Challenges and Coping Strategies of Career Mothers Teaching in Selected Senior High Schools in The New Juaben Municipality of Ghana (Published)
Over the years, women’s position has changed remarkably from just a home keeper and baby maker and they are seen in various sector actively engaged in work outside the home. Despite these great strides, women seem to face many challenges, including discrimination and gender stereotypes. This study explored the challenges and coping strategies of career mothers teaching in selected senior high school in the New Juaben Municipality. The study adopted the qualitative research approach and used a case study design to explore the experiences of these career mothers. The study population consisted of career mothers teaching in senior high schools in the New Juaben Municipality. Purposive sampling technique was adopted to select twenty participants for the study. A semi-structured interview schedule was used to collect data from the participants. The data was analysed using thematic approach. The study revealed that career mothers teaching in senior high schools face challenges associated with role conflict between their work role and family responsibilities. They indicated that they managed the conflict through careful structuring and planning of their activities, prioritizing their responsibilities. It was also revealed that career mothers needed support from spouses, families, and colleagues in order to cope with their multiple roles. It is recommended that Ministry of Education through Ghana Education Service develop policies that enable career mothers to achieve work-life balance. Such policies may include career breaks, job sharing, flexible working arrangements and childcare policies.
Keywords: Challenges, Coping Strategies, Ghana, Senior High School, career mothers
Modern Roles of Saudi Teacher in Developing Higher-Order Thinking Skills among Learners for Meeting the Challenges of the Age of Technology and Knowledge Explosion (Published)
The present study aimed to identify the modern roles of Saudi teacher in the development of higher-order thinking skills to meet the challenges of the age of technology and knowledge explosion. To achieve the study objectives, the descriptive-survey method was adopted. Two questionnaires were prepared: The first one measure higher-order thinking skills that should be developed among learners to meet the challenges of the age of technology and knowledge explosion and the second measures the modern roles for the Saudi teacher to develop higher-order thinking skills. The tools were applied to (216) teachers from Abha. The study showed that the most important challenges are the speed of the production of knowledge, the spread of technology as well as the speed and intensity of the exchange of information and knowledge and the growing knowledge of electronic control and globalization, cultural and national identity, and changing the concepts and methods of human life. The participants agreed on all higher-order thinking skills that should be developed among learners. The participants’ agreement on all modern roles of the Saudi teachers for the development of higher-order thinking skills was high. There are no statistically significant differences at the significant level (0.05) between the means of responses attributed to the variables of (gender- specialization- years of experience- qualification- the educational stage)
Keywords: Challenges, Technology, knowledge explosion, teacher roles, thinking
CHALLENGES FACING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS: A CASE OF ELDORET EAST DISTRICT, KENYA (Published)
One of the primary and most important service industries in the public sector and communities is education. It is the quality of education that forms an enduring wealth and security of the societies and their people (Babbar, 1995). During the last two decades, the preservation of high quality and standards in education has become a major concern for educational institutions and the government. Consequently, the demand for explicit quality evaluation and assurance processes has been increased rapidly. The enormous funds which the government allocates to this sector makes it very important for those who manage education to ensure that the quality of education imparted in schools and other institutions of learning is of the required standard. During the 2012-2013 financial year, the government allocated Ksh 200 billion to the Ministry of Education in the budget (2012-2013 budget, GOK, 2012). This paper examines the challenges facing the implementation of Total Quality Management in Schools. The overall aim of this study was to evaluate the extent to which Total Quality Management principles are practiced in secondary schools in Eldoret East District.The study was carried out in Eldoret East District, Kenya. The study employed use of a survey research design and utilized the stratified random sampling technique for data collection. The instruments used for data collection were questionnaires and document analysis. The target populations used were principals, directors of studies and heads of departments of the selected schools. A total of 15 secondary schools in Eldoret East District participated in the study. The findings of the study revealed a number of challenges in the implementation of TQM as; Lack of commitment by the management and some staff members, Organizational culture in the school, Poor documentation, Insufficient training of key team players, Ineffective communication. The study is aimed at giving Academic scholars and implementers a practical view of the implementation process of Total Quality Management with the involved loophole. Those who wish to further their education will find new information, which will contribute to the building of their scholarly abilities and growth. It also gives a model to minimize these challenges.
Keywords: Challenges, Implementation, Secondary Schools, Total Quality Management (TQM)