ICT-Assisted Career Guidance: A Case Study in a Public Schools in Beirut, Lebanon (Published)
This study investigated the impact of using ICT in delivering a career guidance program in one public high school in Beirut, Lebanon. The sample consisted of Grade 11 students (N=106) from all sections of this grade level. Students at this school often received the same career guidance program consisting of 14 hours during their tenth grade and then their eleventh grade. The ICT-assisted career guidance intervention program was conducted after students covered 6 hours of their regular career guidance program during their eleventh grade and it extended over 6 hours itself. Pre- and post-tests were administered to students and data was analyzed using SPSS 21.0 for windows. An independent sample t-test was carried to compare the means showing significant impact of the ICT-assisted intervention program on students. Limitations and recommendations are provided at the end of the study.
Keywords: Career Guidance, ICT, School Improvement, counseling, counselor
Leadership Profile and School Improvement (Published)
Several research studies indicated that school leadership plays an important role in the improvement process of schools. However, the nature of this relationship is not clear and has been a blind spot in the corresponding literature (Harris, 2005). As such, the aim of this multiple case study is to shed light on the relationship between school improvement and school leadership. Eight Lebanese private schools principals constituted the participants of this study. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected from various sources. Qualitative data was analyzed using the procedures of the grounded theory. Quantitative data was collected to provide better interpretation of the collected qualitative data. A leadership profile for school improvement was suggested as a result of this study. A set of leadership attributes seems to be necessary for school improvement efforts to succeed. In particular, school leaders must be knowledgeable, systems thinkers, and data-driven, with a vision guided by student-centered values.
Keywords: Data Driven Decision Making, Leadership, School Improvement, systems thinking