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1
Kieu, Hieu Thi. "Globalisation and reforming higher education in Vietnam : policy aspirations, public institutional changes and reform imaginaries." Thesis, University of Huddersfield, 2017. http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/id/eprint/34642/.
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This thesis analyses the mediation of globalisation on higher education in Vietnam (VHE) in policy (the Agenda of reforming VHE 2006-2020–the Agenda), the universities (public institutional changes), and individual practitioners (reform imaginaries). Using the critical interpretive paradigm, it draws on Appadurai’s (2001) vernacular globalisation, Ball’s (1993) textual and discursive sides of policy, Gale’s (2003) the “who” in realising policy, Rizvi and Lingard’s (2010) globalising education policy, and Weaver-Hightower’s (2010) policy ecology. It was designed in two parts: the analysis of the Agenda and the comparative case studies of three public universities. Data include policy documents, 22 semi-structured interviews with three groups of university leaders and retired senior policy-makers, and fieldwork notes. This thesis argues for the indirect but significant influence of globalisation on the Agenda’s reform aspirations, public institutional changes, and individual perspectives. It demonstrates changes and transformations of VHE from an inward to an outward system; from the State-controlled system to the State-supervised system; from the State-owned system to the multiple-owned system; and lastly from national to global and back. Despite the Agenda’s great expectations, it is unknown to leaders of three public universities. Thus, its reform solutions remain policy aspirations whilst institutional changes are ongoing without their direct link to the Agenda. These public universities are at the threshold of transformation marked by their beginning of being autonomous institutions. If the Agenda focuses on the VHE’s future scenarios, reform imaginaries generate insight into the present unsettled practices. This study contributes to the discussion of globalisation and higher education in Vietnam where what is global about reforming VHE is present but less powerful than what is national about it. The country’s historical consequences, cultural traditions, and ideological commitments alter the nature and method of global influences that are manifested in policy and institutional changes.
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Okugawa, Yukiko. "International assistance to educational development : a case study of the basic education section in Ghana." Thesis, University of Sussex, 2010. http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/2516/.
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Since the advent of international assistance, the aid paradigm has changed continually and the choice of mechanisms for providing assistance has evolved in order to try and pursue better approaches. Along with the traditional project approach, the sector-wide approach involving budgetary support has emerged as a new aid modality since the mid-1990s. While many donors – e.g. the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the World Bank and the European Union (EU) – have embraced the new modality, some donors have kept their distance from this trend, relying mostly on project assistance – e.g. United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). However, the extent to which aid resources are absorbed in the recipient government/sector under the different aid delivery mechanisms is not well known. This thesis provides insight into this question by exploring the process of absorbing foreign funds in the education sector. Employing a phenomenological research approach, the process is examined from the point of view of local actors and beneficiaries of aid aimed at improving education quality. The context chosen is basic education (primary and junior secondary) in Ghana after the introduction of the national basic education reform, which was announced as the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) programme in 1996. Two cases are chosen for comparison: the Whole School Development (WSD) programme financed by the DFID; and the Quality Improvements in Primary Schools (QUIPS) programme facilitated by USAID. The former constitutes a sector-wide type of assistance, which put Ghanaian officials in charge of DFID funds and the implementation of the programme; while the latter adopted a project type model, with implementation managed directly through a USAIDfunded project office. The major part of the data is derived from interviews conducted in 2006 with significant educational personnel at three different levels: Ministry of Education (MoE) headquarters, the District Education Office (DEO), and the schools). The analysis reveals a complex picture of aid absorption, which illuminates the pros and cons of the two approaches in relation to impact and sustainability. The study finds that the QUIPS project achieved tangible results in the pilot schools, while the WSD programme made little impact at the school level. The WSD programme, which used existing structures within the education system to deliver funds and resources to schools, showed evidence of high fungibility, but appears to have strengthened the Ministry‟s administrative capacity. On the other hand, the QUIPS approach, which had low fungibility, has been severely criticised by Ghanaian officials, who questioned its sustainability and contribution to system-wide change. The thesis concludes by stating its specific contribution to the literature on international aid assistance to developing countries and making recommendations for the Ghanaian context.
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Chen, Qing. "Issues relating to information and communication technology in middle schools in northern China with specific reference to two cities." Thesis, University of Huddersfield, 2007. http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/id/eprint/742/.
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The use of information and communications technology (ICT) in schools has become widespread in many countries throughout the world. The extent to which it has been incorporated into the work of schools varies widely from simply as a tool to help produce documents to one that is fully integrated into the whole school curriculum. Initiatives taken to encourage teaches to use ICT in their teaching and learning methodologies inevitably raise awareness of pedagogical issues and how these should be reappraised in the light of the demands of encompassing the new technology. China started the process of introducing ICT into its schools later than many other countries. This study examines the use of ICT in middle schools in cities in north east China to discover the attitudes of teachers and students to how effective the use of ICT is from their viewpoints. In addition the study ascertains the possibilities for further development of the use of ICT to enrich the students’ education. Where possible the interpretation of the analyses of the findings are generalised further from the two cities in which the survey took place.
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Zhu, Chuanyan. "Students' understanding of values diversity : an examination of the process and outcomes of values communication in English lessons in a high school in mainland China." Thesis, University of Huddersfield, 2011. http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/id/eprint/11037/.
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The recent transformations in Chinese society are creating a society with diverse values where individuals suffer values conflict and values confusion generally. The socialist core values system is still consistently promoted by the government, and transmitting these core values to students is the main goal of moral education in schools. In the recent curriculum reform, this goal has again been stressed. These values are built into all the academic subjects and extra curricular activities and the implementation of values education has been advocated through every element in schools. However, Confucian values are also deeply engrained in Chinese society, while at the same time increased economic activity is generating a greater openness to the influence of western values. Against such a social backdrop, this study explores what values are communicated in the English lessons in a class in a senior high school in Beijing and how the students understand values. The processes and outcomes of the communication of values in the English lessons are examined from a symbolic interactionist perspective. The focus of this examination is the discourses of the students and the English teacher, through which the values in their communications and their personal values are manifested. Observation and interviews are used to collect the discourses of the students and the English teacher. The values communicated in the English lessons and the personal values of the students and teachers are analyzed through comparisons with the values promoted through the educational system, with those communicated in the English lessons in three other classes and with the personal values of their counterparts. The analysis reveals that: a) the English teachers do convey the values which they are expected to transmit to the students through the English curriculum, while they also subconsciously convey the values which they take for granted as commonsense; b) the students do understand the values communicated through the curriculum and the hidden curriculum in the English lessons, while their understanding reflects the individual differences in their personal values systems and the diverse values in society. A constructivist lens is used to examine further the process of understanding and to clarify the relationship between students’ understanding of values and the processes and outcomes of the values communication, and the relationship between students’ understanding of values and their cognitive background, moral judgement, moral decision making, and moral development. Based on the analysis and interpretation, a new approach to assessing moral development is discussed and suggestions for moral education in schools are given in the conclusion.
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Ahmed, Ahmed A. M. "Washback : examining English language teaching and learning in Libyan secondary school education." Thesis, University of Huddersfield, 2018. http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/id/eprint/34799/.
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This thesis critically analysed the influence of the Libyan public examination on English Language Teaching (ELT) and on learning strategies and practice in secondary school classrooms. It investigated the washback of the Secondary Education Certificate Examination (SECE) on ELT teachers and explored practitioners’ perceptions and practices. It also examined washback on students’ perception, motivation, learning strategies and outcomes. Weir’s socio-cognitive framework for test validity was chosen as a conceptual framework for its capability of conceptualising appropriate evidence on how testing constructs (policy & design) are operationalised and interpreted (use) in practice. This thesis describes an interpretative qualitative case study research conducted in the south west of Libya. Data were generated through interviews, classroom observation and document analysis. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with two ELT teachers and inspectors, a school headteacher and a representative of the examination office. Group interviews were also conducted with a number of the final year secondary school students within the research context. All the research data were analysed using a thematic data analysis. The findings reveal that the lack of alignment between the focus of the English SECE and the objectives of the curriculum had a significant adverse effect on the Libyan ELT teachers, inspectors and students’ perceptions about the aim and the value of ELT in the school education and their role within the policy as well as on Libyan school students’ motivation. The study participants held the perception that developing language skills is not the aim of teaching English in Libyan secondary school since these skills have never been assessed in public examinations despite their integration in the curriculum. The Libyan ELT teachers and inspectors prioritised the aim of completing the curriculum through the use of traditional approaches of teacher-centred and Grammar Translation Method(GTM) and teaching to the test rather than meeting the pedagogical objectives of ELT or implementing the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) proposed in the school curriculum. The Libyan on-going conflict, the public examination policy, and teachers’lack of assessment literacy were also significant on classroom testing. Students were largely passive in English classrooms as teaching focused on the SECE. Accordingly, students utilised different learning strategies to cope with the teaching such as prioritising the translation of textbook texts, relying on rote-learning, engaging in test-preparation activities and developing test-taking strategies. Evidence accumulated through this study clearly indicates that Libyan students’ experience of the public examination had a significant effect on their attitudes, perceptions and choice of learning strategies. This finding represented an important implication for developing the socio-cognitive framework for test validity. The public examination strategies improved the Libyan secondary school students’ examination performance in the SECE but not their English learning outcomes. The examination content and format as well as a social acceptance of cheating all have a significant effect on students’ performance in the SECE and threaten its score validity.
6
Almotairi, Mishal. "Investigating Kuwaiti teachers' and head teachers' attitudes towards inclusion." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2013. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/4327/.
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The purpose of this study is to investigate the attitude of Kuwaiti primary teachers and head teachers toward including pupils with disabilities in mainstream schools and classrooms in the State of Kuwait. The two-part study utilises a ‘two methods approach’ to reveal the attitudes of teachers and head teachers in primary mainstream and special schools toward pupils with disabilities and including them in mainstream classrooms. The first study was a questionnaire-based survey of 560 teachers and head teachers currently working in the 209 mainstream and special primary schools in Kuwait. The questionnaire used was the Mainstream Attitude Survey (MAS) developed by Alghazo (2000). Results showed a mixed attitude towards inclusion of pupils with disabilities, and that, overall, teachers were quite negative about the concept. Teachers from mainstream schools were more supportive of inclusion than special school teachers and, male teachers were more supportive than female teachers. The second study involved interviews with 30 teachers, head teachers and 4 decision makers. These revealed nuances of opinion with respondents from both school types supporting inclusion from two main positions. The first emphasised that inclusion was an ethically sound movement; the second emphasised inclusion would be socially beneficial to society and the development of all pupils. Of those who were negative towards inclusion, criticisms were mostly based on the idea that while there were likely to be social benefits of inclusion, these benefits were not significant enough to justify placing the academic achievement of mainstream pupils at risk.
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Javed, Uzma. "Leadership for learning : a case study in six public and private schools of Pakistan." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2013. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/4393/.
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The study explores the practicability and usefulness of the Carpe Vitam Concept of Leadership for Learning (LfL) for schools in Pakistan, placing this project amongst the pioneering work that might bring a new insight for practitioners, policy makers and researchers in the South East Asian region and particularly in Pakistan. Data was collected from six public and private secondary schools with a case study approach through interviews, questionnaires and documentary analysis from six headteachers, thirty teachers, three hundred and sixty parents and three hundred and sixty students. Data was analysed with a constant comparison approach that looked for meanings through emerging themes. The study construes how leadership and learning are conceptualized and experienced differently by different stakeholders in public and private schools in Pakistan. The research highlights the importance of dialogue between all stakeholders to establish shared vision for effective learning outcomes where knowledge of self, others, organization and community supplement the entire process at all levels. The study places emphasis on an on-going process of reflection for better resilience, resourcefulness and reciprocity amongst stakeholders for effective outcomes.
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Anthony, Jane H. "Towards inclusion : influences of culture and internationalisation on personhood, educational access, policy and provision for students with autism in Ghana." Thesis, University of Sussex, 2010. http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/2347/.
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This research explores the ways in which local knowledge, attitudes and beliefs surrounding disability influence the socially constructed experience of autism in Ghana. It further explores the impact of these beliefs on educational access, policy and provision as well as on inclusion in wider society for both children with autism and their families. It is argued throughout that conceptualisations of both autism and disability are subtly, and at times unconsciously, shaped by cultural influences as well as individual experiences. Using semi-structured interviews, participatory methods and text analysis, this thesis first examines internationally accepted diagnostic criteria for cultural relevancy and concludes that while 'autism'does indeed transcend cultural barriers, its presentation is nonetheless culturally bound. The presentation of each of autism's 'triad of impairments' is explored in Ghana, namely communication and socialisation impairments alongside a restricted range of interests and repetitive behaviour patterns. Significantly, the experience of autism demonstrated in this thesis, at both a personal and familial level, is linked to, and negotiated through, cultural belief systems. A relatively shared 'worldview', understood as the culturally mediated lens through which autism and impairment are understood and managed in Ghanaian society, is outlined. Traditional values, a deep sense of spirituality and communal kinship responsibilities are highlighted. Next, an exploration of causal attributions, valued and de-valued personhood traits and the expected role of an adult in society each highlights significant influences on the perception and management of autism in Ghana. Throughout, this thesis focuses on the impact of autism, as constructed and understood in urban Ghana, on the individual, one's kin and broader society. The second half of this thesis focuses on educational access, policy and provision with particular attention to Ghana's burgeoning inclusive education efforts. Conceptualisations of disability and difference, as negotiated through Ghanaian culture, norms and history are explored alongside the implications of these beliefs in designing educational provision for students with autism as well as the socio-political pressures to adhere to large scale international movements such as Education for All (EFA). In particular, tensions between local and international conceptualisations of 'disability' and 'inclusion' are highlighted and it is concluded that adoption of international declarations into local policy, and subsequently into local practice, needs to be better negotiated alongside culturally relevant systems and beliefs. International declarations, rooted in a social model of disability, are found to clash with local conceptualisations of disability rooted in an often intuitive understanding of disability consistent with an individual model. However, consistency with an individual model did not equate to biomedical understandings of disability, which was instead mediated through a lens of socialrelational causation and management more consistent with religious or cultural models of disability. It is concluded that acknowledging and respecting Ghanaian understandings of disability is a prerequisite to ensuring inclusion of children with autism, both in education and their community. Adoption of laudable rights based international declarations must also ensure adaptation to local culture and context. Conclusions and recommendations for synergy between advocacy for, and education of, students with autism in Ghana are proffered.
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Tanaka, Chisato. "An exploration of teacher motivation : a case study of basic shool teachers in two rural districts in Ghana." Thesis, University of Sussex, 2010. http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/6292/.
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Retaining motivated teachers is a major concern across countries. Ghana, like other Sub- Sahara African countries, has been trying to address challenges, such as the lack of teachers, particularly in rural areas, and the low levels of motivation among them. On the other hand, teachers in developing countries are not necessarily trained and, even if they are, they may not be competent, effective and efficient (Lockheed and Verspoor 1991). Mere enthusiasm and good intentions may not be enough to improve the quality of education. Nevertheless, motivation is necessary, since without it, teachers – especially those facing difficult circumstances – cannot persevere; and, no matter how skilled, without drive, teachers are unable to perform in the long term. As a consequence, without well-motivated teachers, children are less likely to attain the desired level of education. Moreover, if parents/guardians do not believe that education equips their children with the necessary skills and knowledge for a better life, access to and completion of basic education will not increase and government efforts to achieve EFA and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) may be in vain. Teacher motivation is not a new area of research. Extensive quantitative and qualitative research has been carried out, especially in the UK and the US, but not in Sub-Saharan Africa. Moreover, in the case of Ghana, most of the research is based on surveys and oneshot interviews and tends to describe why teachers have low job satisfaction and motivation. As working and living conditions for most teachers are challenging, studies into 'motivation' have tended to be superficial. More specifically, little research has been carried out into investigating why some teachers are able to stay motivated in conditions that others do not consider to be conducive to effective practice − or how they are able to manage. In addition, what research has been done has been concentrated in the southern part of the country, which is considered to be better off compared to the northern part according to many gauges. This study has aimed to investigate how basic school teachers‟ perception of teaching as a career is shaped by social and professional environment in rural Ghana. It has also intended to explore local realities with respect to the policy and its implementation for basic education. One-year field research from 2007 to 2008 was conducted by using a mixedmethods approach in two 'deprived'1 districts − one from the north and the other from the south − which are geographically, socio-culturally, and economically different. The methods of data collection involved survey, ethnographic research, interviews, and teacher focus group discussions. This research echoes previous research findings that physical disadvantages − such as the lack of conducive infrastructure, the shortage of teaching and learning materials, and poor salaries − are factors that contribute to a lower commitment to the profession. However, this research also suggests that two other key stakeholders at micro-level − in addition to the teachers themselves − play a role in teacher motivation. These are: colleague teachers, including head teachers; and the communities in which teachers live and work. Support at this level – both material such as the provision of accommodation and food and nonmaterial like morale support – can not only enhance teachers‟ well-being and self-esteem but also help them to see their current positions as a part of their goals. On the other hand, at macro-level, local authorities − the main implementers of policies and strategies formulated at central level and of teacher management − are particularly influential, as it affects teachers‟ long-term vision. They tend to discourage teachers in their operation, mainly due to its organisational culture that teachers perceive neither fair nor rational. With the same reason, strategies put in place to motivate teachers do not always produce the expected outcomes. Moreover, teachers are more likely to be subordinates to the authority even in school management and to feel powerless in the system. Too much emphasis on teacher motivation at school level may overlook the important role of the District Education Offices (DEOs), since teachers‟ lives are much more related to how the DEO manages them than is the case with similar hierarchical relationships in the West.
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Kwon, Ki-Seok. "Universities' academic research and knowledge-transfer activities in a catch-up country : the case of Korea." Thesis, University of Sussex, 2010. http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/2337/.
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The main research topic of this study is universities' academic research and knowledge-transfer activities in a catch-up country, particularly the relationship between the two activities, which has been rarely examined in previous research. In order to understand this issue against existing literature, a critical review of previous studies has been attempted, considering the idiosyncratic characteristics of the Korean national innovation system. As a result, at the three analysis levels (i.e. national, organisational and individual levels), we propose three conceptual elements respectively: a tentative historical path of universities in catch-up countries; critical factors influencing knowledge transfer activities of universities in catch-up countries; and academics operating in synergy mode. Thereafter, based on the methodology integrating not only the three analysis levels but also qualitative and quantitative approaches, we analyse the data collected from the interviews with Korean academics, survey responses from Korean academics and government White Papers on the activities of Korean universities. The results show a close and positive relationship between Korean universities' academic research and knowledge-transfer activities across the three levels. Firstly, during the last several decades, the Korean government has strongly encouraged the development of teaching, academic research and knowledge-transfer activities of Korean universities in harmony with the different developmental stages of Korean industry. This has resulted in selective patterns of the universities' three activities (e.g. concentration of scientific activities in certain fields). Secondly, organisational factors such as scientific capacity and industry funding are important for universities' knowledge-transfer activities in a catch-up country, which corroborates the positive relationship between the two activities. Finally, in terms of the factors influencing the synergy mode (i.e. a positive relationship between academic research and knowledge-transfer activities), academics' career stage and disciplines are important. This is related to the rapid expansion of the Korean academic system and the selectivity found in its activities. Based on these findings, it is tempting to conclude that universities in East Asian catch-up countries have developed their own academic system different from those in developed countries, which can be characterised as having strong government control and a high level of interaction with other actors in the national innovation system. Therefore, the application of the controversy over the direct economic contribution of universities in western countries to the context of catch-up countries is quite limited.
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Essuman, Ato. "Perspectives on community-school relations : a study of two schools in Ghana." Thesis, University of Sussex, 2010. http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/2326/.
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In 1987, the Government of Ghana embarked on a process to decentralise education management to districts throughout the country as part of a programme of wider social and democratic governance reforms. A vital element of this reform was the prescription of active community participation in the affairs of schools within their localities. The establishment of school management committees (SMCs) was to create a new school governance landscape based on community participation, as well as devolution of power to the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies. In this regard, considerable attention has been focused on central government‟s understanding of how this devolution of authority to communities and schools should work and how communities should assume responsibility for increased participation in schools. From the inception of this policy over two decades ago, there seems to have been no feedback through research findings or diagnostic policy reviews on how this new role of the community has been received, interpreted and executed in its engagement with schools, particularly in the rural poor and underserved areas. Mindful of this, this study sought to explore the multiple understandings of how community and school relations work, as well as the challenges and pressures which influence community – school relationships. The study employed the qualitative methods of interview and documentary analysis to collect data on the understanding and experiences of community – school relations from SMCs and PTAs; other members of the community; the school; and education management. The findings suggest that many of the theoretical and policy expectations about representation and participation in school improvement through the SMC and PTA concept are only evident in form and not in practice. Furthermore, in poor rural contexts, it is often the comparatively better educated and influential members of the community, including informal groups who become the new brokers of decision-making, and who through their actions close spaces for the genuine representation and participation of others. In some cases, SMCs seldom work as the de facto representatives of the community, as decisions are made and critical interactions occur outside this formal structure for community representation and engagement in school governance. This affects the visibility of SMCs and undermines their credibility and capacity to play their intended role. Moreover, the degree of community participation in schools appears to be shaped by the school fulfilling community expectations of schooling and on a „social contract‟ based on the principle of reciprocity. These findings support the view that the fate of schools is increasingly tied to and powerfully shaped by key players at the local level, and that this happens through more informal and traditional roles which are more trusted but not necessarily representative of the image presented by policy on community participation in school governance. The findings also highlight the threat to voluntarism, a key assumption of the policy on community participation and the importance of seeking ways in which schools can play a more active role as change agents in the community, thereby legitimising in the community‟s eyes their importance in the life of the community.
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Abuorabl, Tariq. "The impact of transformational and transactional leadership characteristics on motivation, job satisfaction and trust within Jordanian universities." Thesis, Liverpool John Moores University, 2012. http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/6159/.
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Extensive research has been undertaken in the area of transformational leadership theory and yet some notable gaps exist. Research has compared transformational and transactional leadership and has examined its existence in both public and private organizations. The leadership phenomenon has similarly been investigated in different cultures, yet there is a paucity of data which synthesizes how these leadership paradigms are perceived in a diverse Middle Eastern cultural environment. The aim of the current study was to compare the perceptions of transactional and transformational leadership styles and their impact upon motivation, trust and job satisfaction within higher educational institutions in Jordan. Working within the positivist domain, primary data was gathered through leader and follower questionnaires that were designed to test out theory in a deductive way. Data was sought on transformational leadership theory, ideal leader characteristics and the perceptual understanding of motivation, trust and job satisfaction. Biographic data was sought to form independent variables. The sample of over 700 was drawn from five Jordanian universities, which ranged across regions and between public and private institutions. With respect to transformational leadership theory the main findings were that Intellectual Stimulation, Individual Consideration and Idealized Behaviour comprised the three main characteristics of leaders within Jordanian higher education. Followers were highly motivated by their work activity and promotion, although a fear of failure emerged as a negative aspect of follower motivation. Transformational leadership had a greater positive impact on job satisfaction than did transactional leadership, especially in the area of Inspirational Motivation, which emerged as the most effective characteristic for job satisfaction. A strong association was found between trust and both Idealized Behaviour and Idealized Attributes. Finally, it is of note that followers trusted leaders who were transactional, particularly with regards to Contingent Reward. The providing of followers with clear rules for reward, within a structured system, is likely to be a salient factor within the higher education system of Jordan. The current study is the first of its kind to investigate transformational leadership theory in relation to trust, job satisfaction and motivation, within Jordanian universities and makes a valuable contribution to a number of areas. Most significantly, transformational leadership theory is extended in a unique way. New contributions are also made to the areas of situational leadership theory and the important conceptual areas of trust, motivation and job satisfaction. The hypothesised leader and situational profile provides a framework for understanding the behaviour and characteristics of leaders who operate within Jordanian universities and is presented with recommendations for future research. The university sector forms an important part of Jordan's economy and there is a considerable prospect for it to contribute to the nation's economic growth. As the universities are soon to operate within a more deregulated and competitive environment, effective leadership is likely to be of paramount importance. Thus, if the higher education sector can adopt the findings and improve their leadership effectiveness, the current study is set to have a positive impact on the national economy.
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Zhong, Hua. "The effectiveness of student-centred learning in the development of a new communication curriculum in China." Thesis, University of Huddersfield, 2010. http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/id/eprint/9102/.
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This study examines the introduction of a new communications key skills course in Chinese vocational education colleges, using a student-centred learning approach. This was established in response to the changing demands of employers in China’s new environment of economic growth and competition. The research explores teachers’ and students’ understanding of key skills and their attitudes to student centred learning, an approach very different to China’s traditional didactic methods. The effects of the new course are examined and barriers to effective implementation are analysed. The research was based on five higher education institutions. Both quantitative and qualitative techniques were used. Three questionnaires were employed, and three of the institutions were singled out for more detailed qualitative analysis. Through a series of case studies, focus groups, interviews and class observations data was gathered to reveal underlying attitudes towards the experiences of the new course. Both teachers and students welcomed the new approach. It was found to facilitate the development of complex communication ‘key skills’, as students were actively involved, working in groups and learning from each other. The role of the teacher changed significantly, from ‘provider of information’ to facilitator of learning. Designing activities and resources to motivate students and meet their learning needs was a new experience for Chinese teachers, as curriculum development and course textbooks had always been provided centrally. Teachers encountered a number of barriers to successful course implementation; these included difficulties in adjusting to the new methods; lack of suitable resources; poor staff development and lack of support from college management. However, both teachers and students noted an increase in students’ confidence and self-awareness resulting from the new course. Students particularly appreciated the benefits that this might bring in terms of their employability as well as their social capabilities. Recommendations are made for the further development of a student-centred learning model for communication course in Chinese vocational colleges.
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Ohene, Isaac. "Gender and leadership in higher educational institutions : exploring perceptions and practices in University of Cape Coast, Ghana." Thesis, University of Sussex, 2010. http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/6293/.
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The purpose of this study is to examine the level of female participation in leadership activities in the University of Cape Coast (UCC). Leadership is experienced at various levels within the university - student, staff, committee and management levels in the university. However, the positions are mainly held by men. This study examined the institutional structures and cultural factors responsible for the dearth of women in leadership and why it is necessary to have more women vigorously involved in the decision-making in the university. Few women reaching the top have managed it successfully because of the exposure to various forms of institutional and cultural barriers. This state of affairs works against the effective utilization of human resources in the university. Ensuring that all individuals irrespective of their gender are equally motivated to participate in the decision-making process holds the potential for maximising the human resources within the university. In this study, the barriers to female participation in leadership have been explored. A qualitative research design guided the study. Twenty semi-structured interviews, participant observation and the use of unobtrusive observation were the main data collection techniques adopted. For data analysis, 'open and axial' coding approaches based on the inductive and deductive reasoning were utilised. A significant outcome of the study includes the fact that very few women are in head of departments and deanship positions. Women are almost absent in the top administrative echelon. Females occupy only designated 'vice/deputy' positions in students and staff unions. However, few academic women who have reached the top have managed successfully. The study concludes by expressing the view that women in UCC face several challenges which impede their progress towards leadership aspirations. These include institutional structures and culturally entrenched norms. Based on these findings and conclusions, a number of recommendations have been made to improve the chances of women in both academic and administrative departments to break the glass-ceiling and advance into leadership positions. These include the following: (1) the need for professional development opportunities for women to enable them to pursue postgraduate programmes after which they could be employed as administrators or academics, and (2) the institutionalization of policies in support of the reservation of quotas for women in some leadership positions, including chairing some of the sub-committees of the Governing Council and the Academic Board to ensure fair participation of women in critical decision-making levels in the university.
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Ananga, Eric Daniel. "The drop out experience of basic school children in rural Ghana : implications for universal basic education policy." Thesis, University of Sussex, 2011. http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/6937/.
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One of the key issues surrounding participation in basic schooling is the phenomenon of school dropout. Dropout is known not as a single event but a process that is not well understood. The rationale for this thesis argues that unless the dropout process is understood, there will be no meaningful intervention to curb it. This study therefore explores the dropout experience of basic school children in Ghana. In the context of this exploratory study, informed by the concerns of achieving education for all children by the year 2015, I sought to gain insight into the processes that lead children to drop out of school, how dropout occurs, the manifestation of dropout and the policy implications of dropout for free compulsory universal basic education in Ghana. The research inquiry is guided by two main research questions: what are the experiences of dropout children? And how is school dropout manifested? Specifically, the research questions sought to explore children‘s understanding and interpretation of dropout, how dropout occurred; what conditions within and outside school do children regard as responsible for their dropping out, and what the implications of the findings are for universalising universal basic education in Ghana. In exploring the experience of dropout children, I tracked 18 children who had initial access to basic education but stopped schooling at some point for their stories. I used multiple methods of data collection, viz. in-depth interviews, observations, photographs and school records. From the data gathered, the following are the main findings of the study: Concerning the dropout process, children experience dropout first as temporary—sporadic, event and cohort based on their economic survival needs and later permanently—unsettled and settled as a result of becoming significantly overage and the diminished value of schooling. Conditions both within school – teacher factor, school practices and processes, and outside – poverty, opportunity cost of schooling, networks among children to encourage dropout by pushing and/or pulling children out of school. As a process, pupils go through three phases – disadvantage, disaffection and disappearance to become school dropouts. It is argued that, to prevent pupils from dropping out of school and to encourage children who already dropped out to return to school. Education policy would have to focus more on addressing the peculiar needs of children who show sights of entering the dropout process. Also, it is necessary to differentiate out of school children – dropouts from out of school children –never enrolled when designing and implementing interventions for universalising basic education.
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Kamarudin, Rafidah. "A study on the use of phrasal verbs by Malaysian learners of English." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2013. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/4504/.
Full textAbstract:
The aim of this study is to examine the level of understanding and use of English phrasal verbs (PVs) amongst Malaysian learners of English. It is generally agreed that idiomatic expressions, including phrasal verbs, present great difficulties for language learners. Various reasons have been highlighted, which include the nature of PVs themselves, as well as crosslinguistic factors. Two different types of methodology - survey and corpus work - are used to find answers to the research questions. In the survey component, the respondents include both teachers and learners in selected secondary schools in Malaysia. A PV test was given to the student respondents, while questionnaires were used to get teachers’ feedback regarding the common practice of vocabulary teaching particularly with respect to PVs, as well as their views on the vocabulary contents presented in school textbooks. The corpus work is based on the English of Malaysian Students (EMAS) and the Bank of English (BoE) corpus, and 24 PVs were selected for analysis. Drawing on findings from the survey and corpus work, an examination of school textbooks and learners’ dictionaries was then carried out. Results indicate that, in addition to learners’ proficiency level and gender, the nature of PVs and crosslinguistic factors, particularly the learners’ L1, play a significant role in Malaysian learners’ understanding and use of PVs. Their difficulties with PVs are further compounded as textbooks and dictionaries were also found to provide insufficient and inappropriate information with respect to PVs. This thesis makes a number of suggestions to further improve the present scenario of PVs teaching and learning. It is suggested that the teaching of PVs should also take into account learners’ L1, and that learners can learn and understand PVs better if they are made aware of the lexical and grammatical patterns of PVs. Instead of relying on intuition, perhaps it is time for Malaysian textbooks and dictionaries to consider integrating the use of corpus into their selection of PVs to be presented to learners.
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Jeyacheya, Fungai. "Teachers' attitudes to, and the challenges of, establishing an effective and fully-fledged community of practice : the experiences of six secondary schools in the east of Zimbabwe." Thesis, University of Huddersfield, 2015. http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/id/eprint/27843/.
Full textAbstract:
Before independence, in 1980, the education system of Zimbabwe was organised along racial lines. This organisation of education along racial lines disadvantaged Black Africans in the context of both access to and quality of education experience. The transition of the Black Africans from primary to secondary school appeared to be capped for both academic and non-academic vocational secondary school programmes. Upon attaining independence, the government of Zimbabwe embarked on educational reforms and rapid expansion of the education system. These reforms aimed at establishing equitable provision of education to the disadvantaged Black Africans. Reforms focused on the millennium development goals (MDG) whose aims were to provide (primary school) education for all by 2015. The economy of Zimbabwe, which experienced growth soon after independence, declined rapidly in the late 1990s and 2000 leading to the hyperinflation of 2008. This led to adverse effects on the provision of quality education and teacher demotivation. Some teachers in this study revealed a sense of a compromised professional identity; there was also a sense of a teaching community that included many ‘accidental’ teachers. It was also possible to detect many teachers having a sense of a lack of control; discontentment was high among the teacher respondents. There was also a reluctance to understand the need for accountability and commitment by a significant number of the teacher respondents.
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Eliphas, Foster. "Exploring school leadership development in Tanzania : a survey study of twenty newly appointed heads of schools in contextually different state secondary schools in the Dar es Salaam region of Tanzania." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2011. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/2885/.
Full textAbstract:
This research study draws on the experience of twenty newly appointed head teachers, those in year one and two of their headship role in secondary schools in Tanzania. The study gathered the head teachers’ experience, perceptions, and suggestions about their own continuing professional development and that of others in schools. It strived to understand how and when these new heads of schools are trained, and whether they receive sufficient training before taking on a headship role. It further sought to understand the significance of mandatory leadership qualifications in enhancing the head teachers’ knowledge, skills and abilities to lead schools. In particular, it argues that despite the rhetoric on better education management at district, regional and ministry level at present, there is still a widespread need for education leaders, researchers and all other education providers to emphasise the importance of school leadership development programs for school leaders. The research findings indicate that head teachers can gain the required knowledge and skills to lead their schools through short and long term leadership training programs and also through accession to headship in schools. Consequently, the majority participants commented on mentoring and coaching, as significant programs in head teacher development. Moreover, the study recommends that there is a need for the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training to increase budgets for school leadership development programs and to ensure that clear policies and directives shape leadership development in schools, and those directives demarcate how formal training for newly appointed head teachers can be achieved.
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Al-Lawati, Batoul. "The development of an adaptive environment (framework) to assist the teaching, learning and assessment of geography within the Omani secondary education system." Thesis, Liverpool John Moores University, 2012. http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/6164/.
Full textAbstract:
Owing to particular historical reasons, the Sultanate of Oman emerged into the modern world only in 1970 and launched its state education system in 1972. Less than thirty years later, the Sultanate recognized that a major overhaul of state education was needed to face the challenges that globalization posed to its population and to its economy. The policies for the transition to the Basic Education (BE) system stipulated that students should receive training in information technology (IT) and English from Year One. These provisions were implemented from academic year 1998/1999, so that by the commencement of academic year 2010/2011 three cohorts of students had received a full ten years of schooling in IT. This research investigated the effects of integrating IT into the geography curriculum in Cycle Two of the BE system. Despite an extensive and painstaking search, no previous published study was found that dealt with the pedagogic use of IT in the Omani BE system. One study (Osman 2010) surveyed users of the Oman Educational IT Portal, but it was a general attitudinal survey of all users and did not progress beyond use of a questionnaire. Therefore, this study is the first to conduct fieldwork research in Oman to develop indicators to measure Omani students' performance in and reactions to eLearning. The study also includes two dedicated surveys covering Omani students' and teachers' opinions of and attitudes to eLearning. This is therefore the first study of this type that has been conducted in or for Oman. The findings support the importance of integrating eLearning into the curriculum in Oman, to enhance the delivery of a range of curriculum subjects through the pedagogical use of IT. Through a comparison of responses from teachers and students in Oman and two other countries, this study also explores issues emerging from a comparison between cultures (Gulf Arab and Western) in terms of the varying effects that cultural and other factors can exert on teachers' and learners' acceptance of educational technology in different countries. Again, it is a feature of this research that it is the first to conduct such a comparative study on such a scale involving Gulf Arab students and teachers. This study raises issues surrounding the optimization of acceptance include (1) the necessity of increasing the internet speed in Oman; (2) the current inadequacy of e-Iearning resources; (3) the proper management of eLearning integration; (4) the need for enhancement of eLearning training and skills issues for both teachers and learners: (5) the further relationships inherent in the interaction of culture and the acceptance of technology.
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Razon, Abigail R. "An automated learner-based reading ability estimation strategy using concept indexing with integrated Part-of-Speech n-gram features." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2017. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/7260/.
Full textAbstract:
This study is about the development of a retrainable reading ability estimation system based on concepts from the Text Readability Indexing (TRI) domain. This system aims to promote self-directed language learning and to serve as an educational reinforcement tool for English language learners. Student essays were used to calibrate the system which provided realistic approximations of their actual reading levels. In this thesis, we compared the performance of two vector semantics-based algorithms, namely, Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) and Concept Indexing (CI) for content analysis. Since these algorithms rely on the bag-of-words approach and inherently lack grammatical analysis, we augmented them using Part-of-Speech (POS) n-gram features to approximate the syntactic complexity of text documents. Results show that directly combining the content-and grammar-based feature sets yielded lower classification accuracies than utilising each feature set alone. Using a sparsification strategy, we were able to optimise the combination process and, with the integration of POS bi-grams, we achieved our overall highest mean exact agreement accuracies (MEAA) of 0.924 and 0.952 for LSI and CI, respectively. We have also conducted error analyses on our results where we examined overestimation and underestimation error types to uncover the probable causes for the systems' misclassifications.
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Beckerman, Jason. "Accessing the learning lifeworld : transformative student learning experiences in regional academic travel at New York University Abu Dhabi." Thesis, University of Liverpool, 2015. http://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/2034119/.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis investigates the learning experiences of students who participated in short-term study abroad trips (also known as regional academic travel) offered by New York University Abu Dhabi’s Office of Global Education, with the objective of attaining an authentic account of these experiences. This authentic account supports a better understanding of a student’s experience, and leads to a more in-depth understanding of learning, which for this research is called the learning lifeworld. Phenomenography is used to capture the qualitative variation of individual experiences leading to four categories of description placed in logical relationship to one another yielding an outcome space of four conceptions of learning experience. Phenomenography alone, while reflective in nature, has limitations on determining an authentic account of experience. Therefore, it is helpful to draw upon reflective thinking ability, which produces information on each student’s ability to reason through an ill-structured problem, and puts students in a reflective thinking development stage, which is linked to a student’s critical reflection ability. Reflective judgment stages for each student were determined using the standard reflective judgment interview (King & Kitchener, 1994), and then compared against the instances conceptions of learning experience that appeared in each student account. A relationship was identified between instances of conceptions and the level of a student’s reflective thinking ability that could lead to a deeper understanding of the learning lifeworld through the language students used in responses from the phenomenographic interview and the reflective judgment interview. The findings of this research show that there were at least four qualitatively different ways students experienced regional academic travel trips. The categories developed through an analysis of student reflective accounts are: the regional academic travel experience complements and supplements classroom learning; develops academic skills; affects students’ future academic, personal, and professional endeavours; and offers students a chance to reflect on impacts they have made and can make in a community and the world. The results of this research make an original contribution to lifeworld theory, transformative learning, and short-term study abroad research by utilizing a unique combination of research approaches (phenomenography and reflective judgment to inform lifeworld theory and transformative learning) in a novel setting (NYU Abu Dhabi regional academic travel). The design of this research could be used for future studies to examine learning in an in-depth way, whilst assuring that the accounts given could be considered authentic. Finally, the results also led to recommendations for improvement of future regional academic travel trips offered by The Office of Global Education.
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Akbar, Halima Wakabi. "A study of the educational difficulties experienced by AIDS orphans in 5 Ugandan Secondary schools." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2002. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/1439/.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis is concerned with the educational implications of becoming an AIDS orphan in Uganda. Bereavement is a sensitive topic which many find difficult to discuss with adolescents, even harder if it is HIV/AIDS - related. However the number of AIDS orphans in Uganda is high and a considerable number of them are in school. The main purpose of this study was to investigate what problems such students face and what resources are available to them in schools to help them cope with the loss of their parent/s. Questionnaires and interviews were designed to investigate the perceptions of those in direct or indirect contact with these orphans and with the orphans themselves. They were administered to 5 headteachers, 56 teachers and 400 students from 5 secondary schools. Responses to the questionnaires were analysed, using descriptive statistical techniques, and associations were tested. Interviews were carried out with 5 headteachers, 20 teachers, 25 orphans, a school counsellor, two teacher training lecturers, staff of 4 nongovernmental organisations and an educational officer. Categories and themes were developed using the data, the literature and the research questions. These were then compared across the different schools and respondents. The study found that the identification of AIDS orphans was usually complicated by the stigma attached to HIV/AIDS. Though a substantial number of the orphans were facing multi-variant problems, there were no or very limited resources open to the students to help them cope with the loss of their parent/s. Such students are at risk of dropping out or failing in school and hence access to one of the most important chances in life is denied. These children are also at risk of being socially excluded. Conclusions based on the results of the study were drawn and recommendations made.
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Drummond, Urvi. "Music education in South African Schools after apartheid : teacher perceptions of Western and African music." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 2015. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/6298/.
Full textAbstract:
The South African classroom music curriculum has changed in the twenty years since the transition from apartheid to democracy in 1994. The broad imperative for the main music education policy shifts is a political agenda of social transformation and reconciliation. Policy aims are to include many more learners in the music classroom by promoting the study of diverse musics that were previously marginalised and by providing a framework for music education that allows learners to progress at their own pace. This research study investigated to what extent music teachers are able and likely to fulfil the requirements of the new, post-apartheid curriculum, with particular reference to the National Curriculum Statement music policies (NCS). Specifically, it considered whether teachers have a particular allegiance to Western and/or African music. Twelve South African music teachers were interviewed for this purpose. The latest music curriculum revision in the form of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS, 2011) has modified knowledge content by streaming music into three distinct but parallel genres. In addition to Western music, the curriculum incorporates Indigenous African music and Jazz as representative of the diverse cultural interests of South Africans. An analysis of post-apartheid music policy documents draws on post-colonial thought to frame the affirmation of African music by giving it a prominent place in the curriculum. In order to appreciate the role different musics are expected to play in the curriculum, the work of prominent ethnomusicologists provides a means to conceptualise the range of emerging musics, including World Music, Global Music and Cosmopolitan Music, and their differences. For teachers to comply with the policy directive to teach different musics to diverse learners, they are required to expand their knowledge and adapt their teaching styles to achieve these aims. This study highlights a lack of resources and of structured teaching support through continuing professional development as well as a need for policy to give clearer direction in the way it instructs teachers to execute the changes demanded of them in the curriculum. An investigation of teachers’ own musical education and their views of the new curriculum reveals that they are willing to teach a variety of musics. Their perceptions of the differences between Western and African music illustrate a reflective understanding of the challenges they face in this undertaking.
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Elsayyad, H. M. "The relationship between working memory and reading comprehension in L1 Arabic and L2 English for Arabic speaking children." Thesis, Bath Spa University, 2014. http://researchspace.bathspa.ac.uk/5175/.
Full textAbstract:
This mixed methodology research project comprised four studies that explored relationships between working memory and literacy, as well as the potential influence of home literacy, in L1 Arabic and L2 English children in grade six (aged 11) of mainstream Kuwaiti schools (N = 44 to 99). Quantitative studies 1 to 3 investigated these potential relationships using measures of working memory, literacy, phonological skills and vocabulary. Study 3 also contrasted vowelized and non-vowelized Arabic. Study 4 combined findings from approximately 70 completed parental questionnaires about home literacy background with qualitative data from four parental interviews, and compared these data with their children’s scores on working memory, literacy and vocabulary. Findings from studies 1 to 3 suggested that L1 and L2 literacy development can be predicted by working memory after controlling for word reading and vocabulary; and, in the case of Arabic, both vowelized and non-vowelized text showed relationships with working memory. Additionally, Arabic listening span and Arabic backward digit span were predictors of comprehension in L2 English, whereas only listening span predicted comprehension in L1 Arabic. Data indicated that the association between L1 working memory and L2 comprehension was dependent upon L2 language competence. Findings from study 4 also argue for influences on literacy and language skills of the child’s background, including cultural activities associated with upbringing and parental attitudes towards learning and literacy. Overall, similar predictors emerged for English and Arabic literacy skills arguing for these orthographies to rely on common processes. However, there is a need for further development of working memory measures for Arabic contexts to ensure that these measures assess skills appropriately, and for a consideration of parental influences on learning. Educators should consider both cognitive and sociocultural factors as foundations for teaching literacy, and support the establishment of communication routes between parents and schools.
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Adelakun, Sariat Ajibola. "An exploration and development of teaching resources to better include students with visual impairment in science and mathematics classes in South-Western Nigeria : an action research study." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2017. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/7544/.
Full textAbstract:
The study was concerned with access to science and mathematics curricula by students with visual impairment (SVI) in South-Western Nigeria. The main study adopted an action research approach. Six initial stakeholder ‘search conferences’ were organised to understand the nature and extent of the problem. They revealed evidence of inadequate accessibility to science and mathematics education by SVI due to unavailable resources and personnel. This led to the development of teaching resources and approaches (‘STEM Kit’ and the use of ‘Talking LabQuest’) and the trialling of these approaches in two selected study schools. Data were collected through classroom observation and teacher and student interviews. Findings show that the approaches enabled access of SVI to science and mathematics at a comparable level with their sighted peers, which brought about immersion in, and engagement with learning. With the multisensory teaching resources, SVI and classroom sighted teachers learn and teach with reduced specialist teacher involvement. The intervention positively challenged local views and practice regarding curriculum access and SVI and offers examples for improved provision of relevant resources and training for staff to better support SVI independence and inclusion. This study showcases the uniqueness of action research in empowering all participants to bring about change.
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Halliru, Samir. "An investigation of lifelong learning : the policy context and the stories, pedagogies and transformational experience of young adults (a case study) in Nigeria." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 2018. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/30961/.
Full textAbstract:
Nigeria is beset with many educational, economic and social challenges, including poverty, unemployment, gender inequality, lack of skills and poor access to education, especially among young people. Lifelong learning is widely recognised as a means of addressing social injustices and economic instability in the 21st century. Although there has been much public discourse on lifelong learning (LLL) in Nigeria, the subject is under-researched. This study examines LLL policies and the practices that influence young adult engagement in lifelong learning, the pedagogies that influence the development of LLL skills, as well as the impact of lifelong learning on the transformation of young adults, and their communities in Nigeria. This study adopted a quasi-longitudinal case study that involved two methods of data collection: document analysis and semi-structured interviews, underpinned by a social constructivist perspective. The study involved analysis of three national policy documents in Nigeria: The National Policy on Education (2013); Nigeria-UNESCO: Revitalizing Adult and Youth Literacy (RAYL) (2012); and the National Universities Commission (NUC) Benchmark Minimum Academic Standards (BMAS) (2011). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 40 participants: national level policymakers (n=4); students (n=16), graduates (n=12), instructors (n=5), and management level officials (n=3) drawn from one institute (YCV) in Katsina State, Nigeria. The YCV is an LLL initiative that attempts to address social injustices and develop individuals’ lifelong learning skills for personal and economic growth. The YCV is a successful adult education initiative that empowers distressed young adults in Nigeria. While in Nigeria the predominant goal of LLL are social justice and economic growth this research shows that lifelong learning is difficult to implement in Nigeria. The triggers for participation in LLL are life transitions such as divorce, examination failures and few opportunities to find employment which demoralise young adults, as well as a need to update knowledge and provide community services. The findings suggest that pedagogy of practice informed by critical pedagogy promotes lifelong learning skills, and that the principles of critical pedagogy can transform graduates into becoming economically and socially active individuals within a very challenging economic, political and social context. The study contributes to the existing literature about the potential of LLL based on critical pedagogy to offer transformational experiences to young adults/adults. These include economic and social transformation beyond self-transformation to promotion of peace building, societal cohesion, social security and community wellbeing; a transition from ‘learning to earning; and a way to rebuild lives after divorce, particularly for women. The study concluded that the challenges to implementing lifelong learning in Nigeria are not only cultural or peoples’ attitude to learning but structural and institutional. The study recommends that the implementation of LLL should take into account local knowledge and structures based on critical pedagogy to address internal challenges rather than being guided by internationally agreed development targets.
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Mushibwe, Christine P. "What are the effects of cultural traditions on the education of women? : the study of the Tumbuka people of Zambia)." Thesis, University of Huddersfield, 2009. http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/id/eprint/9090/.
Full textAbstract:
This study is an investigation of how cultural traditions can militate against the education of women in Zambia with a focus on the Tumbuka tribe. Ethnographic methods were employed over a period of three months in a village in the Eastern Province of the country. Data were collected through participant observation, focus group and in-depth interviews, narratives, and documents. A total of 47 participants comprised the sample. This research cuts through multidisciplinary fields such as social sciences, education and anthropology. Through thematic analysis data were analysed. Evidence in this research demonstrates that patrilineal groupings are strongholds of the patriarchal predisposition and that patriarchal attitudes and cultural traditions do not recognize women as equal partners with men. The Tumbuka women‟s experiences and beliefs reflect socio-cultural traditional norms that tend to limit gender equality, and compel women to accept and justify male domination at the expense of their own status and to regard consequent inequalities as normal. Evidence demonstrates that the initiation rites, an active institution for girls of pubescent age, interfere more with the school-based education of girls. The women are active social agents as well as passive learners who will not allow the girls they are coaching to question the reason or purpose for some traditional practices that are oppressive and directly cause them to fail to complete their schooling successfully. The strong hold that the cultural traditions has on the locals has further resulted in conflicts with modern schooling, which is viewed as disseminating „white‟ man‟s culture and values. Established in this research is the fear and suspicion that the locals have on the outcome of their children learning these values that they see as alien to their own. The modern education provided in school is perceived as a force that undermines cultural values. It is viewed as presenting an inherent challenge to the cultural traditional control measures that are in place. Arguably, while ethnic traditions should be respected and sustained because they define one's identity, aspects of culture which are discriminatory, restrictive and tend to devalue women‟s physical, emotional and psychological development should be eliminated because they are retrogressive. Therefore the argument that deep seated socio-cultural traditions play a significant role in encumbering female education is proven.