Pub Date : 2025-02-04DOI: 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103223
Nihan Demirkasımoğlu , Pelin Taşkın
This research examines the academic performance and university rankings under elected and appointed rectors in Turkish research universities, aiming to offer valuable insights into governance dynamics and their effects impact on institutional outcomes. We compare the publication and citation metrics, as well as university rankings, during the tenures of elected and appointed rectors across 19 public universities and their 38 rectors in Türkiye using document analysis and descriptive approach. The findings highlights that while appointed rectors show more diversity, including significant representation from the social sciences and humanities, elected rectors are notably from the medical area, with engineering coming in second. Despite differences in academic backgrounds and disciplinary specializations, the comparison reveals no significant divergence in publication and citation performances between elected and appointed rectors. However, the trajectory of university rankings shows a stark contrast, during times when rectors are appointed. A drop in rankings, which is especially noticeable during contentious appointments, emphasizes how crucial legitimacy and stakeholder trust are in determining institutional performance. This study advances our understanding of governance dynamics and how they affect research universities' institutional reputation.
{"title":"Elected versus appointed rectors in top Turkish research universities: Profiles and performance impacts","authors":"Nihan Demirkasımoğlu , Pelin Taşkın","doi":"10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103223","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103223","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This research examines the academic performance and university rankings under elected and appointed rectors in Turkish research universities, aiming to offer valuable insights into governance dynamics and their effects impact on institutional outcomes. We compare the publication and citation metrics, as well as university rankings, during the tenures of elected and appointed rectors across 19 public universities and their 38 rectors in Türkiye using document analysis and descriptive approach. The findings highlights that while appointed rectors show more diversity, including significant representation from the social sciences and humanities, elected rectors are notably from the medical area, with engineering coming in second. Despite differences in academic backgrounds and disciplinary specializations, the comparison reveals no significant divergence in publication and citation performances between elected and appointed rectors. However, the trajectory of university rankings shows a stark contrast, during times when rectors are appointed. A drop in rankings, which is especially noticeable during contentious appointments, emphasizes how crucial legitimacy and stakeholder trust are in determining institutional performance. This study advances our understanding of governance dynamics and how they affect research universities' institutional reputation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48004,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Educational Development","volume":"113 ","pages":"Article 103223"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143147190","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-04DOI: 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103225
Takumi Kobayashi , Keiichi Ogawa
Previous studies suggest that community and parental participation can positively contribute to the quality of primary education; however, controversial debates and a lack of comprehensive analysis persist. This study applies a mixed-method approach and reveals that active participation can improve educational quality. However, community and parental participation does not always positively correlate with quality education, especially when conflicts arise within communities with higher levels of participation. Furthermore, higher educational quality often results from effective school management by School Management Committees and Parent-Teacher Associations, which fosters trust among parents and, in turn, encourages them to actively participate in their children’s education.
{"title":"Community and parental participation in Ugandan public primary education: A mixed-method analysis","authors":"Takumi Kobayashi , Keiichi Ogawa","doi":"10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103225","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103225","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Previous studies suggest that community and parental participation can positively contribute to the quality of primary education; however, controversial debates and a lack of comprehensive analysis persist. This study applies a mixed-method approach and reveals that active participation can improve educational quality. However, community and parental participation does not always positively correlate with quality education, especially when conflicts arise within communities with higher levels of participation. Furthermore, higher educational quality often results from effective school management by School Management Committees and Parent-Teacher Associations, which fosters trust among parents and, in turn, encourages them to actively participate in their children’s education.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48004,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Educational Development","volume":"113 ","pages":"Article 103225"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143147223","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This research explores the potential impact of social media on the professional status of teachers in Kazakhstan, examining its role in facilitating professional development and its potential to trigger reputational risks. Social media is experiencing growth in Kazakhstan, which presents challenges for teachers. This study investigates how social media influences the professional identity and perceived status of teachers in society. A combination of quantitative survey data and qualitative interviews with teachers and school leaders was conducted. It has been demonstrated that although social media may enhance a teacher's reputation by facilitating the sharing of educational material and professional achievements, it also brings potential concerns, such as cyberbullying, privacy violations, and challenges in preserving personal and professional boundaries. These results emphasize the need for explicit guidelines on the ethical use of social media in educational settings and instructional approaches.
{"title":"“Teachers are not Imams”: The impact of social media on the status of teachers in Kazakhstan","authors":"Yerbol Sarmurzin , Zhanat Baktybayev , Kundyz Kenzhebayeva , Aray Amanova , Ardak Tulepbergenova","doi":"10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103220","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103220","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This research explores the potential impact of social media on the professional status of teachers in Kazakhstan, examining its role in facilitating professional development and its potential to trigger reputational risks. Social media is experiencing growth in Kazakhstan, which presents challenges for teachers. This study investigates how social media influences the professional identity and perceived status of teachers in society. A combination of quantitative survey data and qualitative interviews with teachers and school leaders was conducted. It has been demonstrated that although social media may enhance a teacher's reputation by facilitating the sharing of educational material and professional achievements, it also brings potential concerns, such as cyberbullying, privacy violations, and challenges in preserving personal and professional boundaries. These results emphasize the need for explicit guidelines on the ethical use of social media in educational settings and instructional approaches.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48004,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Educational Development","volume":"113 ","pages":"Article 103220"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143147189","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-31DOI: 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103224
Önder Belgin
Evaluating the efficiency of the scientific research system which consists of two sub-systems as scientific research and the transformation of research activities is crucial. This study aims to examine the research and entrepreneurial efficiency of 50 Turkish universities for the year 2022 using data of Council of Higher Education (CHE) and Entrepreneurial and Innovative University Index. For this purpose, Network Data Envelopment Analysis (NDEA) was used to analyze the research efficiency and the entrepreneurial efficiency of the universities and then these universities are clustered by hierarchical cluster analysis. Findings reveal that Eskişehir Technical University is the best in overall efficiency and research efficiency and Hasan Kalyoncu University is the best in entrepreneurial efficiency. After that the universities were clustered according to their research efficiency and entrepreneurial efficiency values as Good Performers, Researchers, Entrepreneurs and Strivers. To the best of our knowledge this is the first study using considering the research efficiency and entrepreneurial efficiency of Turkish universities using network DEA and cluster analysis.
{"title":"Research and entrepreneurial efficiency of selected Turkish universities","authors":"Önder Belgin","doi":"10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103224","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103224","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Evaluating the efficiency of the scientific research system which consists of two sub-systems as scientific research and the transformation of research activities is crucial. This study aims to examine the research and entrepreneurial efficiency of 50 Turkish universities for the year 2022 using data of Council of Higher Education (CHE) and Entrepreneurial and Innovative University Index. For this purpose, Network Data Envelopment Analysis (NDEA) was used to analyze the research efficiency and the entrepreneurial efficiency of the universities and then these universities are clustered by hierarchical cluster analysis. Findings reveal that Eskişehir Technical University is the best in overall efficiency and research efficiency and Hasan Kalyoncu University is the best in entrepreneurial efficiency. After that the universities were clustered according to their research efficiency and entrepreneurial efficiency values as <em>Good Performers, Researchers, Entrepreneurs</em> and <em>Strivers.</em> To the best of our knowledge this is the first study using considering the research efficiency and entrepreneurial efficiency of Turkish universities using network DEA and cluster analysis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48004,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Educational Development","volume":"113 ","pages":"Article 103224"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143147196","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-30DOI: 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103222
Nicolas Ruiz, Michael Gallagher
This paper explores the digital imaginaries presented in the educational governance and policy landscape of Colombia through the lens of rurality. It interrogates one policy instrument, namely CONPES 3988, which establishes the importance of digital technologies in national-level educational policies and subsequent strategies. CONPES 3988 draws a strong focus on educational ‘innovation’, which is explicitly conceptualised through digital technology, understood as the transformation of traditional educational practices through educational technologies to improve educational quality. CONPES 3988 establishes the actions needed to realise a process of educational innovation through educational technologies and has four pillars: to increase access to digital technologies for the creation of innovative learning spaces, to improve Internet connectivity of official educational institutions, to promote the appropriation of digital technologies in the educational community, and to strengthen the monitoring and evaluation of the use, access and impact of digital technologies in education. CONPES 3988 draws a strong focus on educational ‘innovation’, which is explicitly conceptualised through digital technology, understood as the transformation of traditional educational practices through educational technologies to improve educational quality. CONPES 3988 captures and surfaces digital imaginaries that speak to rural education, particularly in how it is framed and performed and how digital technology use is explicitly tied to market discourses of quality, sustainability, transformation, and breaks from tradition. Rural education in Colombia, and indeed rurality itself and its attendant plurality, are potentially disadvantaged in this framing as they become transactional actors in a larger educational system framed increasingly in digital technologies emerging from the urban centres of the Colombian government. Such an analysis provides insights that extend well beyond Colombia, particularly in noting how rurality and rural education are reframed when there is policy and governance emphasis on digital technology use in education.
{"title":"Rural education imaginaries in digital education policy: an analysis of CONPES 3988 in Colombia","authors":"Nicolas Ruiz, Michael Gallagher","doi":"10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103222","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103222","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper explores the digital imaginaries presented in the educational governance and policy landscape of Colombia through the lens of rurality. It interrogates one policy instrument, namely CONPES 3988, which establishes the importance of digital technologies in national-level educational policies and subsequent strategies. CONPES 3988 draws a strong focus on educational ‘innovation’, which is explicitly conceptualised through digital technology, understood as the transformation of traditional educational practices through educational technologies to improve educational quality. CONPES 3988 establishes the actions needed to realise a process of educational innovation through educational technologies and has four pillars: to increase access to digital technologies for the creation of innovative learning spaces, to improve Internet connectivity of official educational institutions, to promote the appropriation of digital technologies in the educational community, and to strengthen the monitoring and evaluation of the use, access and impact of digital technologies in education. CONPES 3988 draws a strong focus on educational ‘innovation’, which is explicitly conceptualised through digital technology, understood as the transformation of traditional educational practices through educational technologies to improve educational quality. CONPES 3988 captures and surfaces digital imaginaries that speak to rural education, particularly in how it is framed and performed and how digital technology use is explicitly tied to market discourses of quality, sustainability, transformation, and breaks from tradition. Rural education in Colombia, and indeed rurality itself and its attendant plurality, are potentially disadvantaged in this framing as they become transactional actors in a larger educational system framed increasingly in digital technologies emerging from the urban centres of the Colombian government. Such an analysis provides insights that extend well beyond Colombia, particularly in noting how rurality and rural education are reframed when there is policy and governance emphasis on digital technology use in education.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48004,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Educational Development","volume":"113 ","pages":"Article 103222"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143147199","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-25DOI: 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2024.103198
Alison Willis , Aruna Devi , Haley Whitfield
Although much is known about the effects of stress and trauma on learning, there is an urgent need to better understand the phenomenon of education recovery after disruption so that educators and community workers are equipped with efficacious learning strategies and educational experiences for recovery. This project investigated the experiences of people who have suffered learning opportunity loss. Using a phenomenological theoretical perspective, in-depth interviews and a pilot survey were used to identify efficacious strategies and experiences for recovery. The University of the Sunshine Coast partnered with the Salvation Army in South Africa to conduct research with their education officers and social welfare units to identify practical strategies for responding to stress- and trauma-affected people. The most effective strategies for education recovery were internet searches and knowing the learning goals. Experiences that aided recovery included: prayer, meditation, relaxation exercises; storytelling; peer learning; and mentoring. These findings are useful for identifying antecedent structures and essential practices in education recovery and provide governments and systems administrators with research evidence for policy and processes around education recovery efforts. These findings also give educators and not-for-profit community workers practical strategies for responding to education needs in disruption-affected contexts. Rather than merely becoming informed about the effects of disruption, stress and trauma on learning, these findings equip educators with responses.
{"title":"Efficacious learning strategies and experiences for education recovery after disruption","authors":"Alison Willis , Aruna Devi , Haley Whitfield","doi":"10.1016/j.ijedudev.2024.103198","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijedudev.2024.103198","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Although much is known about the effects of stress and trauma on learning, there is an urgent need to better understand the phenomenon of education recovery after disruption so that educators and community workers are equipped with efficacious learning strategies and educational experiences for recovery. This project investigated the experiences of people who have suffered learning opportunity loss. Using a phenomenological theoretical perspective, in-depth interviews and a pilot survey were used to identify efficacious strategies and experiences for recovery. The University of the Sunshine Coast partnered with the Salvation Army in South Africa to conduct research with their education officers and social welfare units to identify practical strategies for responding to stress- and trauma-affected people. The most effective strategies for education recovery were internet searches and knowing the learning goals. Experiences that aided recovery included: prayer, meditation, relaxation exercises; storytelling; peer learning; and mentoring. These findings are useful for identifying antecedent structures and essential practices in education recovery and provide governments and systems administrators with research evidence for policy and processes around education recovery efforts. These findings also give educators and not-for-profit community workers practical strategies for responding to education needs in disruption-affected contexts. Rather than merely becoming informed about the effects of disruption, stress and trauma on learning, these findings equip educators with responses.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48004,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Educational Development","volume":"113 ","pages":"Article 103198"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143148118","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-24DOI: 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103219
Sheena Bell
District education offices are crucial to school-level policy implementation. Analyzing policy documents and interviews with over 75 stakeholders in Ghana, this study uses an institutional logic framework to examine four logics of district work: bureaucratic, political, civic, and professional. It reveals tensions between the district’s traditional top-down bureaucratic role, its political and civic roles embedded in decentralization reforms, and recent policies emphasizing a professional, instructional support role with schools. These competing logics are evident in the recent introduction of the delivery approach, which mandates performance contracts at all levels to enhance the implementation of policy priorities. The study presents a framework to understand the complex institutional environment district staff navigate to deliver education policy and support teaching and learning.
{"title":"Understanding the competing logics of district education office work: The case of Ghana","authors":"Sheena Bell","doi":"10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103219","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103219","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>District education offices are crucial to school-level policy implementation. Analyzing policy documents and interviews with over 75 stakeholders in Ghana, this study uses an institutional logic framework to examine four logics of district work: bureaucratic, political, civic, and professional. It reveals tensions between the district’s traditional top-down bureaucratic role, its political and civic roles embedded in decentralization reforms, and recent policies emphasizing a professional, instructional support role with schools. These competing logics are evident in the recent introduction of the delivery approach, which mandates performance contracts at all levels to enhance the implementation of policy priorities. The study presents a framework to understand the complex institutional environment district staff navigate to deliver education policy and support teaching and learning.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48004,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Educational Development","volume":"113 ","pages":"Article 103219"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143147198","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Greater educational attainment has vast economic, health, and intergenerational benefits, yet less than half children in sub-Saharan Africa complete lower secondary school. In contrast to primary education, there is limited research on the impact of national policies at the secondary level on educational attainment. A significant number of low-income countries continue to charge tuition for secondary education and a majority do not make secondary school compulsory. This study is the first to simultaneously assess reforms to tuition-free and compulsory education at the lower secondary level. Using a novel global dataset on education policies and data from the Demographic and Health Surveys, we used a differences-in-differences approach to examine how the introduction of tuition-free and compulsory lower secondary education policies in seven sub-Saharan African countries affected grades completed and starting secondary education by sex, wealth quintile, and rural/urban residence. Results show that making lower secondary education compulsory, in addition to tuition-free, had a significantly larger impact on educational attainment compared to providing tuition-free lower secondary alone. Exposure to tuition-free, compulsory lower secondary increased girls’ average educational attainment by 1.6 grades, and boys’ attainment by 1.4 grades, compared to cohorts exposed to only tuition-free. Girls and boys were also 13.5 and 14 percentage points more likely to complete some secondary, respectively, than their peers in countries that had made lower secondary education free, but not compulsory. Children from families in the lower wealth quintiles had a significantly larger improvement in progressing to secondary education when education was both tuition-free and compulsory.
{"title":"The combined effect of free and compulsory lower secondary education on educational attainment in Sub-Saharan Africa","authors":"Alfredo Martin , Aleta Sprague , Amy Raub , Bijetri Bose , Pragya Bhuwania , Rachel Kidman , Jody Heymann","doi":"10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103218","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103218","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Greater educational attainment has vast economic, health, and intergenerational benefits, yet less than half children in sub-Saharan Africa complete lower secondary school. In contrast to primary education, there is limited research on the impact of national policies at the secondary level on educational attainment. A significant number of low-income countries continue to charge tuition for secondary education and a majority do not make secondary school compulsory. This study is the first to simultaneously assess reforms to tuition-free and compulsory education at the lower secondary level. Using a novel global dataset on education policies and data from the Demographic and Health Surveys, we used a differences-in-differences approach to examine how the introduction of tuition-free and compulsory lower secondary education policies in seven sub-Saharan African countries affected grades completed and starting secondary education by sex, wealth quintile, and rural/urban residence. Results show that making lower secondary education compulsory, in addition to tuition-free, had a significantly larger impact on educational attainment compared to providing tuition-free lower secondary alone. Exposure to tuition-free, compulsory lower secondary increased girls’ average educational attainment by 1.6 grades, and boys’ attainment by 1.4 grades, compared to cohorts exposed to only tuition-free. Girls and boys were also 13.5 and 14 percentage points more likely to complete some secondary, respectively, than their peers in countries that had made lower secondary education free, but not compulsory. Children from families in the lower wealth quintiles had a significantly larger improvement in progressing to secondary education when education was both tuition-free and compulsory.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48004,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Educational Development","volume":"113 ","pages":"Article 103218"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143148120","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-21DOI: 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103206
Zue Wadi Htun , Seunghoo Lim
Teachers working at the grassroots level of Myanmar’s educational bureaucracy are directly involved in the implementation of the basic educational reforms outlined in the National Education Strategic Plan. The aim of this study is to examine the formation of policy discussion networks among public school teachers during the implementation of the reforms as well as the ways in which the development of these discussion networks was affected by teachers’ perceptions of discretion, client meaningfulness, and willingness to implement the reforms. Teachers were involved in discussion connections that were developed on a reciprocal and transitive basis to facilitate their communication over time. When teachers perceived that the changes stipulated by the reforms offered greater benefits to their pupils and became more eager to implement these changes, they approached other teachers to discuss educational issues. This study provides theoretical and empirical contributions to the literature on street-level bureaucrats’ reactions to the implementation of policy reforms.
{"title":"How do public school teachers react to education policy reforms with their colleagues?: The emergence of policy discussion networks during the implementation of the national education strategic plan in Myanmar","authors":"Zue Wadi Htun , Seunghoo Lim","doi":"10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103206","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103206","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Teachers working at the grassroots level of Myanmar’s educational bureaucracy are directly involved in the implementation of the basic educational reforms outlined in the National Education Strategic Plan. The aim of this study is to examine the formation of policy discussion networks among public school teachers during the implementation of the reforms as well as the ways in which the development of these discussion networks was affected by teachers’ perceptions of discretion, client meaningfulness, and willingness to implement the reforms. Teachers were involved in discussion connections that were developed on a reciprocal and transitive basis to facilitate their communication over time. When teachers perceived that the changes stipulated by the reforms offered greater benefits to their pupils and became more eager to implement these changes, they approached other teachers to discuss educational issues. This study provides theoretical and empirical contributions to the literature on street-level bureaucrats’ reactions to the implementation of policy reforms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48004,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Educational Development","volume":"113 ","pages":"Article 103206"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143148116","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-18DOI: 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103217
Stephanie Allais , Siphelo Ngcwangu
This paper explores systems in South Africa to obtain skills needs information from employers, build employer-engagement, and direct training funds to the training required by employers. We argue that the system is not achieving the key goals for which it was set up. The system is by no means ‘employer-led’ or ‘demand-led’; instead, the system has limited leadership from employers. A complex set of incentives and regulations backfire in some instances, leading to poor data about skills needs. This unwieldy system has many layers of collecting data, leading to information that is not useful for planning purposes, while alienating employers from strategic engagement. The complexity of the tools used to gather data from employers on skills needs undermines the integrity and validity of the data. The link between funding mechanisms to support training and the mechanisms for gathering data on skills needs skews the picture of needs, and does not facilitate provision planning. The complexity of the system deters high-level strategic engagement with employers on the skills trajectory of the sector, and leads to problematic sectoral and national planning. The rules and systems for disbursing funds get in the way of strategic support of provision that meets the needs of employers and of the economy. Poor steering of provision of training is a huge lost opportunity given the existence of a payroll levy with large amounts of money being available for training. In short, this complex attempt to use a regulatory state to steer provision has led to an unwieldy system with many layers of collecting information which is not useful for planning purposes as the primary sources of the data are generally flawed. There are some ways in which, based on our findings, the systems could be improved. But even if this were done, what must be recognised is that employer-engagement is complex, inherently limited, and not the magic bullet for VET relevance often suggested. Our research brings attention to this, together with showing the many ways in which well-intentioned policy has not achieved its goals in this regard.
{"title":"‘I wanna die a slow death when I’m busy with that annual training report….’: Why employer engagement for skills planning in South Africa goes wrong","authors":"Stephanie Allais , Siphelo Ngcwangu","doi":"10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103217","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103217","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper explores systems in South Africa to obtain skills needs information from employers, build employer-engagement, and direct training funds to the training required by employers. We argue that the system is not achieving the key goals for which it was set up. The system is by no means ‘employer-led’ or ‘demand-led’; instead, the system has limited leadership from employers. A complex set of incentives and regulations backfire in some instances, leading to poor data about skills needs. This unwieldy system has many layers of collecting data, leading to information that is not useful for planning purposes, while alienating employers from strategic engagement. The complexity of the tools used to gather data from employers on skills needs undermines the integrity and validity of the data. The link between funding mechanisms to support training and the mechanisms for gathering data on skills needs skews the picture of needs, and does not facilitate provision planning. The complexity of the system deters high-level strategic engagement with employers on the skills trajectory of the sector, and leads to problematic sectoral and national planning. The rules and systems for disbursing funds get in the way of strategic support of provision that meets the needs of employers and of the economy. Poor steering of provision of training is a huge lost opportunity given the existence of a payroll levy with large amounts of money being available for training. In short, this complex attempt to use a regulatory state to steer provision has led to an unwieldy system with many layers of collecting information which is not useful for planning purposes as the primary sources of the data are generally flawed. There are some ways in which, based on our findings, the systems could be improved. But even if this were done, what must be recognised is that employer-engagement is complex, inherently limited, and not the magic bullet for VET relevance often suggested. Our research brings attention to this, together with showing the many ways in which well-intentioned policy has not achieved its goals in this regard.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48004,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Educational Development","volume":"113 ","pages":"Article 103217"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143148119","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}