THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AN OPEN TEACHING POLICY IN OPEN EDUCATION IN MAURITIUS

This paper examines the implications of the implementation of a policy that promotes open teaching in an emerging open university. It describes the benefits and risks associated with such implementation within the context of Mauritius. It emphasises the adoption of cMOOCs which is more student-generated MOOCs that encourages student engagement based on socio-constructivism and heutagogy, instead of behaviourism and cognitivism. The use of open teaching promotes the democratisation of higher education and may help open universities to achieve economies of scale, and therefore making open universities profitable. However, open teaching through the adoption of cMOOCs may lack sustainability due to the political bearing of the open university concerning its governing bodies and the nomination of its head at the management level, the lack of electracy of a large number of contingent teaching staff as well as the lack of safeguard for the intellectual copyrights of MOOCs in Mauritius. It is recommended that open universities should invest massively in technology-enhanced content delivery and in the appointment of a graphic designer to support user-content generation. Article visualizations

The role of secondary school principals in motivating teachers in the Flacq district of Mauritius

From the wave of policy reforms of the new Minister of Education and Human Resources for a "World Class Quality Education", stakeholders have been ascribing the poor quality of learner performance to a lack of motivated teachers. This study focuses on the factors that impact on teacher motivation in the Flacq district of Mauritius and on the role of the principal in enhancing teacher motivation. An empirical investigation based on qualitative research was conducted following the literature study on these two themes. Motivational factors pertain to the school-based personal and professional needs of the teacher. Due to centralised school governance and instructional leadership tasks being delegated to the School Management Team, principals are not effective teacher motivators. Recommendations relate to transformational, distributive and participatory leadership strategies for optimal instructional principalship.Educational Leadership and ManagementM. Ed. (Educational management

DISCIPLINE STRATEGIES PRACTISED IN EARLY CHILDHOOD SETTINGS IN MAURITIUS

This research was conducted to identify and examine the discipline strategies that early childhood teachers may adopt to deal with disruptive behaviours of toddlers. The research was a qualitative research design and a case study. Five early childhood teachers were selected using purposive sampling and 30 toddlers in a private early childhood centre. The data about the practice of discipline strategies by the teachers were gathered by a semi-structured interview schedule and non-participant observation was used to collect data from the toddlers. According to the results of the study, it was found that early childhood education teachers were adopting positive discipline to prevent behaviour problems. The strategies adopted are guidance, autonomy, creating positive relationships, effective planning of the learning environment, and emotion coaching. This research shed light on the shift in the discipline paradigm in the early childhood setting in Mauritius. Instead of adopting reactive and punitive strategies, the practitioners are adopting proactive and discipline which is more humanistic and egalitarian, particularly when the child should be given the best learning opportunities for their holistic development. The findings may serve as an eye-opener especially for the policy and decision-makers like the Ministry of Education, to rethink the current practices in the public early childhood settings. For further research, a comparative study may be done to examine the extent to which positive discipline may be implemented in the public early childhood centres of the country. Cette recherche a été menée pour identifier et examiner les stratégies disciplinaires que les enseignants de la petite enfance peuvent adopter pour faire face aux comportements perturbateurs des tout-petits. La recherche était une conception de recherche qualitative et une étude de cas. Cinq enseignants de la petite enfance ont été sélectionnés à l'aide d'un échantillonnage raisonné et 30 enfants en bas âge dans un centre privé de la petite enfance. Les données sur la pratique des stratégies disciplinaires par les enseignants ont été recueillies par un calendrier d'entretien semi-structuré et l'observation non participante a été utilisée pour recueillir des données auprès des tout-petits. D'après les résultats de l'étude, il a été constaté que les enseignants en éducation de la petite enfance adoptaient une discipline positive pour prévenir les problèmes de comportement. Les stratégies adoptées sont l'accompagnement, l'autonomie, la création de relations positives, la planification efficace de l'environnement d'apprentissage et le coaching émotionnel. Cette recherche met en lumière le changement de paradigme de la discipline dans le cadre de la petite enfance à Maurice. Au lieu d'adopter des stratégies réactives et punitives, les praticiens adoptent une discipline proactive et plus humaniste et égalitaire, en particulier lorsque l'enfant doit bénéficier des meilleures opportunités d'apprentissage pour son développement holistique. Les résultats peuvent ouvrir les yeux, en particulier pour les responsables politiques et les décideurs comme le ministère de l'Éducation, pour repenser les pratiques actuelles dans les milieux publics de la petite enfance. Pour des recherches plus poussées, une étude comparative peut être menée pour examiner dans quelle mesure une discipline positive peut être mise en œuvre dans les centres publics de la petite enfance du pays.  Article visualizations

The role of principals in maintaining effective discipline among learners in selected Mauritian state secondary schools : an education management model

Learner discipline is one of the pillars of the education system of any country. However, research studies have found that it has become the number one public health problem in state secondary schools in Mauritius, in particular, over the past decade. This study aimed at determining the role of principals in maintaining effective discipline among learners in selected Mauritian state secondary schools. The researcher determined the causes of a lack of learner discipline, the possible barriers that prevent state secondary school principals from maintaining effective learner discipline and the disciplinary strategies that the principal may adopt and implement for effective learner discipline. The qualitative research approach was used for the empirical inquiry carried out in the selected research sites. The researcher gathered information about learner discipline and disciplinary strategies from selected participants, namely 24 learners, 24 educators, 24 parents, 4 principals and 2 school superintendents from four state secondary schools through focus group interviews, individual interviews and non-participant observation. The study revealed that all the stakeholders in the education system of Mauritius, inter alia the principals, parents, school superintendents, educators, learners, the Educational Zone Directorates and the Minister of Education have a misconception of learner discipline. They follow a custodial perspective rather than a humanistic perspective of learner discipline at schools: they adopt reactive and punitive or corrective disciplinary approaches instead of proactive, preventive and positive approaches to learner discipline management. The literature study on the causes of learner indiscipline and the reseach-based behavioural strategies and the empirical inquiry in the selected schools allowed the researcher to make a critical assessment of the current disciplinary strategies implemented by the state secondary school principals. In addition, the findings of the investigation provided the researcher with the knowledge to propose a learner discipline management model. The model provides the principals with the research-based strategies and guidelines to effectively manage learner discipline.Educational Leadership and ManagementD. Ed. (Education Management

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN MAURITIUS: DOES IT SERVE ITS PURPOSE?

This paper examined the implementation of the performance management system (PMS) in state secondary schools. It investigated about the motives for the implementation in schools and its effectiveness. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample size of 100 educators from 5 state secondary schools. Individual interviews were also carried out with 5 school principals to gather information about the implementation of PMS in state secondary schools. The mixed method approach highlighted the motives for the introduction of PMS in schools and the perceptions of the participants of the effectiveness of its implementation. This study reveals that educators do not have a positive view about PMS to improving their performance in teaching. However, principals have rather positive attitudes to the implementation of PMS. The findings have proved to be mixed. For example, though educators approved the implementation of this tool, yet they are stressed and they are frustrated. It hampers collaborative work and the sharing of good practice among educators. This affects the school effectiveness. It is recommended that there is an urgent need to review the process to ensure that the principles of PMS are taken into consideration for it to be successfully implemented in schools in Mauritius.  Article visualizations

A conceptual learner discipline management model for secondary schools in Mauritius

Learner discipline management is a major but challenging function of school leadership. Adolescents of the 21st century are complex in nature, and school stakeholders are having much difficulty to handle the problem of indiscipline in secondary schools. This paper aims at providing a conceptual model framework for learner discipline management. This model is the result of an empirical investigation conducted in four secondary schools. Focus group discussion and individual interviews were carried out with 80 participants, including 24 teachers, 24 learners, 24 parents, four school principals, and four school superintendents. The non-participant observation was also conducted in the four schools. Based on the conceptual, theoretical and empirical literature on positive, proactive, preventive and restorative discipline, the researcher proposed the model that considers all the research- and evidence-based strategies that are combined with the current effective measures prescribed by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology of Mauritius. The model is framed within the context of the Nine Year Continuous Basic Education reform that requires a shift in the conception of discipline from the punitive or reactive approach to the positive approach. This paper formulates a conceptual model framework to implement in an attempt to prevent, reverse and restore discipline among learners in secondary schools