliberal policy logic that promote performativity and efficiency. This narrows what counts as learning, technicises the art of teaching, and assumes all learning that counts is visible and measurable. The teacher education and ongoing professional learning that educators working in Islamic schools have access to remains bifurcated. It is unable to address how an educator committed to tarbiya as “soul-making” ought to navigate aspirations with realities. This paper serves as the introduction to a special issue (SI) dedicated to conceptualising why Islamically grounded teacher education is needed and what it may entail. This SI will also offer empirical studies related to existing Islamic teacher education and professional learning programmes that capture essential reflections for a burgeoning subfield of Islamic Education Studies. In this introduction specifically, the co-editors and a co-author colleague make three big moves to lay the foundations for Islamic teacher education, including (1) establishing urgency for why Islamic teacher education is needed, (2) conceptualising what makes teacher education “Islamic”, and (3) providing an example of one Islamic teacher education programme’s attempt to advance a coherent professional learning journey for Islamic school educators. Together, these three moves serve as an attempt to redress bifurcation and advance a contextually relevant in-road to teacher education that is rooted in an Islamic paradigm and worldview while conversant with contemporary debates in education.

A survey of speech-language pathology service delivery in Australian schools

Purpose Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) work in Australian schools yet, little is documented about their service delivery practices. This study therefore explores Australian speech-language pathology service delivery in schools, inclusive of work activities, caseloads, and assessment and intervention practices. Method An online survey comprising multiple choice, constant sum, Likert scale, and open text questions was completed by 105 SLPs. Quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistics while open-text responses were analysed using content analysis. Result Participants were predominantly government education department employees working in multiple schools, and caseloads ranged from 10 to 240 students for full-time SLPs. While responses varied considerably, some general trends emerged. Most time was spent on intervention, followed by non-contact tasks, and assessments, with differences across employment sectors. Language was the most common student need, followed by literacy and speech. Frequently reported factors contributing to client complexity and intervention frequency were co-occurring presentations, severity of student needs, caseload size, and impact on learning. Caseload manageability was a concern for participants who reported larger caseloads, spent more time in assessment or less time in therapy than others, and worked in education departments. Conclusion Findings have implications for policy makers, professional bodies and employers, and provide direction for future systematic data collection.

Parental digital mediation: Restriction and enablement during the COVID-19 lockdown among low SES parents in Lima, Peru

ABSTRACT Physical distancing and lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic had a substantial impact on families’ lives, especially those from socioeconomically vulnerable backgrounds. In this context, fast-paced digitalization occurred in significant areas of everyday life, including school education, entertainment, socialization, and work. The literature reports on binary typology of parental mediation: restrictive and enabling; few studies shed light on the joint application of these strategies. This article focuses on how these two strategies are used together within the context of the pandemic among low socioeconomic status (SES) parents of Lima. Thirty parents (29 mothers and 1 father) with children between the ages of 6–11 participated in a 5-day digital mediation report preceded and followed by two semi-structured interviews. The study approaches parental mediation from a contextualized perspective wherein mediation strategies are dynamic, and restrictive and enabling strategies can coexist.

The cost-effectiveness and cost-consequences of a school-based social worker intervention: A within-trial economic evaluation

Schools are a significant source of referrals to Children’s Social Care (CSC) services. A within-trial economic evaluation estimated the cost-effectiveness of embedding social workers in schools (SWIS) in England compared to usual practice. Two hundred and sixty-eight schools comprising 277,888 students were randomised. The primary outcome of the trial was section 47 enquiries (i.e. child protection referrals to CSC services). The economic evaluation estimated the incremental cost-effectiveness of SWIS in reducing section 47 enquiries. Micro-costing approaches assessed the cost of the social worker intervention and addressed variability in key unit costs. Mean differences in costs and outcomes were estimated, with bootstrap 95% confidence intervals and scaling to incidence rate ratios per 1000 students per year. No statistically significant differences between trial arms were identified for any outcomes, costs or cost-effectiveness over a 23-month follow-up. The probability that SWIS is cost-effective was estimated for a range of willingness to pay values. At threshold values of £1000, £10,000 and £20,000, the probabilities for cost-effectiveness were estimated as 1.3%, 1.1% and 6.1%, respectively. This means SWIS had a low probability of being cost-effective.

The status of History in the subject-selection ‘marketplace’: Insights from Australian students

AbstractConcern about declining enrollments in senior school History subjects has been a regular feature of history education discourse in Australia for at least 30 years. This concern is also evident in international discourse about History being a subject “in crisis”. In Australia and elsewhere, there has been increased speculation about the reasons History enrollments are contracting. However, students are not often included in these discussions, and the external conditions affecting their subject choices tend to be overlooked. Our mixed methods research draws on descriptive statistics and thematic analysis of data from an online survey of 293 students in years 10, 11, and 12 from across Australia. This article examines influences on History’s status in the subject ‘marketplace’ from the perspective of students and conceptualizes three sets of influences: instrumental, subject status, and local context. We position this work in the context of history education, subject selection, careers education research literature, and policy. The dominance of instrumental influences on the decisions of participants to choose or reject History as a senior secondary subject also leads us to examine how, in uncertain times, the forces of neoliberalism are shaping young people’s perceptions of the alignment of school and future work.

A Study to assess the Effectiveness of planned Teaching Programme on knowledge regarding specific Learning Disabilities in children among Primary School Teachers at selected Schools, Dharwad District Karnataka, India

Nowadays children are day after today’s citizens. they're in a non-stop system of growth and improvement. Any alteration in its direction leads to developmental problems. specific studying incapacity plays a considerable position as silent handicap amongst children. it is expected that four-5% of college students in primary faculty have unique mastering disability. unique studying disability is “A disorder that affect people’s potential to either interpret what they see and listen or to link records from exceptional components of the brain. Such problems volume to high school work and may impend learning to study, write or mathematic’’. As there aren't any precise test to discover kids with precise studying incapacity, fitness specialists must rely mainly on number one faculty teachers report for its prognosis. preceding research have proved that trainer’s understanding towards such youngsters have exquisite influence closer to their restoration. An evaluative study turned into carried out 60 primary faculty teachers at decided on schools, Dharwad district. opportunity; simple random sampling method become used to choose the pattern and become collected through based know-how questionnaire. The studies design used for the look at quasi-experimental: unmarried organization pre-check put up-test design. records evaluation changed into achieved by means of using descriptive and inferential information. universal result of the observe revealed that the extent of knowledge on unique mastering disabilities in youngsters in pre-test revealed that the pre-take a look at suggests that Majority 30(50%) of the respondents had insufficient level of expertise and followed by 18(30%) of the respondents had moderate level of information and Minority 12(20%) had adequate expertise. all through the publish-take a look at indicates that Majority 36 (60%) of the respondents had good enough degree of knowledge and accompanied through 14(23.33%) of the respondents had mild degree of know-how and Minority 10(16.66%) had insufficient knowledge. calculated paired ‘t’ fee (t cal = 20.91) is more than tabulated price (t tab= 2.0096). there may be no considerable affiliation between selected socio-demographic variables. The look at concluded that the deliberate coaching programme was powerful in enhancing know-how concerning specific studying disabilities.

Exploring the Online Leadership Effect on Blended Learning in Educational Institutions: Post-COVID-19 Learning Context

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated the transition of administrative and instructional work in schools to an online format. This shift has prompted school administrators to embrace online leadership as a suitable approach during and after the pandemic. Blended learning has been recommended as a sustainable and well-suited solution for educational institutions in the post-pandemic period. Aims: to investigate the impact between online leadership and the adoption of blended learning in educational settings. Sample(s): A total of 385 instructors participated in this study. The participants were surveyed using Google Forms to gather their perspectives. Methods: Structural equation modeling (SEM) and path coefficients analysis were employed to analyze the survey data and examine the attitudes of instructors toward online leadership and blended learning. Results: The findings indicated that online leadership (OL) exhibited a higher likelihood of being adopted for blended learning (BL) implementation, as revealed by the study results (59%). Instructors demonstrated increased flexibility and readiness to utilize online leadership methods for career advancement in the post-pandemic era. However, it should be noted that the adoption of online leadership measures was primarily driven by the necessity (41%) to maintain continuity in educational practices during the pandemic. Conclusions: These findings shed light on the significance of online leadership in facilitating the integration of blended learning in schools. The study highlights the adaptability of instructors and their recognition of the potential benefits associated with online leadership practices. The results emphasize the importance of online leadership as a strategic approach for educational institutions in navigating the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Psychological and Educational Approach in Teaching and Learning Foreign Languages

Schools play a central role in the holistic development of children, providing a structured environment that fosters their intellectual, social, emotional, and physical growth, and equipping them with essential skills and knowledge for their future through the experiences each child will have at school. These contribute to the cognitive and academic development of children in several ways. First and foremost, the primary objective of school is to provide a pedagogical education to children. In this regard, the school promotes intellectual development through a structured and organized learning environment where children can acquire knowledge, develop cognitive skills, and build their academic journey. Teachers play a crucial role in delivering effective instruction, facilitating learning experiences, and providing individualized support to meet the diverse needs of students. Furthermore, schools provide resources, programs, and assessments that help children progress academically and prepare them for their future studies. Moreover, children are also exposed to several languages from a very young age, which promotes the acquisition and mastery of languages. The learning of multiple languages in a multilingual school will lead children to develop cognitive skills such as attention, memory, and executive functions. These cognitive skills are transferable and can support academic abilities in areas such as reading, comprehension, mathematics, and problem-solving. As the basis of all educational activities, whether they involve listening, speaking, reading or writing, language plays a crucial role in the fulfilment of many important tasks and goals of a school. Language in school is not only a subject to be taught, but a source of study for other subjects as well, as it enables students to gather data and gain knowledge in a variety of subject areas. As a result, primary education provides all students with a basic education as well as access to other languages, such as French or English. This initiative aims to give students an appropriate linguistic approach that enables them to communicate, express themselves and use their language skills in their academic, personal and social activities, as well as direct access to information and knowledge. Foreign language education aims as well as to give learners the ability to communicate, express themselves, and use their language skills in their school work, personal lives, and social interactions. It also helps them have direct access to information and knowledge. From this point of view, we seek through the following scientific paper to discuss the purpose of the need for children to acquire foreign languages and the most appropriate age to start learning them. We will also try to present the scientific opinions of the most important thinkers and researchers on how languages are learnt and taught and the proposed teaching methods in this field.

Development of a Health-State Classification System for the Pediatric Quality-of-Life Inventory Version 4.0 Generic Core Scales for Preference-Based Valuation in Australia

ObjectivesPediatric Quality-of-Life Inventory Version 4.0 Generic Core Scales (PedsQL GCS), comprising 23 items covering 4 subscales (physical, emotional, social, and school functioning), is a widely applied generic measure of childhood health-related quality of life but does not provide health utilities for cost-effectiveness-based decision making. This study aimed to develop a reduced item version of PedsQL GCS amenable to health utility derivation in Australia. MethodsData sources were 2 cohorts of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, including proxy responses for all PedsQL GCS versions (Toddlers, Young Children, Children, and Teens), and the CheckPoint sample containing child self-report to the Children version. Three analytic samples were CheckPoint sample (n = 1874); Mallinson sample containing 1 measurement per child from one of the Young Children, Children, or Teens versions (n = 7855); and Toddlers sample (n = 7401). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses assessed dimensionality. Psychometric analyses used Rasch and classical criteria on 3 randomly selected subsamples (n = 500) per sample. Item selection prioritized psychometric performance in the CheckPoint sample, also considering performance in other samples and conceptual content. ResultsDimensionality assessments did not generate an alternative empirical structure for the measure, and psychometric analyses were conducted on the original 4 subscales. The selected items were: “Get aches and pains” for physical functioning; “Feel sad/blue” for emotional functioning; “Other kids not friends” for social functioning; and “Keeping up with school work” for school functioning. ConclusionsThe final 4-item set, pending further psychometric validation and valuation, can generate health utilities from the widely used PedsQL GCS to inform cost-effectiveness-based decision making.