Values and Vision : Working Together in Integrated Community Schools?

Publisher PD

A reflection on the learning outcomes framework project

The National Curriculum Framework (NCF) document, launched in 2012, claims to be ‘a response to the changing demands of individuals and society, rapid changes in our education system driven by globalisation, ICT development, competition, shift of traditional values and new paradigms’ (Ministry of Education and Employment 2012, iii). A paradigm shift away from a prescriptive curriculum towards a framework based on learning outcomes which allows for internal flexibility and attractiveness to lifelong learning, is promised (Ministry of Education and Employment 2012, xiii). There is also reference to a reform in national assessment which will complement the change in pedagogy being advised.peer-reviewe

New Right Conservatism and the Scottish leisure profession: a critical analysis 1979-97

The nature of the leisure profession and the leisure professional has been recharacterised by a series of government policies first implemented by the Conservative government during the period 1979-97. Whilst the re-characterisation has been acknowledged by leisure professional bodies and also in an emerging body of literature, no systematic analysis of this process has been undertaken in the Scottish context. This thesis addresses this through an ideological analysis of New Right Conservatism and the impact of New Right policies in Scotland and on the Scottish Leisure profession. Scottish political and cultural traditions together with the notion of credentialism provide original dimensions to this critical analysis. Using a multimethodological research approach, this thesis examines the link between New Right government policies and the Scottish leisure profession. It establishes whether or not the process of professionalisation is a coherent one that will underpin a collective legitimacy for the Scottish leisure profession. It is concluded that the New Right undermined the professionalisation of leisure management in Scotland. Leisure management has been restructured and generalised and the resulting professional anticollectivism within the industry has left the standing of the profession in doubt. This original theoretically and empirically informed study of the leisure profession in Scotland makes a small contribution to the growing body of work on professionalism and professionalisation

Customer Service in the Classroom

This study examines how customer service skills are being used within the classroom. I described customer service skills commonly found in the restaurant industry and then compared these skills with classroom management skills. I approached the collections of my data using the qualitative methodology of educational criticism and connoisseurship. The data that I collected were gathered from twelve observations conducted throughout one school district and self-reflection on a previous career in the restaurant industry. The results of these observations found common themes between the two industries that include proactiveness, impressions, relationships, modeling and being professional. This study presents how educating teachers with customer service skills may build better experiences and success for student and teacher within the classroom. The outcomes of this study may benefit future educational professional development topics

A matrix of music supervisors' stories in the midst of school reform

Race to the Top (RttP) was used to focus school reform on the improvement of teaching through teacher evaluation based on student growth data. Papay (2012) was among the researchers who argued that “evaluators must be well-trained, knowledgeable about effective teaching practices, as defined in the standards, and able to analyze observed practices to determine how well teachers are meeting those standards” (p.135). Hill and Grossman (2013) claimed that, in the current era of reform, content-area experts were the best means of supporting teachers and helping them improve their practice. In light of this assertion, music supervisors have vital expertise, yet they are seldom represented in the music education research literature. Craig’s framework of knowledge communities arising on the knowledge landscape was essential to this inquiry. I made the assumption that, because music supervisors interact consistently with teachers as well as other administrators, their knowledge landscapes are complex, and I wondered which knowledge communities shaped music supervisors’ professional practice, and also how their story constellations were shaped in the midst of education reform brought about by Race to the Top. Through narrative inquiry, I was able to depict the lives of myself and two other music supervisors. We recorded six conversations, and I created transcripts from those recordings. The participants and I engaged in co-construction of an interim text until each of us was satisfied that the transcriptions sufficiently illustrated the complexity of his or her temporality, sociality, and place. The final research text was represented in script form as ten scenes related to the themes we uncovered, and I subsequently interpreted those scenes. In our story constellations, reform stories were about trying to link evaluation of student growth to evaluation of teachers with no model to follow, while our stories of reform were about moving to a system where multiple sources of evidence were brought to bear in teacher evaluation. Our reform stories expressed fears that lack of validity in student growth assessments would eventually dishearten teachers, but in stories of reform, we expressed that teachers should be deeply engaged in considering how their students’ growth was best demonstrated

Using the Student-Edited Law Review to Teach Critical Professional Skills

At a time when law schools are being urged to add experiential learning opportunities to their curricula, law reviews may have been overlooked because the need is so obvious. Producing a journal is a professional endeavor requiring leadership by student editors who are in the process of forging their professional identity. Law schools have a responsibility to teach critical professional skills as part of the pedagogy to shape future lawyers. This article summarizes the need for law schools to provide experiential learning opportunities, unpacks the criticism faculty authors have heaped on student-led law reviews, and the describes a symposium-style training session for student editors to identify and build the leadership skills that foster the values the legal profession strives to uphold

Professionalism: What is it and are we teaching for it?

With rising accountability standards and the need for content specialists within education, the qualifications of mathematics teachers have become increasingly scrutinized. For over three decades, within the parameters of educational reform, the need for the professionalization of teaching has reoccurred (Carnegie Task Force, 1986). When examining the nature of teacher professionalism, no concise definition within the educational community exists (Noddings, 1992). The purpose of this study was to take characteristics defined by the medical and law fields and use them to develop a definition of professionalism within mathematics education. Once a clear set of characteristics was identified, the study then looked to reveal the nature of which those characteristics were instilled within mathematics teacher education programs at higher education institutions. Current mathematics teachers and mathematics teacher educators were surveyed and the set of characteristics rated as to their importance in defining professionalism with mathematics education. A second part to the survey asked mathematics teacher to rate the extent they felt prepared within those same characteristics. Mathematics teacher educators were asked to reflect upon their curriculum with respect to the same set of characteristics. The results were compared with similarities and differences among the two groups presented. The results from this study can be used by higher educational institutions in shaping current and future teachers’ set of professional characteristics. Current teachers can examine the results of this study with the intent to evaluate themselves as professionals

Teacher Consultation Efforts of Islamic Religius Education in Improving teacher Professionalism

The importance of the role of MGMP as a forum for teacher competency development in increasing knowledge, abilities and skills. This study aims to describe in depth the efforts of the PAI MGMP in West Bandung Regency in increasing the professionalism of PAI teachers at West Bandung Junior High School and provide an explanation of the effectiveness of the PAI Cluster 4 MGMP in West Bandung Regency in increasing the professionalism of PAI teachers in SMP and to find out the problems of the PAI Cluster 4 MGMP in Bandung Regency. West in increasing the professionalism of PAI teachers in West Bandung Regency Junior High School. This research is qualitative research by taking the background of MGMP PAI Cluster 4, West Bandung Regency. Data was collected by conducting observations, in-depth interviews and documentation. Data analysis was carried out by giving meaning to the data that had been collected and from that meaning drawn conclusions. Checking the validity of the data is done by using triangulation, by means of Check recheck and Cross checking. The results showed: (1) MGMP PAI efforts in West Bandung Regency in improving the professionalism of teachers, are through supervision, coaching, and training which are manifested in routine programs and development programs, through which teacher competence is expected to increase (2) MGMP has not been running effectively because Management is not optimal and MGMP standards are not met (3) Barriers faced by MGMP PAI Cluster 4 West Bandung Regency, namely the large area and complexity of teacher problems, MGMP cannot reflect the real needs of each school or teacher, MGMP management has not run properly good, and inadequate funding for MGMP operations. (4) the solution to the problem carried out by MGMP PAI Cluster 4 is to create a stronger network between members, utilize telecommunications and internet media, optimize deliberation and consensus in every meeting