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Relationship Between School Autonomy and Students’ Academic Achievement in Government Secondary Schools in East Hararghe Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia
Shimelis Sahilu,
Ziyn Engdasew,
Garkebo Basha,
Feyera Dinsa
Issue:
Volume 11, Issue 2, March 2022
Pages:
49-62
Received:
7 February 2022
Accepted:
26 February 2022
Published:
4 March 2022
Abstract: The aim of school autonomy is to improve the education quality by independence and flexibility in managing existing resources. Regardless of this trend, amazingly little is known about how schools use autonomy in practice, and there were many controversies regarding the relationship between school autonomy and students’ academic achievement. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the magnitude of relationship between the areas of school autonomy and students’ academic achievement in the secondary schools in the study area. The study employed adescriptive-correlational survey research design with a mixed methods approach. A total of 522 respondents (secondary school principals n=20, teachers n=347, and zone and district education office experts n=155) were used as samples. The sample schools were selected by stratified random sampling and the respondents were selected by simple random sampling using RAND or RANDBETWEEN function on Microsoft Excel. Closed-ended questionnaires were employed for gathering quantitative data from the respondents, and concurrently telephone interview and document analysiswere conducted to collect the qualitative data. The Pearson correlation and multiple regression statistical tests were used to measure and describe the significance of the association (or relationship) between the variables or sets of scores. Moreover, t-test was also conducted to test the difference between the teachers and experts. Analysis of the results demonstrated that majority of the respondents perceived school autonomy positively. Moreover, even though the flow of improvement was not constant, it seems that there were few improvements in students’ academic achievement as a result of the practices of school autonomy. The findings also show that there were a number of constraining factors of school autonomy in the study area. The overall conclusion drawn from the results of this study was that: granting autonomy to secondary schools may be the best idea for the better performance of educational systems in the study area along with removing the constraining factors such as lack of training, knowledge, directives/guidelines and school facilities, and financial corruption. Furthermore, similar to many of the developed countries, practice of school autonomy in developing countries was also one of the means to improve students’ academic achievement. Therefore, it can be recommended that the national, regional and district education authorities and researchers have to focus on implementation of the school autonomy along with building the capacity of the school leaders.
Abstract: The aim of school autonomy is to improve the education quality by independence and flexibility in managing existing resources. Regardless of this trend, amazingly little is known about how schools use autonomy in practice, and there were many controversies regarding the relationship between school autonomy and students’ academic achievement. Theref...
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Evaluation of a Customised Online Learning Environment – A Student Perspective
Issue:
Volume 11, Issue 2, March 2022
Pages:
63-69
Received:
21 January 2022
Accepted:
7 February 2022
Published:
4 March 2022
Abstract: The present study aimed to examine how students evaluate the online learning environment after eight months of its use. The scope and functionalities of the online platform had been recommended by its future users in the process of the platform design and construction. Once the platform was implemented, it constituted the main instructional means in the pandemic period and is being considered to be further used in post-COVID, hybrid model of education. The students who participated in the study encompassed all the undergraduate and postgraduate students of a medium sized tertiary institution. The data was collected with the help of an online survey tool. The online surveys were distributed to all the students after eight months of the distance instruction and made available for the period of four months. The author wished to examine and assess the outcomes concerning the students’ perception of the platform in three areas, namely teaching remote classes, conducting student evaluation and reporting their activity. The study revealed positive opinions relating to being given an opportunity to continue studies during the pandemic, the accessibility of online resources and the functionalities the platform offers. Less approving views were expressed in relation to the online communication tools, the methods of teaching and assessment as well as the opportunity to improve IT competence. A possible direction which the contemporary education might take is hyflexing of teaching and learning (Hybrid-Flexible or Hyflex model) which combines the traditional in-class interaction, online synchronous sessions and asynchronous content delivery.
Abstract: The present study aimed to examine how students evaluate the online learning environment after eight months of its use. The scope and functionalities of the online platform had been recommended by its future users in the process of the platform design and construction. Once the platform was implemented, it constituted the main instructional means i...
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The Impact of Globalization on Education: A Blessing or a Curse
Eric Atta Quainoo,
Ruby Aggrey,
Derrick Aggrey,
Francis Adams,
Ernest Opoku,
Zakaria Wanzam Abubakari
Issue:
Volume 11, Issue 2, March 2022
Pages:
70-74
Received:
24 January 2022
Accepted:
21 February 2022
Published:
9 March 2022
Abstract: It is very obvious that globalization has been an era of influence on the development of developing countries considering the harsh consequences of International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank sponsored structural adjustment programs. Developing countries (especially African countries) being members of the international community are not spared from globalization and therefore these countries are exposed to both the positive and negative impacts of globalization. Globalization in the cutting-edge times has brought about expanded reliance among nations and in spite of the fact that the way of globalization holds the guarantee of advancement for all, it has been contended by numerous researchers that the effect of globalization on education is numerous. It can be argued that despite the fact that globalization awards numerous possibilities (in particular an expansion in capital streams), it also exposes many developing countries to many new challenges. Thus, the objective of education is moving farther away from the social, cultural, and scholarly satisfaction of students, and closer toward the monetary satisfaction of countries. Toward this path, universities and colleges are furnishing students with information that is fitting for current financial patterns. This paper seeks to address the impact of globalization on education as a blessing or a curse.
Abstract: It is very obvious that globalization has been an era of influence on the development of developing countries considering the harsh consequences of International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank sponsored structural adjustment programs. Developing countries (especially African countries) being members of the international community are not spared...
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Hopeful Visions of Tomorrow: Learning from Leaders of Today’s Virtual Schools
David Gustafson,
Md Mahbubul Haque
Issue:
Volume 11, Issue 2, March 2022
Pages:
75-78
Received:
18 March 2022
Accepted:
7 April 2022
Published:
20 April 2022
Abstract: The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic affected many dimensions of our lives, including the world of education. Virtual education continues to be a viable solution not only during a pandemic lockdown, but also as a support to facilitate learning in a preferred, uniquely individualized setting. As one of the fastest growing educational options for students in the United States, many states now offer a wide range of full-time, part-time, and enrichment virtual options for students and families in search of an alternative to the traditional model of education. While many virtual school leaders face similar challenges to their brick-and-mortar counterparts, leading in a virtual environment appears to present some unique challenges. In spite of the increase in virtual program options and enrollment, limited research has been conducted on how virtual school principals lead their organizations. As the popularity of virtual options increase, there is a need to examine effective leadership practices in these innovative schools. The purpose of this study was to explore the challenges of virtual school principals and how they demonstrated effective leadership practices in the schools they lead. In particular, this study investigated how these personal and professional experiences influenced these principals and the overall quality of their schools.
Abstract: The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic affected many dimensions of our lives, including the world of education. Virtual education continues to be a viable solution not only during a pandemic lockdown, but also as a support to facilitate learning in a preferred, uniquely individualized setting. As one of the fastest growing educational options for stud...
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