Research in Educational Policy and Management

Engaging Minds, Inspiring Motivation: The Impact of Integrating OER in Informal Learning Environments

Peter Ndiangui — 2025-01-21

This qualitative case study, conducted at a university in Southwest Florida, investigates the transformative role of Informal Learning Environments (ILEs) in enhancing student engagement and motivation. Examining diverse ILEs—including home settings, university spaces beyond classrooms, museums, community centers, malls, and digital platforms—the research highlights how these environments spark curiosity and promote self-directed learning. The study engaged twenty-nine participants, exploring how ILEs foster inquiry, critical thinking, and innovative problem-solving through dynamic, interactive experiences. Grounded in self-directed learning and constructivist theories, the research also examines the integration of Open Educational Resources (OERs) and informal strategies such as Autohistoria Teoría (learning through personal narrative), autodidacticism (self-guided learning), peripatetic learning (movement and dialogue) and several others. Semi-structured interviews captured qualitative insights into participants’ experiences. Findings reveal that ILEs significantly enhances subject-specific knowledge, nurture intrinsic motivation, and supports lifelong learning. By empowering learners to take ownership of their education, ILEs foster deeper engagement and a sustained passion for learning. While the sample size limits generalizability, the study provides actionable recommendations, encouraging educators, policymakers, and institutions to incorporate ILEs into formal education systems. For example, creating interactive, hands-on spaces and involving students in course design can drive engagement and motivation. This study underscores the pivotal role of ILEs in advancing educational innovation, advocating for their integration into traditional educational paradigms to transform how learning is designed and delivered.

Investigating the Academic Performance of Math-Phobic Middle School Students

Martin Chukwudi Ekeh — 2025-01-21

A staggering 80% of middle school students in Owerri Educational Zone 1, Nigeria, exhibit significant maths phobia, severely impacting their academic performance in mathematics. Based on a representative sample of 9,873 JSS2 students, this study reveals a statistically significant negative correlation between maths phobia and academic achievement, highlighting the detrimental influence of this pervasive issue. To address this critical challenge, the researchers propose a multi-faceted intervention encompassing three key areas: (1) Demystifying Mathematics: Traditional, phobia-inducing pedagogical approaches must be replaced with engaging and student-centred methods. Interactive activities, real-world applications, and positive reinforcement can foster positive attitudes and reduce phobias, transforming maths from a feared subject into an accessible and rewarding experience. (2) Strengthening Student Support: Recognising the isolating nature of maths phobia, the study emphasises the need for robust school counselling services. Equipped with appropriate coping mechanisms and strategies for managing phobia, students can navigate maths challenges with increased resilience and confidence. (3) Empowering Parents: Collaborative efforts between schools, parent-teacher associations, and educational professionals are crucial in educating parents on effective support strategies. Creating a supportive and inclusive environment where educators, counsellors, and parents work together can pave the way for a future where all students thrive in mathematics.

Principals and Teachers’ Perceptions about Using Technology in Children's Education

Nomazulu Alice Ngozwana — 2025-01-26

The use of technology in children's education has been a topic of interest after the COVID-19 pandemic. However, rural schools are often situated in remote and quite underdeveloped areas where there is lack of resources and basic infrastructure. This study reports on the principals and teachers’ perceptions about using technology in the classrooms, including devices aimed to improve children’s education. It was conducted within four Limpopo rural schools in South Africa. It used a phenomenological design, and qualitative approach to collect the data. A semi-structured interview guide was utilised with nine teachers and four school principals. The data were analysed thematically being a more accessible form of analysis for qualitative research. The findings showed the potential benefit of using technology to improve communication and children's education in those schools that have limited access to technology. Additionally, it was found that school policies forbid students from using technology on school property, which served as a barrier for its utilization in the classrooms. The study made a series of recommendations that could promote educational equity, boost student performance, and deepen the teacher-parent-school relationships in those rural schools.

Analysing the Influence of Principal Classroom Supervision on Literacy Instruction: Some Critical Perspectives

Bernadictus O'Brain Plaatjies — 2025-01-30

The literature indicates that instructional leadership, led by the school principal, substantially enhances instructional practices and learner performance. The application of instructional leadership to improve performance in key subjects, such as literacy, has become an important topic of discussion in research. This study aimed to analyse the influence of principal classroom supervision on literacy instruction, utilising the instructional leadership theory as a theoretical lens. The researcher adopted a qualitative desktop study approach, which involved gathering information and data from existing sources. The main tenets associated with the supervision of instruction were investigated. It further observed the influence and examined the impact of principal classroom supervision on instruction, predominantly in Grades 4-6. The findings revealed that principals have a crucial role to play, but that shared leadership approaches for improved literacy instruction are essential. The findings also showed that the supervision process is comprehensive and challenging, requiring careful planning and engagement. These findings imply that the supervision of instruction should receive more attention and intervention from all relevant educational stakeholders.

The Missing Middle in the Leadership Continuum: Voices of women deputy principals in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

Ntombikayise Nkosi — 2025-01-31

Current scholarship reveals that women in educational leadership face persisting challenges regarding school leadership. This paper examined the experiences of women deputy principals whose roles shift to oblivion within the school leadership continuum. The aim was to investigate how women deputy principals cope with the challenge of obscurity of their position within the school leadership hierarchy. We used role ambiguity theory as a framework. Role ambiguity occurs when employees have insufficient information to perform their jobs adequately or when performance evaluation methods are unclear. This paper argues that deputy principals are part of the school management team, however, their role as managers seems intangible and indefinable as the school principal and the departmental head are present to manage the school and the curriculum implementation, respectively. Underpinned by the interpretive paradigm, this qualitative paper used the phenomenological narrative inquiry as a research design, and through the narratives of the women, the paper focused on their lived experiences as deputy principals in schools. Data were analysed thematically. Findings revealed that participants faced different types of gender stereotyping, role ambiguity and felt invisible in their roles as women deputy principals. This paper recommends confronting patriarchal attitudes that infiltrate the school system, implementing capacity building through conducting seminars, workshops, and awareness programs, and revising policy to ensure that job descriptions are clearly defined, thereby avoiding ambiguities.