What Is Successful Schooling - Research Paper Example

Heading: Successful schooling Your name: Course name: Professors’ name: Date Introduction In the present society, effective schooling is necessary in order to train learners into responsible, creative, innovative, and problem solvers. Despite the numerous schools mushrooming in the country, the numbers do no help much if they do not meet all the students’ needs. To ensure that schools are conductive their activities effectively, and producing good results, certain features are highly indispensable. Some of them include shared goal and vision; dedicated students and staff members; effective leadership; involvement of parents; involvement of teachers in decision making; as well as clear curriculum among others. This study intends to use positivistic explore the characteristics of successful schooling. The study is important in enabling education planners, government, parents, and students know the features of an effective schooling system, and make decisions accordingly. Research question What is successful schooling? Aim The study aims at exploring the key features of successful learning. Objectives To determine the relationship between successful schooling and shared goals and vision of the school To identify the link between effective schooling and good managerial skills To establish the correlation between successful schooling and shared roles and responsibilities among students, and staff members To establish the relationship between successful schooling and teachers who act as role models To identify connection between successful schooling and highly skilled teachers To determine the link between effective schooling and innovative and creative teachers to determine the correlation between successful schooling and clear purpose among teachers and students To establish the relationship between successful schooling and school size To determine the link between effective schooling and teachers’ intellectualism Methodology Here, the study tried to align theory and practice in exploring features of a successful schooling system. The methodology used in this case was intended to provide information that effectively link theory to practice. In terms of the sampling strategy, the study sampled a number of schools in the country to compare and contrast their performance. Out of the total schools in the country, only 20 schools were chosen for the study, with 100 respondents. The respondents comprised of a teacher from every selected school, principal, and head of department. The study also used a stratified sampling technique to choose almost the same number of participants from every the selected areas. In addition, the study got a response rate of 80%, which is commendable. The pilot sample comprised of 10 private schools in the region, which use a similar school curriculum as public schools (Wagner, 2010). These response rates were critical in the achievement of the aims and objectives of the study, as they provided sufficient, desired information to make conclusions. To observe ethical conditions, the study team acquired an informed consent from the Ministry of Education, and relevant schools among other relevant authorities. With respect to data collection process, the study employed secondary data collection methods including journals, magazines, textbooks, and websites relating to effective schooling systems. The study will also employ data collection techniques including questionnaires and interviews. These resources were obtained from the internet, specific schools, Ministry of Education, and national libraries. Notably, these resources were beneficial in that they contained relevant information in relation to the research question. Since it will adopt the positivistic paradigm, the study will apply both qualitative and quantitative research methods (Wagner, 2010). Additionally, the study obtained a Standard Evaluation Instrument from the inspectorate of schools in Australia, which contained key performance indicators that were founded on performance-oriented assessment. This also involved skills and knowledge with rubrics, which contributed to validity and reliability. In data analysis, the comparative and descriptive statistics was employed in the analysis of data. Current features of effective schooling were analyzed from various responses to listed features that were obtained from current literature review in Australia. Of the responses obtained, there were common characteristics of successful schooling in different early studies and responses in the interviews and questionnaires (Wagner, 2010). In terms of research findings, Bernard (2000) says that the most common contemporary features of a successful schooling system include effective management of classroom management, principal’s leadership skills, learner’s self-discipline, and shared responsibilities among students and teachers. Others include involvement of teachers in the decision-making process, successful teaching and learning process, and instilling responsibility and good behavior among learners. In addition, the research findings indicated that a positive correlation between successful schooling and common goals and vision of the school, as well as favorable learning atmosphere. Furthermore, the study results indicated that effective monitoring and evaluation helps in the achievement of a successful schooling system. Proper treatment of students and staff also leads to an effective schooling system, as well as having a clear purpose for the students. More so, the research demonstrates that effective schooling results from teachers that serve as good role models to the learners and the society. It also shows that favorable relationships between the school members and the immediate community. Besides, teachers should also have high expectations, innovativeness, and creativity. What is more, the study indicates that effective schooling has highly skilled teachers and who are dedicated towards meeting students’ needs appropriately (Levin & Lockheed, 2012). Literature base According to the Levin & Lockheed (2012), many factors affect the different in the attainment levels of schools in the country. These factors are classified into individual characteristics, such as, birth, age, gender, and weight, and family socio-economic features including parental background, family structure, socio-economic status, health, qualification levels, and income level. Other factors are societal and community features including social structural classes, cultural expectations, and neighborhood context. Notably, cultural capital, especially the powerful effect of the children’s home learning setting, particularly in the formative stages greatly influences their attainment. Moreover, educational experiences also determine a child’s attainment in school. Fleetwood and Ackroyd (2004) define an effective school as that in which students’ advancement exceeds what is expected from what is considered from its intake. Effective schooling, therefore, add more value to students’ attainment, as compared to other schooling with similar intakes. To measure value added, assessment of each student’s prior outcomes are necessary to offer a baseline on which following improvement may be measured. It is worth noting that such factors as socio-economic status, gender, mobility, and fluency in school languages have a great impact on the students’ performance. Effective schooling is also determined by the size of schools in which learners attend. Many studies have attempted to quantify the effects of school size on the learners’ outcome. The issue of school size seems to be more influential in developing countries as compared to the developed countries. This is because of the scarcity of resources and difference in the accessibility of qualified teachers, materials, and textbooks in the developing nations. On average, schools determine 5-8% of the accomplishment variations among students upon control for the first differences. It is also clear that the teacher or classroom level tends to affect schooling as compared to the school influences (Levin & Lockheed, 2012). The teacher influences also appear to be strong in primary school researches. For instance, in Australia, the variance percentage in value added assessments of attainment, controlling for differences in students intake in the early achievements, as well as background features place class input at 45% in English and 55% in Mathematics. The joint teacher and school might differ between 15 and 50%, as per the sample and outcome researched. The latest global study indicates that school influences are moderately huge (Levin & Lockheed, 2012). In 2004, via feedback from many schools, it is obvious that, although the meta-analysis study was appreciated and valuable. Their most urgent need was a sequence of certain features that they could take up that would aid their schools within a short duration. As per the study, some of the identified features of successful schools may be used to explain successful schooling in the country. One of the features of successful schooling focuses on instruction that revolves around the students’ learning styles, interests, and aptitudes via various tiny education community strategies, usually academies. Secondly, successful schooling consists of teachers and administrators who share an insistent dedication commitment to excellence for all learners, particularly in the field of literacy. Effective schooling also demonstrates a dedication of attention and resources to ninth grade learners. Besides, successful schooling displays a relevant and rigorous twelfth grade year (Levin & Lockheed, 2012). Furthermore, Wentzel (2009) says that effective schooling should also have a laser-like emphasis on data at the class level to make routine instructional decisions for each learner. Besides, high-quality instruction and curriculum that emphasizes on relevance and rigor. It should also offer learners with adults with whom they may widen personal associations and be permitted the chance to utilize deep thought. Effective schooling maintains and focuses professional advancement around a restricted number of high-effect plans. It is also worth noting that effective schooling must have a dedicated and solid leadership (Fleetwood & Ackroyd, 2004). School enhancement entails the process of raising the learners’ attainments and the capability to cope with change. One can evaluate a school and a student’s performance against certain criteria and benchmarks from global literature on school progress and school success. Regarding school effectiveness, it is probable to recognize various features of successful schools. Effective schooling focuses on school ethos that guides students and members of staff of the right way of doing things (Wentzel, 2009). Successful schooling also features effective management of classroom to ensure that all learners’ needs are met appropriately. It also ensures that teachers set high expectations with regard to their learners’ performance, as well as their own. What is more, effective schooling is the one that has teachers serve as constructive role models to the students and the community at large. Proper handling and feedback of learners are some of the features of good schooling in the country (James, 2000). More so, conducive working conditions for both students and members of staff exhibit a successful schooling system in Australia. These favorable conditions are critical in the achievement of the set objectives and in meeting their needs and expectations. What is more, effective schooling produces responsible students, by giving them various responsibilities including leadership positions and duties. Schooling is also effective if it has share responsibilities and activities between staff and the learners (Rappaport & Seidman, 2000). Involvement of teachers in the decision making process is a common undertaking in an effective schooling system. Such a system also has favorable among all the participants to facilitate the attainment of the desired outcomes. It also features constructive links between schools and immediate community, as well as effective deployment of the available resources. Moreover, in such a system, successful schooling creates appropriate and motivating physical environments. It also instills in learners with ability to recognize and solve problems, and cope with development and change (Wentzel, 2009). James (2000) asserts that successful schooling also concerns itself with whole well-being, with successful pastoral system. A well-prepared curriculum is one of the characteristics of a successful schooling system. Such a system also ensures that students enjoy a relevant, firm, and organized classroom environment. It also advocates for highly skilled members of staff who have effective pedagogical and subject knowledge, as well as focus on goals and objectives, which are interpreted to class practices. Research paradigm According to Fleetwood and Ackroyd (2004), the most appropriate suitable paradigm to use in this case is the positivistic paradigm. A paradigm involves a set of beliefs, methods, and values that the members of the scientific group share, and that acts as a guide or map that dictates the kinds of problems that the scientists ought to address and forms of explanations, which are appropriate for them. Nonetheless, like other sociological venture domains, there is no total consent on the applications of the concept. There are several paradigms that may be applied in social science researchers, which include existentialism, phenomenology, feminism, postmodernism, and Marxism, hermeneutics, socio-linguistics, ethnography, positivist, symbolic interactionism, and positivist paradigms (Leong, 2008). Fleetwood and Ackroyd (2004) assert that the major paradigm employed in the study is positivism. This paradigm emerged as Auguste Comte discarded metaphysics and advocated that only scientific data divulge reality’s fact in 19th century. The Vienna’s Circle members formally initiated the paradigm as central scientific methods. The initiators included Philiph Frank, Karl Menger, Herbert Feigl, Otto Neurath, and Moritz Schlick. The Circle sought to create as a shared scientific world-conception that opposes the use of philosophy a mechanism of acquiring information on the nature’s true reality. The paradigm says that incidences can be seen clarified and empirically with rational analysis (Bernard, 2000). Leong (2008) asserts the mechanism for measuring the effectiveness of a scientific theory is whether people’s knowledge statements comply with the information they can obtain using their senses. Regarding study methodology, positivist emphasizes on small level tests within a lablike environment eliminates the external globe’s complexity, such as, social, economic, and psychological associations between suicide, crime, and unemployment. Consequently, procedures may be set on based conclusions derived via the scientific method. As Bernard (2000) asserts psychologists claim that the technique gives valid results in the test, which implies the presence of relationships noted in the test are powerful within the particular context. Whereas the results attained using trial methods give significant insights into the nature of actuality, those findings may lack external reliability. This means that the connections observed in the laboratory can be dissimilar in the more complex external environment where many variables interact. In relation to this study, the positivist paradigm is suitable, as it assumes a subjective approach (Fleetwood & Ackroyd, 2004). The paradigm is presumed in the research, because literature has developed the importance of understanding certain features of effective schooling in Australia. Addressing Theory & practice In relation to the positivistic paradigm, the study findings indicate a strong link between theory and practice. This implies that the paradigm helps to clarify that relationship between the knowledge accumulated in the literature review and the information gathered in the research (Fleetwood & Ackroyd, 2004). The study used appropriate methods that enabled it to achieve its sets objectives; hence answering the research question on successful schooling. To start with, the study findings confirm the strong correlation between successful schooling and share vision and goals in the school. The findings also link to theory by proving a powerful connection between effective schooling and a clear purpose for schooling among students and members of staff. Besides, practice and theory interrelate in this case, as the study results confirm the positive correlation between effective schooling and good leadership in the school. Additionally, the fact that school size affects the effectiveness of a schooling system relates to the information provided in the literature review section of the paper; hence demonstrating a clear interrelationship between research and theory. The study findings also reinforce the association shown in the literature about effective schooling and highly skilled teachers. They also reiterate the connection between successful schooling system and teachers’ intellectualism, innovativeness, and creativity. They also prove the connection between the effective schooling and equally shared responsibilities and roles among members of staff, and the students. They also demonstrate that successful schooling tends to instill various skills and knowledge on students that help them to grow into responsible adults in the society (Levin & Lockheed, 2012). Furthermore, research findings indicate a positive link between successful schooling and a favorable learning environment. The study outcomes also indicate that successful schooling system is the one that allows for personal relations and permits the chance to exploit deep thought. It also demonstrates that effective schooling is only achievable when there is useful monitoring and evaluation in the school environment (Wentzel, 2009). The study also indicates the need for schools to initiate the implement the aforementioned features in their operations to ensure success and productivity. Besides, it is imperative that school management focuses on strategic thinking and planning in order to achieve their set objectives, and make their system effective. It also emphasizes on the fact that scholarship is one of the problem-solving tools used in schooling systems. Scholarship is a facility that is beneficial to every student, especially the highly talented, hardworking, and needy students. It helps in facilitating students’ studies by covering their fees and admitting them in top learning institutions. It also allows students to accomplish their dreams in life. Therefore, this justifies the fact that research and theory are interrelated. Conclusion Without doubt, a number of features characterize a successful schooling system. The study adopted a positivistic paradigm that enabled it to achieve its desired objectives. Some of the methods employed in the collection of data include questionnaires, interviews, and secondary information including websites, journals, and textbooks. As per the study and the literature review, some of the features associated with an effective schooling include shared vision and goal, clear purpose, insistent dedication to achieve results, high performance standards and expectation, as well as a favorable learning and teaching atmosphere. In addition, successful schooling entails highly skilled teachers, shared roles, and responsibilities among learners and teachers. Innovativeness, intellectualism, and creativity are also essential in the achievement of a successful schooling system. Lastly, good teaching and learning, classroom management, and teachers who serve as good role models to the learners facilitate successful schooling. References Bernard, H. (2000). Social research methods: qualitative and quantitative approaches. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications. Pp. 417-420. Fleetwood, S. & Ackroyd, S. (2004). Critical realist applications in organization and management studies. London New York: Routledge. Pp. 145-150. http://personal.denison.edu/~kaboubf/Pub/2008-Positivist-Paradigm.pdf James, C. (2000). Effective change in schools. London New York: Routledge/Falmer. Pp. 39-50. Leong, F.T.L. (2008). Personal and Emotional Counseling, Thousand Oaks Positivist Paradigm. Encyclopedia of Counseling Psychology, 2 (2), 343-344. Levin, H. & Lockheed, M.E.E. (2012). Effective Schools in Developing Countries (RLE Edu A), New York: Routledge. Pp. 1-20. Rappaport, J. & Seidman, E. (2000). Handbook of community psychology. New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum. Pp. 568-580. Wagner, W. (2010). Using SPSS for social statistics and research methods. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Pine Forge Press. Pp. 11-26. Wentzel, K. (2009). Handbook of motivation at school. New York London: Routledge. Pp.50- 80. Read More