scholarly journals Will the benefit equal the effort? An investigation into the personal significance of the changes signalled in a mandated curriculum to New Zealand secondary school teachers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Brenda Mary Service
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Secondary School Teachers ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Educational Criticism ◽  
Personal Significance ◽  
New Curriculum ◽  
Beliefs About Teaching ◽  
The Impact

<p>A new school curriculum was implemented in all New Zealand schools during 2008 and 2009 and was mandated at the beginning of 2010. The changes signalled in the new curriculum required teachers to incorporate key competencies into their teaching and to move to student-centred practice which involves students in the decisions about their learning. It was possible that this social constructivist approach represented a change in teachers’ beliefs about teaching and learning and to their practice.  Much of the literature on educational change appears to overlook the transformational nature of the learning needed to bring about changes in beliefs and practice and teachers’ personal motivation to engage with it. Unless change is of personal significance to individuals they are unlikely to be motivated to engage with it. Using Eisner’s (1998) method of educational criticism, this case study is an investigation into the personal significance of the new curriculum to the teachers’ reality. In the spirit of educational criticism, the lens of an educational connoisseur was used to first develop an understanding of the teachers’ reality followed by that of an educational critic to evaluate what occurred.  Over a two-year period the study involved semi-structured interviews with twelve secondary school teachers in three schools, observations of the classroom practice, and analysis of school documentation and societal messages. While all the participating teachers’ espoused beliefs that were congruent with the philosophy of the new curriculum, constructivist practices were observed in the practice of only two teachers. What prevented the other teachers’ wholehearted engagement in the implementation of the new curriculum was not their beliefs about teaching and learning but rather, the extent to which external pressures determined their priorities. These pressures included the misalignment of the school goals and cultural norms, the impact of NCEA assessment regime, time constraints, leadership issues, lack of conceptual understanding and the absence of professional learning to support transformative learning.</p>

scholarly journals Will the benefit equal the effort? An investigation into the personal significance of the changes signalled in a mandated curriculum to New Zealand secondary school teachers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Brenda Mary Service
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Secondary School Teachers ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Educational Criticism ◽  
Personal Significance ◽  
New Curriculum ◽  
Beliefs About Teaching ◽  
The Impact

<p>A new school curriculum was implemented in all New Zealand schools during 2008 and 2009 and was mandated at the beginning of 2010. The changes signalled in the new curriculum required teachers to incorporate key competencies into their teaching and to move to student-centred practice which involves students in the decisions about their learning. It was possible that this social constructivist approach represented a change in teachers’ beliefs about teaching and learning and to their practice.  Much of the literature on educational change appears to overlook the transformational nature of the learning needed to bring about changes in beliefs and practice and teachers’ personal motivation to engage with it. Unless change is of personal significance to individuals they are unlikely to be motivated to engage with it. Using Eisner’s (1998) method of educational criticism, this case study is an investigation into the personal significance of the new curriculum to the teachers’ reality. In the spirit of educational criticism, the lens of an educational connoisseur was used to first develop an understanding of the teachers’ reality followed by that of an educational critic to evaluate what occurred.  Over a two-year period the study involved semi-structured interviews with twelve secondary school teachers in three schools, observations of the classroom practice, and analysis of school documentation and societal messages. While all the participating teachers’ espoused beliefs that were congruent with the philosophy of the new curriculum, constructivist practices were observed in the practice of only two teachers. What prevented the other teachers’ wholehearted engagement in the implementation of the new curriculum was not their beliefs about teaching and learning but rather, the extent to which external pressures determined their priorities. These pressures included the misalignment of the school goals and cultural norms, the impact of NCEA assessment regime, time constraints, leadership issues, lack of conceptual understanding and the absence of professional learning to support transformative learning.</p>

scholarly journals The Impact of School’s Resource Center on Teaching and Learning Process

2011 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-18
Author(s):  
Hamidah Hamidah ◽  
Abd Razak . ◽  
Yunus .
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Secondary School Teachers ◽  
Sample Selection ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Resource Center ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Reading Interest

The general objective of this study is to examine the impact of School’s Resource Center (SRC) on teaching and learning process among secondary school teachers. The specific objectives are; to identify factors influencing the utilization of the SRC and the problems associated with it. In general, 100 school teachers from three secondary schools in Tanjung Malim, Perak were selected as our respondents. Sample selection was made based on purposive sampling and the data obtained were processed by using quantitative method. The results obtained reported that, on average teachers used the SRC twice a week. The reasons for the usage are; to make use the printing and non-printing media available at the SRC, and to participate in various activities and programs organized at the center. In terms of problems, there was no indication on the presence of any serious problem except the SRC should sustain its resources. In particular, the SRC must continuously upgrade the collections of printing and non-printing media with most updated and contemporary issues. Apart of that, the SRC must make available technical assistant(s) to help out the SRC users (students and teachers) anytime needed. In terms of effect, the utilization of SRC encourages group study among students and this approach not only helped to improve students understanding and to inspire their reading interest, but also offered motivation to students in understanding the content of a particular subject better.

scholarly journals Challenges Faced by Malaysian Government School Teachers to Conduct Online Lessons for the Secondary School Students during Covid-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 04 (08) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gunasegaran Karuppannan ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Secondary School Teachers ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
School Closure ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Government Schools ◽  
Learning Platform ◽  
The Impact

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many educational institutes across the world to change dramatically. Teaching and learning have been undertaken remotely and on various digital platforms. In Malaysia, schools were closed for more than 6 months in the second quarter of 2020 and again experiencing school closure in May 2021. Education Ministry of Malaysia (MOE) strongly encouraged all government schools, especially the teachers and students, to use various online communications platforms to ensure the educational process remains uninterrupted. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has generated considerable challenges for the teaching and learning in government schools especially in secondary schools while using such emerging technologies. This research has two main goals. First, this journal will be analysing whether the online learning platforms used by secondary school teachers to conduct lessons during the COVID-19 period have presented any challenges to their student’s learning. Secondly, the paper will then go on to address proposed solutions by developing a conceptual model to reduce the impact of such challenges. An exploratory qualitative approach will be carried out in this research, supported by literature review techniques. The data set for this journal was collected between May to June 2021 during the third wave of pandemics in Malaysia. The data gathered by interviewing various secondary school teachers in Selangor. A total of 10 teachers participated in this interview process. Those teachers interviewed disclosed various obstacles they faced when they began to use information technology platforms for their online lessons, especially the new technological platforms. These obstacles include (a) overloaded work and information. (b) unfamiliarity and inability to learn of the new online learning platform, and (c) personal health challenges related to stress and anxiety.

“Green” Teaching and Learning in Schools

2015 ◽  
pp. 183-193
Author(s):  
Jack Blendinger ◽  
Leigh Ann Hailey ◽  
Donna Shea
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Secondary School Teachers ◽  
Learning Culture ◽  
Environmental Conservation ◽  
School Teachers

This chapter addresses the importance of shaping the school's teaching and learning culture to exert a powerful influence on students in regard to environmental conservation. The chapter presents 19 successful and practical examples of “teaching green” in action contributed by practicing elementary and secondary school teachers. How to contact the contributors is also provided in the chapter.

scholarly journals Work Ability among Upper-Secondary School Teachers: Examining the Role of Burnout, Sense of Coherence, and Work-Related and Lifestyle Factors

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (24) ◽  
pp. 9185
Author(s):  
Petr Hlaďo ◽  
Jaroslava Dosedlová ◽  
Klára Harvánková ◽  
Petr Novotný ◽  
Jaroslav Gottfried ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Sense Of Coherence ◽  
Work Ability ◽  
Secondary School Teachers ◽  
Teaching Profession ◽  
Upper Secondary School ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
The Impact

Maintaining and promoting teachers’ work ability is essential for increasing productivity and preventing early exit from the teaching profession. This study aimed to identify the predictors of work ability among upper-secondary school teachers and examine the mediating role of burnout. A large and diverse group of Czech upper-secondary school teachers was surveyed to address this goal. The sample comprised 531 upper-secondary school teachers (50.0 ± 9.94 years, 19.9 ± 10.62 in the teaching profession, 57.6% females). Relatively greater empirical support was found for the effects of burnout, sense of coherence, work–life balance, and perceived relationships in the school environment on work ability than for the impact of age, homeroom teacher duties, workload, and caring for elderly relatives. Furthermore, burnout served as an important mediator of the relationship between sense of coherence and work ability. Teachers with a higher sense of coherence are thus better able to cope with adverse work circumstances and identify and mobilize internal and external resources to prevent professional exhaustion and the subsequent decline in work ability. The study can guide interventions on the work ability of teachers.

scholarly journals Implementation of school-based curriculum as perceived by secondary school teachers of English

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 167
Author(s):  
Chuzaimah D. Diem ◽  
Yusfardiyah Yusfardiyah ◽  
Binti Koniaturrohmah ◽  
Lismalayani Lismalayani
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Secondary School Teachers ◽  
Teaching Experience ◽  
Education Level ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
School Based ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
New Curriculum ◽  
The Government

Information about Curriculum 2013 has seemed to make many EFL teachers feel anxious. This anxiety is assumed to happen due to the unwillingness of the teachers to implement the new curriculum because they have not yet even implemented the previous curriculum (KTSP) in their classrooms optimally. This study was aimed primarily at investigating the implementation of KTSP covering three important components: preparation, application, and evaluation by 107 secondary school teachers of English. To collect the data, “KTSP Implementation Questionnaire” was used. The data collected based on the teachers’ own perceptions were analyzed in relation to their education level, teaching experience, certification status, and KTSP socialization involvement. The results showed that (1) 62% teachers confessed that they had not yet optimally implemented KTSP although all of them had been involved in its dissemination program done by the government; (2) there was no correlation between either education level or teaching experience and the implementation of KTSP. However, (3) there was a significant correlation between teachers’ certification status and their (i) KTSP preparation, (ii) teaching experience, and (iii) involvement in dissemination program activities.

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