Power and Education

Education is the medium through which society can be transformed to ensure we live in a world free from discrimination and exclusion, where human beings coexist peacefully. One of UNESCO’s sustainable developmental goals is quality education that is inclusive and equitable. ‘Education for all’ and ‘places of belonging’ are therefore imperatives for educators if this goal is to be realised. This paper reports on selected educational leaders’ views on implementing inclusive approaches in teaching-learning activities. A qualitative approach was employed to collect data from 242 educational leaders from Caribbean Visionary Educators across 25 countries. Most respondents see inclusive education as beneficial. Others view it as a theoretical construct that increases workload. Lack of resources, infrastructure, administrative support and professional learning are viewed as barriers to inclusive education practices. There appears to be some incongruity between educators’ professional learning in inclusive education and their ability to implement inclusive education practices. Respondents revealed that despite receiving professional learning in inclusive education, their current level of training has inadequately prepared them to teach in an inclusive environment. Therefore, an inclusive approach requires educators to be prepared to teach all learners regardless of their challenges, and learners must become active participants in their schooling. The paper, therefore, concludes that it is necessary for leaders to operate in a transformative mode to promote inclusive education. This action should make schools become places of belonging that will benefit all learners.

Even though students from African backgrounds have above-average education achievements in the UK, some students still struggle to integrate into the school systems. Parental involvement has been reported to have a significant influence on pupil achievement. Thus, this research aimed to identify parental involvement barriers experienced by African parents. The researcher conducted five focus group interviews with 32 black African parents living in the UK. The focus groups were both on Zoom and face-to-face. The participants immigrated to the UK from different parts of Africa as adults or in their late teenage years. The Africa ethos of collaboration and dialogue were utilised to help participants freely discuss their experiences. The approach was formed from an empowerment perspective, aiming to break the top-down barriers that hinder African parental involvement. Thematic analysis was used to reveal emerging themes. This study findings indicated cultural and structural factors that need addressing, such as prejudice from teachers, poor communication systems between schools and parents about the curriculum, and expectations for parents’ involvement. In addition, many parents voiced a lack of understanding of the school system, hindering their involvement. The issues identified in the study need to be acknowledged and addressed collaboratively by key players to enhance the best outcomes for children from black African families.

Educational institutions are expected to play a significant role in preparing people to function well in society. Although critical thinking and problem-solving skills are necessary, people also need to have a social conscience. Educators should, therefore, pay more attention to moral education. Jesus Christ developed and implemented a moral education curriculum and there is a record of that in the New Testament. An examination of it reveals that Jesus built his training around social issues and that he employed a strategy that bears some similarity to Mezirow’s transformation learning theory: his audience was adult and he called upon his students to process disorienting dilemmas, drawing them to reflect critically on assumptions from which was to come mindset change and, ultimately, behavior change. Whereas Mezirow focused on individual experiences and individual transformation, Jesus planned to impact the world—Jewish society and far beyond it—through bands of disciples working in concert. Educators who seek to contribute to social transformation through moral education should consider following the Jesus model which is outlined in this paper.

College lecturers’ wellbeing is critical to the effective management and functioning of colleges, and this criticality is amplified when lecturers assume senior lecturer (SL) positions in leadership. In Jamaica, some senior lecturers perceive their college leaders are insufficiently attentive to their wellbeing. This qualitative research utilized semi-structured interviews to investigate how six senior lecturers felt about this inattentiveness to their wellbeing. The findings indicated several feelings they experienced resulting from their response to the insufficiency of their college leaders’ treatment of their wellbeing, in two categories – emotional and occupational. Among them are exclusion from decision-making, primarily related to their consideration for promotion, perceptions of nepotistic leadership behaviours, guilt when they attempted to impose boundaries to stymy being overwhelmed and a sense that it was risky to articulate this to their college leaders. The study concluded that a strong sign of leadership readiness is when leaders enact wellbeing care in their stewardship of those they lead and being able to navigate the travails of their leadership journey. Further, it recommended a work culture that is psychologically safe in which senior lecturers feel heard and respected, some policies to address nepotism and areas needing further research.

Managing and leading under challenging conditions is one of the hallmarks of effective leadership. In today’s educational environment, educational leaders and managers must be swift-thinking and fast-acting in their approach. This demands building resilience. In this mixed-methods study, the researchers explored educational leadership and resilience during crises. The study sought to answer two overarching questions: What lessons did educational leaders learn from the COVID-19 experience, and How do the lessons learned prepare educational leaders to be resilient in times of crises? Data for this study were collected via survey and interviews. Survey data were analysed using descriptive statistics, and interview data were analysed using Taylor-Powell and Renner’s (2003) five-step approach. The major findings revealed a necessity for proactive planning, effective communication, and a team approach. Leaders highlighted the importance of resilience training, preparation, and emotional intelligence in navigating crises. The findings provide valuable information that could be used to equip educational leaders and managers to build resilience and augment the practice of educational leadership, particularly during times of crises. Therefore, the recommendations emphasise the need for comprehensive crisis leadership training, the development of contingency plans, and continuous professional development to enhance leaders’ capacity to manage future disruptions effectively.

Many conventional methods for evaluating teachers focus heavily on holding them accountable for their performance, often overlooking the importance of their personal and professional growth. This approach may have the unintended consequence of discouraging teachers from pursuing further development, as they may perceive that their efforts could be more valued or compensated more. As a result, it is crucial to adopt a more balanced approach that values both accountability and growth, which can help foster an environment that encourages teachers to be more engaged in their professional development. This paper re-imagines teacher assessment as a tool to foster ongoing learning. It explores how current assessment practices in New Brunswick, Canada, impact teachers’ engagement in professional development and learning. Using the case study approach, this paper incorporated semi-structured interviews and document reviews to investigate existing assessment frameworks, teacher perspectives, and the relationship between assessment and professional development participation. The key findings of this study highlight teachers’ willingness to enhance their professional expertise by participating in professional development and learning programs. However, teachers’ lack of participation in the selection and decision-making process of their preferred professional development and learning programs limits the effectiveness and relevance of meeting individual teacher’s needs.

Higher education institutions (HEIs) face competition globally. Many HEI’s were unable to respond to the changing dynamics amidst decreasing public funds, bureaucratic constraints, and the recent COVID-19 pandemic (Ivetic and Ilic, 2020; Philbin, 2015). This challenging environment contributed to low morale and high staff turnover. Survival in this new era requires leadership approaches that are responsive to the dynamic, fast-paced realities of today’s higher education environment. Agile leadership is a flexible, proactive, and technologically driven management approach that reduces bureaucracies. This explanatory sequential mixed-methods study explored leadership style practices within a Jamaican HEI and the implications for its success. The research addressed three concerns: faculty perceptions of current leadership approach; how the leadership approach supports and advances the organization’s goals; and how the application of the agile leadership model can strengthen the effectiveness of its leaders. The findings indicate weaknesses in leadership capacity stemming from lack of training and reliance on cultural practices. Participants’ perceptions of their understandings of the different leadership approaches differed greatly from the overall leadership practices that were identified and their perceived leadership practices. Recommendations include the need for training for members in positions of leadership and for the adoption of an agile leadership approach.