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Tag: Teacher Education & Practice

  • Leadership and institutional capacity shape dropout responses

    Leadership and institutional capacity shape dropout responses

    What the study found

    The review found that dropout is presented as a leadership-mediated, system-level organisational challenge rather than only an individual student problem. It identified four connected themes: leadership theories such as transformational, instructional, and distributed leadership; leadership responses to behavioural and psychosocial risk; data-informed approaches using early warning systems; and the changing role of school leaders as adaptive, collaborative, and technology-supported.

    Why the authors say this matters

    The authors conclude that effective dropout prevention depends on coordinated leadership across system, school, and classroom levels. They say stronger governance alignment, institutional capacity, and early warning systems can support more coordinated action and help address dropout through organisational responsibility rather than deficit-based individual attribution.

    What the researchers tested

    The authors conducted a systematic literature review guided by PRISMA, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses framework. They searched Scopus and Web of Science for peer-reviewed studies published from 2020 to 2025, screened the records against inclusion and exclusion criteria, retained 32 studies, assessed study quality with a Kitchenham-based framework, and synthesised the evidence through integrative thematic analysis.

    What worked and what didn't

    The review reported a shift toward integrated leadership configurations in which schools are described as coordinated organisational actors mediating institutional capacity and student risk. It also found recurring attention to early warning systems, absenteeism, disengagement, and adaptive leadership practices, but it does not report a single intervention as clearly superior in the abstract.

    What to keep in mind

    The review is limited to peer-reviewed English-language studies indexed in Scopus and Web of Science from 2020 to 2025. The authors note that this may exclude earlier foundational work and regionally indexed scholarship, and they call for longitudinal and cross-regional analyses of implementation dynamics.

    • Dropout is framed as a leadership-mediated organisational challenge.
    • Four themes were identified: leadership theories, risk responses, early warning systems, and evolving school leader roles.
    • The review included 32 peer-reviewed studies published between 2020 and 2025.
    • The authors say dropout prevention depends on coordination across system, school, and classroom levels.
    • The evidence base was limited to English-language studies indexed in Scopus and Web of Science.

  • Vietnamese teachers often viewed inclusive education through a binary lens

    What the study found

    The study found that Vietnamese teachers often understood inclusive education through a binary view of normal versus abnormal rather than as an approach centered on student diversity. It also found limited confidence in inclusive education for students with special educational needs and in their progress in mainstream schools.

    Why the authors say this matters

    The authors conclude that inclusive education in Vietnam needs practical pedagogical support and reflexivity-oriented professional training, meaning training that helps teachers critically examine their beliefs and practices. They also suggest that stronger support from school administrators is needed to help teachers enact inclusive education more effectively.

    What the researchers tested

    The researchers proposed a reflexivity cycle model to help educators reflect on their goals and teaching practices. They used in-depth interviews with nine teachers from public and private primary schools in Hanoi, Vietnam, and analyzed the qualitative data using qualitative content analysis from a constructivist interpretive stance.

    What worked and what didn't

    Teachers identified building a fair and disciplined educational environment, and promoting mutual understanding, communication, and trust among stakeholders inside and outside the classroom, as key strategies for inclusive education. However, the study reported a disconnect between national education policies and teachers' actual practices, which the authors link to a lack of training and limited involvement from school administrators.

    What to keep in mind

    The study is based on interviews with nine teachers in Hanoi, so its scope is limited to that setting and group. The abstract does not describe additional limitations beyond the small, local sample.

    • Teachers often framed inclusive education as normal versus abnormal.
    • The study found low confidence in inclusive education for students with special educational needs.
    • Teachers emphasized fairness, discipline, communication, and trust as strategies.
    • The authors link policy-practice gaps to limited training and administrator involvement.
    • The study used interviews with nine primary school teachers in Hanoi.

  • Zimbabwean teachers reported positive attitudes toward technology

    What the study found

    Teachers in the selected Zimbabwean secondary schools generally showed positive attitudes toward technology and had moderate ICT competence. The study also found that weak infrastructure and limited support made effective technology use harder.

    Why the authors say this matters

    The authors conclude that better training, improved resources, and supportive policies are needed for sustainable ICT-driven education. The study suggests that teacher readiness and institutional conditions affect how technology is used in lesson delivery.

    What the researchers tested

    The researchers studied teachers’ preparedness, attitudes, and perceived impact of technology use in lesson delivery in selected Zimbabwean secondary schools. Guided by the Technology Acceptance Model and the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge framework, they analysed quantitative data from 59 teachers using SPSS version 30.

    What worked and what didn't

    Teachers generally reported positive attitudes and moderate ICT competence, and they recognised technology’s benefits for student engagement and performance. However, inadequate infrastructure and limited support constrained effective use.

    What to keep in mind

    The study was based on 59 teachers from selected Zimbabwean secondary schools, so the findings reflect that specific sample and setting. The abstract does not describe additional limitations.

    • Teachers generally had positive attitudes toward technology.
    • Teachers were described as having moderate ICT competence.
    • Technology was seen as beneficial for student engagement and performance.
    • Inadequate infrastructure limited effective use of technology in lessons.
    • Limited support also constrained ICT integration.
    • The authors recommend training, resources, and supportive policies.