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Politics matters : understanding the role of political influence in third world effective school improvement
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Type
Thesis
Author
Candelaria, Anne Lan Kagahastian
Supervisor
Lee, Ong Kim
Abstract
This study primarily examined the role of political influence in decisions made pertaining to effective school improvement in the third world, particularly the Philippines. Effective school improvement engagements tend to focus on processes and factors that are education-related such as curriculum, pedagogy and assessment. This study is one of the few which looked at the politics involved among decision makers, particularly educators and locally-elected politicians that affect the effectiveness of improvement efforts in public schools. Hence, research questions centered on the effects of political influence as perceived by principals, district supervisors and mayors on three elements of third world school improvement particularly: (1) prioritization of inputs, (2) effective use of inputs, and (3) the will to act as proposed by Lockheed and Levin (1993). This study covered political influence exercised with personnel and financial management practices as well as in more direct forms of political actions in public education.
This was a mixed method study employing both survey as well as face-to-face interviews. Surveys were completed by 356 principals, 32 district supervisors and 19 mayors. Meanwhile, interviews were participated by 2 provincial governors, 5 mayors, 4 superintendents, and 5 district supervisors from four school divisions, two located in rural and two urban. Responses were compared among respondent categories in order to determine if there were significant differences between the three groups. Chi-square was performed, and where significant differences (p<.05 and p<.01) were found, Cramer’s V was carried out to determine the degree of association.
The following are the most important findings of this study:
(1) there is a significant difference between perceptions of mayors and educators concerning the occurrences of political influence in decisions affecting school improvement;
(2) there is a significant difference between mayor’s and educators' priorities related to what inputs are required to improve the schools;
(3) the Local School Board, a multi-sectoral body mandated by law to manage the affairs of schools in their respective localities, is an under-utilized partner in effective school improvement; and
(4) most of those politically influenced practices concerning school reform and improvement are related to elections.
This study affirms that politics and political influence play a large role in the policy process concerning public education, particularly effective school improvement. Particularly, the need to engage local politicians and leaders is an important pursuit for a school system that cannot provide for itself. It is worth mentioning that the barangay, the smallest political unit in the country, is an emergent partner in effective school improvement and its potential must be harnessed. This study recommends that, instead of detaching politics from education, the constructive use of politics must be pursued by stakeholders to achieve effective school improvement. Finally, an alternative view of effective school improvement in the third world is proposed, that is must be carried out as a social movement, or a community-driven reform agenda, rather than a policy dictated by the top for compliance of those from below.
This was a mixed method study employing both survey as well as face-to-face interviews. Surveys were completed by 356 principals, 32 district supervisors and 19 mayors. Meanwhile, interviews were participated by 2 provincial governors, 5 mayors, 4 superintendents, and 5 district supervisors from four school divisions, two located in rural and two urban. Responses were compared among respondent categories in order to determine if there were significant differences between the three groups. Chi-square was performed, and where significant differences (p<.05 and p<.01) were found, Cramer’s V was carried out to determine the degree of association.
The following are the most important findings of this study:
(1) there is a significant difference between perceptions of mayors and educators concerning the occurrences of political influence in decisions affecting school improvement;
(2) there is a significant difference between mayor’s and educators' priorities related to what inputs are required to improve the schools;
(3) the Local School Board, a multi-sectoral body mandated by law to manage the affairs of schools in their respective localities, is an under-utilized partner in effective school improvement; and
(4) most of those politically influenced practices concerning school reform and improvement are related to elections.
This study affirms that politics and political influence play a large role in the policy process concerning public education, particularly effective school improvement. Particularly, the need to engage local politicians and leaders is an important pursuit for a school system that cannot provide for itself. It is worth mentioning that the barangay, the smallest political unit in the country, is an emergent partner in effective school improvement and its potential must be harnessed. This study recommends that, instead of detaching politics from education, the constructive use of politics must be pursued by stakeholders to achieve effective school improvement. Finally, an alternative view of effective school improvement in the third world is proposed, that is must be carried out as a social movement, or a community-driven reform agenda, rather than a policy dictated by the top for compliance of those from below.
Date Issued
2012
Call Number
LC94.P6 Can
Date Submitted
2012