Changing Scottish education policy definitions of what it means to be a teacher: fit for a diverse system?

As countries seek to secure their economic future, education has become increasingly central to socioeconomic strategy in the United Kingdom and beyond. As a result, there is increased governmental expectation and scrutiny of the learning outcomes achieved by pupils. Following from this, teaching quality has become a significant focus in a number of countries. As part of the quality agenda, career-long professional learning has become a major policy theme from which a range of approaches has been implemented in Scotland: increased entry qualifications, the development of professional standards, and emphasis on the ongoing professional development of teachers. Within these approaches can be identified a reconceptualisation of what it means to be a teacher. While there is some expression of values related to social justice, equality and inclusion in education policy, the actions to implement policy tend to centre on instrumental approaches to career-long development. The idea of 'career-long teacher education' is underpinned by an assumption of a stable and readily accepted understanding of what it means to be a teacher. However, as expectations of schools have intensified, education policy indicates significant changes in the construction of the ‘effective’ teacher within an overall reconstruction of the nature and trajectory of the teaching career. This paper draws from a comparative policy study project and traces the evolving and competing ideas of what it means to be a teacher evident in recent key reviews (McCrone 2000; Donaldson, 2010; McCormac, 2011). It pays particular attention to how these ideas have been translated into expectations for initial teacher education and beyond in the form of the Standards for Registration (GTCS, 2012) and the Standard for Career-Long Professional Learning (GTCS, 2012). The paper considers the implications of the policy and the standards for the construction of teacher identity in both an increasingly globalised educational policy context and a more diverse Scottish society. It sets out for discussion the question of whether or not policy definitions of what it means to be a teacher in Scotland today are fit for a diverse, globalised and inclusive education system

The management of educational change in Pakistani educational institutions

This research study aims to explore the process of educational change management in Pakistan through the experiences and views of institution heads and teachers to look at the reality of an externally mandated reform at the school level. Beyond contextualising the process of educational change at the school level within the Pakistani education system, the study aims to contextualise this process in the global perspective by delineating an emergent model of educational change management for Pakistani education system. A change initiative to reform the national curriculum and assessment system for public examinations was investigated to provide the participants of the study a point of reference to express their opinions and to reflect upon and describe their experiences. This particular change initiative was part of a comprehensive reform programme called Education Sector Reform (ESR) programme initiated in 2002. To define the selection of institutions and the sample of teachers within those institutions, the curriculum and assessment system change at Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC) level in the subject areas of English, Urdu and Pakistan Studies was focused in the institutions affiliated with the examination board of Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE). Beyond affiliation with FBISE, the selection of twenty institutions was made in order to balance a number of factors as the ownership, attraction for admissions, gender representation and administrative structures. The data collection was done at three stages through three research tools. At the first stage, the institution heads of the selected institutions were included in the research through semi-structured interviews. At the second stage an exploratory questionnaire, which was based on the interview data and the related literature, was given to twenty teachers in ten of the institutions included in the study. The data from this exploratory questionnaire was used to develop a structured questionnaire for the third phase of the research, which was given to 124 teachers in the twenty institutions included in the study. The sample was balanced for the subject areas and the length of teaching experience of the participants. The analysis of data from both institution heads and teachers has converged on three overarching themes of student learning and assessment, issues related to the role of teachers in the process of change and the management of the reform process. In summary, participating institution heads and teachers are positive about the need and purpose of the reform; they also consider it good for student learning and attainment but have reservations about the top down approach in change management and poor resourcing. They demand well-resourced institutions and teachers, capacity building for implementers in the institutions and their inclusion in the process of the reform planning. They suggest improved communication and coordination for effective implementation of the reform along with comprehensive, inclusive, consistent and research based approach in the policymaking, planning and implementation strategy of the reform, which needs to be incremental in nature. Based on the data, especially the suggestions of the participants, an emergent model for educational change management in Pakistan has been outlined with strategic management at the core built around incremental, consistent, research based, inclusive and comprehensive, approaches. This model extends into the role of teachers: who are resourced with information, guidance, support, materials, facilities and funds, who are satisfied with the change management process and their professional status in the system and working conditions, and who are ready for the change through acceptance of the change (especially with reference to its effect on student learning), participation in the whole change process and training. This emergent model has been situated in the existing research literature to highlight the similarities as well as the distinctive features of the Pakistani context

The Effect of White Rot Fungus (Ganoderma sp) as Decomposers on Composting Using Combination of Cattle Feces and Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) as Organic Matter

في إندونيسيا ، توجد فضلات الماشية ونبات صفير الماء (WH) بكثرة ولكن لم يتم الكشف عنها على نطاق واسع. حيث انه لم يتم تطبيق استخدام الكائنات الحية الدقيقة كمحللات في عملية التخمير على نطاق واسع،  لذلك بالفترة الاخيرة بدا الباحثون بالاهتمام واجراء مزيدا من الدراسة. تهدف هذه الدراسة إلى تقييم تأثير مزيج CF مع WH على التسميد عن طريق تطبيق الكائنات الحية الدقيقة الفطرية العفن الأبيض (WRF) كمحلل. عدد من ستة أنواع من العلاج مقارنة بـ R1 (نسبة CF: WH) (25٪: 75٪) + WRF ؛ R2 (نسبة CF: WH) (50٪: 50٪) + WRF ؛ R3 (نسبة CF: WH) (75٪: 25٪) + WRF ؛ R4 (نسبة CF: WH) (25٪: 75٪) بدون WRF ؛ R5 (نسبة CF: WH) (50٪: 50٪) بدون WRF ؛ R6 (نسبة CF: WH) (25٪: 75٪) بدون WRF. أوضحت النتائج أن استخدام محللات WRF والمواد العضوية (CF و WH) بنسب مختلفة تتأثر بخصائص السماد مثل قيمة الأس الهيدروجيني ، C- عضوي ، N- عضوي ، نسبة C / N ، P2O5 و K2O. ينخفض ​​محلل WRF بشكل كبير إلى قيمة الرقم الهيدروجيني ونسبة C / N ، ولكنه يزيد من قيمة C- عضوي ، N- عضوي ، P2O5 و K2O. تتوافق خصائص السماد المنتج مع المعايير التي حددها المعيار الوطني الإندونيسي (INS) ولوائح وزارة الزراعة في جمهورية إندونيسيا. كان من الضروري اعتبار WRF كمحلل في إنتاج السماد. وبناءً على نتائج الدراسة ، تم التوصل إلى أن علاج R1 (CF: WH) (25٪: 75٪) + WRF) كان أفضل توليفة لإنتاج السماد باستخدام WRF كمحلل بأفضل الخصائص.In Indonesia, cattle feces (CF) and water hyacinth (WH) plants are abundant but have not been widely revealed. The use of microorganisms as decomposers in the fermentation process has not been widely applied, so researchers are interested in studying further. This study was to evaluate the effect of the combination of CF with WH on composting by applying white-rot fungal (WRF) (Ganoderma sp) microorganism as a decomposer. A number of six types of treatment compared to R1(ratio of CF:WH)(25%:75%)+WRF; R2(ratio of CF:WH)(50%:50%)+WRF; R3(ratio of CF:WH)(75%:25%)+WRF; R4(ratio of CF:WH)(25%:75%) without WRF; R5(ratio of CF:WH)(50%:50%) without WRF; R6(ratio of CF:WH)(25%:75%) without WRF. The results showed that the use of WRF decomposers and organic matter (CF and WH) at different ratios affected the properties of compost such as pH value, C-organic, N-organic, C/N ratio, P2O5 and K2O compounds. The WRF decomposer significantly decreases to the pH value, and the C/N ratio, but increases the value of C-organic, N-organic, P2O5 and K2O. The properties of the compost produced are in accordance with the standards set by the Indonesian National Standard (INS) and the regulation of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia. The WRF was needed to consider as a decomposer in producing compost.  Based on the results of the study, it was concluded that the R1(CF: WH)(25%:75%)+WRF) treatment was the best ratio combination to produce compost using WRF (Ganoderma sp) as a decomposer with the best properties

The management of large scale change in Pakistan

This article argues that although there are increasing similarities in priorities across different national education systems, contextual differences raise questions about the replication of sets of change strategies based on particular understandings of the nature of educational change across these different systems. This article begins with an overview of some of the dominant constructions of the management of change in the literature, particularly from Western economically developed democracies. It then outlines the Pakistani educational system to highlight some of the issues raised by the application of these change policies and models to a developing country. This article draws from a research study which explored the views and experiences of school leaders and teachers with regard to the management of a large-scale reform programme at the higher secondary level in Pakistan. The findings of this study illustrate the way in which there is a dissonance between the culture and practices of a specific national educational system and the assumptions embedded in the sets of reform strategies that have been imported from other systems. This article concludes by exploring how change management processes can be reconceptualised in order to be sensitive to the context of education in a developing country

Fostering interdisciplinary research in universities: a case study of leadership, alignment and support

The aim of this paper is to describe actions designed to foster interdisciplinary research efforts at a major university in the UK. The study employed a descriptive mixed method case study approach to collecting and analysing the data used to draw its conclusions. One hundred and twenty-seven academic staff responded to the survey. The results of the survey were verified by 25 interviews with heads of colleges, heads of schools, research coordinators, research team leaders, and team members. These interviews were supported by document review to support the findings. Leadership is important at the college and university levels if interdisciplinarity is to thrive. According to the data, this seems to have not yet occurred at this particular institution. The university has done well with most of the big structures that enrich and support interdisciplinarity. However, ‘small’ structures such as clarity of meaning, motivation of staff, misalignment of old structures, time and workload, and loss of identify have impeded the move to university wide interdisciplinarity. A series of three recommendations are made to move the interdisciplinary project forward: stay clear on focus, extend the benefits of serendipity to more people, and remember that one size does not fit all

What is the problem? A critical review of social justice leadership preparation and development

Despite growing interest in social justice leadership and awareness of the need to include this focus in leadership preparation and development, little is understood of practices used to support such commitment. In this article, Bacchi’s (2012a) Foucaldian approach is drawn from, to provide a specific means of critically analysing what problem(s) social justice leadership preparation/development is intended to address. Through critical reflexivity, the political dimensions of policy and practice are surfaced. Through this process, key influences of regimes of power are identified, within which leadership development programmes are situated. Considerations for leadership development and school practices foreground the identification of next steps for research

Leadership development for social justice

No abstract available

Testing of Bacterial and Fungal Isolates from Rumen Fluid Used in Inoculants in the Fermentation of Feed from Agro-Industrial Waste

The addition of the inoculant can accelerate the fermentation process and improve the quality of the feed material in fermentation. This study aimed to isolate, test and select the rumen microorganisms that have high ability to degrade the fiber and improve the quality of materials used in inoculants to ferment agricultural wastes as alternative feed. Microbial isolate was extracted from cattle rumen fluid. The isolates type of fungus were grown on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) while the bacteria was grown on Nutrient Agar (NA) medium. Microbes of fungi were tested and selected based on their ability to produce ligninase, cellulase and hemicellulase enzymes. Bacteria were grown on MRS broth media as a confirmation for LAB colonies, then tested for gram staining, catalase test, growth on different NaCl levels (4 and 6.5%) and growth at various pH (3, 4, and 5). The results showed that five fungal isolates had a growth diameter of 0.1–0.37 mm on lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose media after seven days. Eleven bacterial isolates were indicated as lactic acid bacteria; almost all isolates could grow on NaCl 6.5%, but only four bacterial isolates could grow on NaCl 4% and five bacterial isolates could grow at pH 3. In conclusion, three isolates of fungi have a remarkable ability to degrade lignin. Five isolates of lactic acid bacteria have a comprehensive ability as a preservative in fermentation, so eight microbial isolates from rumen fluid can be used as inoculants in fermenting the feed material from agro-industrial waste

The impact of educational change on school leaders: experiences of Pakistani school leaders

The Pakistani education system, like many other countries across the world, is going through a phase of concerted change in the first decade of the 21st century and school leaders are expected to play a crucial role in the management of this change programme. This article considers the impact of educational change on a group of school leaders who were involved in a major area of this programme of reform: the curriculum and assessment system at Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC) level. This article draws from a qualitative enquiry that included semi-structured interviews with Pakistani school leaders examining their experiences, views and perceptions of the change programme. In the interviews the school leaders were asked to reflect on the process of change management in their institutions, the problems they have faced and any suggestions they have for the improvement in the implementation of the change initiative. Drawing from these findings, two aspects are explored in this article: first, the responses of the school leaders to the change initiative; and second, the implications of leading a programme of externally driven change. From this analysis an emergent, grounded model of educational change management in the context of a developing country is proposed