Teacher Accountability For Quality Education In Mauritius

Teacher right For gauge cultivation In Mauritius at that describe be non-homogeneous wallpapers and disciplines on instructor office oecumenical. Our paper focuses on teacher right in the Mauritanian context. In this study, we delibe consider that even though these studies ar stepping stones to conduct pedagogical survey, however they be non sufficient for qualitative research since a recent canvas from National Institute of Child Health and valet de chambre Development claims, compressed experimental and qualitative research that defines and characterizes effective tenet mannerologies that demonstrate change school-age child deed is limited. This regulate has been positive from teachers perspective and analyzes their role in the mastery and failure of students. The conditions identified be establish on a literature review on shoal and teacher answerability. Questionnaire information were dispassionate from a good example teacher sample (N = 206) in 6 enunciate Secondary inculcates in in the four-spot bringing upal zones of Mauritius.Keywords right, Qualitative greetledgeablenessThe withdraw for teacher answerableness is to evaluate a teacher, like evaluating any otherwise professional, one inevitably to determine what that professional needs to know and be able to do , and then how that professional demonstrates this knowledge through with(predicate) deed (John Schacter).Reports from education policy specialists c ar us see how we sustain to shake off failing trains, low-performing students, and little accountability (Unicef report, 2000) and how we can devise the affordable, reasonable, and possible accountability trunks and incentives we need to raise student information. Therefore, following Earl LeMahieu (cited in Earl, 20057) we historicalize that, Accounting is gathering, organising and reporting learning that describes motion. accountability is the conversation nigh what the information means and how it fits with everything else that we know, and ab aside how to use it to shuffle positive changes.In item various literatures stress upon how accountability has become a cornerstone of schools reforms. Gurr (20062) nones that, in recent eon thither has been intense interest in well-nigh parts of the world to create corpses for monitoring school performance. De Grauwe and Naidoo (200420) refer to the worldwide trend towards school rating.The Mauritian schoolhouse is presently experiencing a need to assure academic success and phylogeny for all students and the focus is on providing opportunities for students achievement and removes barriers to students access ( scheme end 2008- 2020). In this light the focus is on finding ways to reach oft students and on the implementation of strategies for fortunate inform and learning. At a prison term of rapid technological advances, there is a need to increase standards-based education through a intro of accountability to account for academic achievement (Strategy see 2008-2020).Global postureRecent reform initiatives have laid increasing emphasis on teacher accountability. The aim of President Clintons Goals 2000 Educate America Act of 1994 was to prison-breaking the focus from inputs to ensues and this reform initiative led to a national development of standard-based educational reform (Herrera Murray, 2006). correspond to McLaughlin and Shepard (1995), standards-based education can be specify as riding horse standards of performance in academic subject beas as a means of upward(a) the substance of school curricula and increasing the want and effort of students, teachers, and school systems and thereby improving student achievement. In do-gooder to setting high standards, the reform aimed at make educators feel trusty for what students learned and their performance on standardised tests (McLaughlin Shepard, 1995).The No Child left field Behind (NCLB) law (2002) mandates that USA severalises adopt comprehensive accountability systems for identifying and improving underperforming schools. The major focus of NCLB is to retain into account all children with a fair, equal and epochal opportunity to obtain high feel education.The moves towards a much balance and sustainable approach to school accountabilityprocesses in England followed the release of the Governments yard piece of music in 2003 called Every Child Matters. Under the accountability and desegregation proposal come to the forelined in this paper, the creation of an inspection frame mold for childrens service was to beactioned with the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) taking the lead in bringingtogether joint inspection teams. wreak and teacher accountability relates to an on passing game pursuit of quality improvement and at the same time providing public assurance. De Grauwe and Naidoo (200439) conclude that the challenge is not to choose mingled with accountability and quality improvement, but to find the right balance between these aims, between internal and foreign military rating, between the criteria set by central political science and those set by the school staff itself, between the consumes of the public and the needs of the professional community.Opinion is divided on the impact of school evaluation and accountability processes on the performance of schools. more authors question the inherent entertain of the components of rough(a) systems. Elmore (cited in Gurr, 20063) disputes the long-term worth of external accountability environments and suggests that for real and sustained school improvement, teachers and principals need to take more responsibility for the come to the forecomes they influence.Hattie (200512-13) argues that we must(prenominal) develop an accountability system that is located from the student direct upwards, right away involving and influencing the teacher and principal aim, as such(prenominal) a system is more like ly to have major effects on the quality of commandment and learning.Leithwood (2005) proposes the adoption of a reciprocal, professional approach. Together with the assessment of student progress, he emphasizes upon the importance of developing and appraising teachers performance against professional standards.The Reports on naturalize Accountability Framework Review, National and International Perspectives and Approaches help to have an cortical potential in the accountability processes in other countriesIn Scotland a system of proportional rejoinder has been established linked to the findings of school inspections.In some USA and Australian states various regional and district based work are called upon to can schools in response to reviews and the analysis of test results.Finland, confederation Korea and Singapore have a strong focus on teacher pedagogy and continued professional development for serving teachers and principals. In Finland the sign selection process for s tudents applying for the teacher education program is very rigorous. all(prenominal) teachers graduate with a get the hang degree (5 historic period).South Korea has recently introduced an evaluation system for teachers and principals, while in Singapore teachers and principals are appraised using the raise Performance direction System. Every school is to have a School Staff Developer to ensure that training and professional development programs encompass teacher needs while maintaining a focus on school goals. experience teachers in Ontario, Canada are formally evaluated every three years. Inexperienced teachers are mentored, squiffyly monitored and evaluated. An unsatisfactory rating for any teacher can result in a recommendation for termination.In contrast with command trends De Grauwe (200478) notes that in Finland, a country that consistently performs at the highest level in transnational tests, the national inspection system was discontinued in 1991. Decision-makers fe lt that the benefits from external inspection and advice services were minimal and that, in view of the high level of training and professionalism of teachers and the strong parental interest in the schooling of their children, quality control could be entirely trusted to t run up.Accountability as an Auditing digAn accountable educational system can be set up and managed through strategic training processes, which shape and guide the system, where it is going and how it is going to get there (Kaufman et al, 2002).In the work world, prudence and employees are held accountable. Those that do well gain merits and are promoted. The marketplace creates incentives for their efficient performance, holds them closely accountable, and rewards success. Likewise, the accountability principle extends to most sectors of Mauritian life more significantly the secluded sector. Unfortunately, the Mauritian school system lacks the marketplace accountability, which is seen only at the level of large-scale examination systems associated with higher achievement, Cambridge School Certificate and Higher School Certificate.Educators resistance to testing and accountability is not surprising and is rather to be expected. Neither doctors nor bricklayers would choose to be accountable for their effort, it would be much easier for them to put that alls well as they request higher compensation (Evers et al.) Government-generated movement for accountability is generally welcomed by the public, vigilantly accepted by the school staff office responsible for implementing them and skeptically viewed by the teachers who are to be appraised (Odhiambo, 2003). Accountability is a contentious and divisive issue regardless of the context inside which it operates. It is not unusual for teachers to openly, or covertly, resist involvement in estimation schemes for many reasons, ranging from a fear of negative information becoming public to a complete lack of trust in the appraiser (Dimmock Walker, 2005).According to the report prepared by Michael Heim for Hawaiis School Leadership Academy on Accountability in Education A Primer for School Leaders, the author based on contrary literature review comes up with the Conceptual model for accountability.Heim writes that, The critical nature of accountability, i.e., using authority justifiably and credibly, is an essential characteristic. The evaluative property is what distinguishes accountability from reporting. Furthermore he asks a simple question,Who is responsible for what to whom?The Who is Responsible? and To Whom? components contain numerous accountability providers and recipients policymakers, the government, education officials, school staff, parents, students, the general public, and special interest groups.It can be noticed that there is an internal-external dimension to accountability. That is, accountability relationships arise internally within the same organization, and also outwardly that is with recipien ts outside the organizationThe following plot tries to integrate various accountability frameworks found in the literature with the definition of accountability employ herein. The diagram contains the necessary components required of a conceptual model for accountability.Conceptual Accountability ModelCUsersAdminDesktopAccountability in Education A Primer for School Leaders_filesAccountability.pngSource M. Heim, Hawaiis School Leadership Academy on Accountability in Education A Primer for School LeadersTeachers are responsible for accomplishing tasks such as aligning curriculum, classroom instruction, and student assessment practices. Teachers are also responsible for truly involving others so that the co-production of learning can be successful. Attention must be stipulation throughout these efforts to thoughtfully cultivate a relationship with students. Accountability between students and teachers, teachers and parents, and students and parents, can only outlive on a mutually agreed relationships and responsibilities among them.Student learning is not a one way traffic or unidirectional, it encloses many factors, some of which are within the authority of school and its staff to control, and others which are not. some(prenominal) the educational circumstances and limiting factors contributing to educational goals, teachers must make a difference in the lives of children and youth. Teachers accountability for student outcomes, then, must cotton up the ways and extent to which they have contributed to making a difference. Testing students performance is useful, but information that shows growth or improvement over time is essential (Heim, ).1.3 Reform Initiatives on Accountability and Quality in the Mauritian Educational SystemInternational commitments such as Education for All, indigence Reduction and Growth Strategies, and the Millennium Development Goals increasingly influence system decisions and planning in the Mauritius education sector. Over the past decades, through the several(predicate) policy papers and reports, the Government has aimed at creating an education system antiphonal to the emerging needs of society. Besides, the new Programme-Based Budgeting (PBB) system demands achievement in cede for investment, and it requires a system of performance quantitys at all levels of the education system.According to the Strategy figure 2008-2020, the dream of the Government is to ensure Quality Education for all. Teacher performance, student assessment and the structure of the system are specialally designed to improve the quality of education and ensuring excellence for all. Quality in the education system requires accountability on the part of teachers for both the learning environments they provide and the learning outcomes they enable their students to achieve (Strategy Plan, 2008).In 1991, the Master Plan pointed out that there were insufficient accountability and poor communication within the educational system as duties and responsibilities were not glide byly defined. There was no School instruction Division. The Master plan therefore proposed an improved and more effective system of management by re-establishing policy and operational management of responsibilities at all levels to achieve accountability (Parsuramen, 1991). One of the recommendations of the White Paper (1997) was that Heads of Schools should manage their schools within clear policy guidelines and accountability parameters (Pillay, 1997). Moreover, the Action Plan (1998) insisted on accountability and transparency at each level and the setting up of a Quality Assurance Division in bon ton to achieve increased quality and cost effectiveness in the education system.At the turn of the new millennium, Obeegadoo in his reform plan closedown the Rat Race (2000) highlighted that for colleges to be centres of excellence, it is necessary to have a close monitoring of standards with clear lines of accountability. The Strategy Pl an 2008-2020 also indicated that performance indicators should be set up so as to increase the accountability of school personnel to produce results.Existing FrameworkThe Mauritian System has developed accountability frameworks which consist the components of school planning, school self-assessment, school reporting and school review (internal or external). Self-assessment and reporting are usually annually based, planning is often both longer term (3-5 years, strategic) and annual (operational) with review cycles.With the intent of ensuring the accountability of teachers within the educational system, the following indicators are in placeGuidelines such as, the National Curriculum Framework, define the task and responsibilities of teachers.The Personnel Management Manual of the Ministry ensures uniformity and stability of employee action through specified rules and regulations.Quality Assurance Teams assess teaching and learning.Heads of Schools monitor the work of teachers throug h steady class visits.A Performance Management System (PMS) is in place. subsequently being on a pilot basis in 2009, the system will be fully operational in 2011.Establishment of clear reporting guidelines and schedules.Performance Analysis Report provide statistical entropy on student achievement results and progression per centumage pass rate at SC and HSC level.1.5 Barriers/ Limitations that exist2 levels one general, second specific (related to our topic)According to David Blake (Quality Assurance in Teacher Leadership Education, A fiber study) the emerging framework for quality assessment in teacher evaluation is clearly problematic because many problems such as definition, workload, funding, bureaucracy and value are involved.Furthermore, sanctions and rewards are elements of the accountability processes and as mentioned above, teachers as the appraisee are excite of the appraiser. Furthermore to hold the appraisee accountable there needs to be sensible and reliable ass essment mechanisms.Teacher accountability, as per various studies, is very liberal utilization of the StudyThe purpose of the study is to find out whether state secondhand school teachers feel accountable for their students performance. This study examines the roles and responsibilities of state second-string coil teachers and it aims at transforming teachers into accountable, responsible competent collaborators, demonstrating vanquish practices.This article reviews the research on teachers accountability for quality education and proposes that by implementing firm teacher performance based accountability systems (The Milken Family Foundation, 2000), can improve teaching practices and ultimately students success.methodological analysisSurvey MethodThe survey method is a research method to gather data about people, their opinion and behaviours (Wikipedia, 2010). The survey method was selected as it is an efficient way of collecting information from a large event of respondent s. Survey is flexible as it produces a wider range of information compared to other methods, like direct observation, experimentation (Wikipedia, 2010). Several questions can be asked about the give backn topic, thus conferring considerable flexibility to the analysis, and standardised questions make measurement more accurate. Statistical tests can be used to determine validity, dependableness and statistical significance (Wikipedia, 2010). There are two types of surveys, namely questionnaires and interviews. Questionnaires are usually paper-and-pen instruments which the respondent completes whilst interviews are completed by the interviewer based on the say of the respondent (Trochim, 2006).For the purpose of our study, we found that the Questionnaire method would be best for our situation.Questionnaire DesignData was collected through the use of questionnaires. Our survey used the quantitative measure, i.e. forced-choice questions were used. Cross-sectional survey was used, as i nformation was gathered on a population of State Secondary College teachers, as of October 2010.Once we had selected Questionnaire as our survey method, we had to construct the survey itself by tackling a few issues, including the different types of questions, decisions about question content and purpose, decisions about question wording, decisions about response format, and, question placement and sequence in our questionnaire.Our survey consisted of close-ended questions, where the response options were gross(a) and mutually exclusive. Two types of response scales were used, namely, dichotomous, and four-point Likert.Five main sections have been punctually taken into consideration while designing the questionnaire namely Respondent Profile, provision and Preparation, Classroom Environment, Instruction, Professional Responsibilities and Support and Demand. These are essential components regarding collection of data in connection with teacher accountability for quality education. ParticipantsA representative sample of State Secondary School teachers was selected from a population of 3439 teachers so as to collect questionnaire data. The study was explained to the teachers and they were asked to fill in a questionnaire. The questionnaire data was collected from a sample of 206 teachers from 6 State Secondary Schools from the four Educational Zones in Mauritius. 3 of the schools are termed as State Colleges and are high-performing schools with an average pass rate of 80%, whilst the other 3 schools are low-performing schools with an average pass rate of 75%.The sample was 59% effeminate and 41% male the age ranged between 23 and 60 years with an average age of 30-40 years. The participants belonged to 14 different departments.Limitation of the studythough there are advantages to the questionnaire method, we would, however, like to point out that there are a number of weaknesses to the method. For instance, the quality of responses cannot be judged and respond ents honesty cannot be proven. Human biases for e.g. ego of the respondents are there.High response rates were not achieved out of the 300 questionnaires distributed, only 206 were retrieved. The period during which the survey was carried out was not take into account due to the fact that many teachers were involved in Cambridge examinations at that given time. Moreover, some respondents did not attempt a few questions whilst others, although having the best of intentions, could not find the time to respond to the questionnaire. Others misplaced the instrument or forgot to give in it.It was also noted that though secrecy was assured, some respondents were unwilling to provide certain information as they felt this would somehow intrude on their confidentiality, for e.g. some omitted to specify whether they were the Head of Department or not.RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONPurpose of studyThe purpose of the study is to find out whether state secondary school teachers feel accountable for thei r students performance. This study examines the roles and responsibilities of state secondary teachers and it aims at transforming teachers into accountable, responsible competent collaborators, demonstrating best practices.Respondent ProfileMale (%) female (%)Age group30-4041-505010.658.812.917.630.055.010.05.0Teaching experience5-15 yrs16-25 yrs25 yrs13.454.913.418.325.259.79.25.9Educational zone123412.958.815.312.922.341.39.926.4PostingGaetan Raynal SCShrimati Indira Gandhi selective serviceQuartier Militaire SSSSookdeo Bissoondoyal SCSir Leckraz Teeluck SSSSharma Jugdambi SSS13.121.43.614.334.513.126.411.615.79.914.022.3Type of postingPermanent depictMedco88.27.14.789.26.74.2DepartmentEnglishFrenchMathematicsScienceSocial Studies ready reckonerEconomicsAccountsHome EconomicsArt and DesignDesign and engineeringPhysical EducationOriental Languages/ HinduismMusic and Dance5.18.920.317.73.81.37.610.102.56.35.18.92.516.513.07.89.61.71.75.23.54.35.201.725.24.3Head of DepartmentYesNo 23.576.519.280.8Working periods16-2021-25252.43.622.671.44.15.825.664.5QualificationsDiplomaDegreeMasters4.869.026.25.065.329.8Professional trainingYesNo64.635.449.650.4Teacher Accountability/Effectivess Performance Management SystemOne of the governments principal stated reasons for introducing performance management into schools was that it claimed doing so would help improve the professional development of teachers (DfEE, 2000, p.3). The PMS (Performance Management System) in Mauritius allows the educator to be assessed based on a variety of competencies, of which he/she has to choose at least ten. This new tool of performance appraisal of teachers is still at its initial stage in Mauritian schools. The results obtained are provided below.Table 1 Educators self-rating based on competencies enlisted in PMS absolute frequencyPercentValid PercentCumulative PercentValid perpetually8340.341.341.3Often8239.840.882.1Rarely2512.112.494.5Never115.35.5100.0 hail20197.6100.0MissingSystem52 .4Total206100.0The study carried out by Brown, A (2005) showed that performance management can, under certain circumstances, help to improve the quality of primary education in England. with new challenges in the field of education, teachers also basically need to be assessed by such appraisal systems so as to maintain accountability. However, the study by Monyatsi, P. et al (2006) in the context of teacher perceptions of the effectiveness of teacher appraisal in Botswana concluded that though some teachers consider teacher appraisal as an axe ready to chop teachers which is contrary for the appraisal process to take to heart the purposes of accountability, yet, through the appraisal process as practiced in Botswana secondary schools, teachers can gain increased knowledge and skills, which ultimately enhance their performance in their daily duties in the schools Our study supports this fact as out of 205 respondents in this section, 146 educators organise and manage their classroom s effectively whereas on 2 of hem rarely do so.To bring about a rise in performance through efficiency and effectivenss, there are two major aspects which need to be taken into account. One, professional development of the teacher and second, accountability. The Strategy Plan 2008-2020 caters for this aspect by focusing onlifelong learning of the educator. With the growing challenges in education, teachers roles are changing rapidly. Globalisation and meeting international educational standards demand the teacher to be more professional in his/her teaching tasks. Teachers are expected to be equipped with updated trainings in pedagogy, teaching skills and professional development. Many countries are coming with teacher appraisal management systems so as to make the teacher of today become accountable at various levels.(ON DEMAND SUPPORT ?)The study conducted on teacher accountability present that the expectations of educators as far as support in the form of trainings, opportunit ies to work with experienced teachers or even participation in decision making are much below and somewhere, there is a co-relation between support and the accountability of educators towards their multiple tasks they perform. Though, many educators (107 often give remedial work, 94 often encourage group learning and 94 collect feedback on students performance whereas on 1 educator never does so in all the cases) are accountable towards their modes of instruction and are satisfied with their teaching practices, yet,some seem to be less accountable as far as performance of students on an overall basis is considered (18.9%). Many have held the parson responsible for the overall rate of failures or passes while detaching themselves from the schools performance. Normore (2004) mentions that being accountable means, among other things, being obligated or subject to giving an account. In saying that someone is accountable we could imply that he/she is obligated to give a report, descript ion, explanation, justifying analysis, or some form of exposition of reasons, causes, grounds, or motives for what we have observedTable 2 Educators feel rector is accountable for acedemic success/failure of studentsFrequencyPercentValid PercentCumulative PercentValidAlways4923.824.724.7Often5124.825.850.5Rarely6431.132.382.8Never3416.517.2100.0Total19896.1100.0MissingSystem83.9Total206100.0It implies that, based on our survey, educators in Mauritius are normally very much satisfied with performance at their departmental level rather than at the institutional level. Many (144 educators) assert that they are satisfied with their classroom teaching only.As for the Planning and Preparation aspect, most educators do prepare their Lesson Plans and their arrangement of Work on a regular basis (135 out of 206 ever do so). Out of 203, only 1 educator never preprares the schema of Work. Out of 203, 13 rarely align their objectives with the National Curriculum Framework. Hanley, C. (2009) documents a number of the ways in which accountability pressure has changed school instructional policies and practices in Floridas low-performing schools, and relate these instructional policy and practice changes to increased student performance.Many educators also felt that demonstrating a general feeling of warmth, explosive charge and respect towards their students make them accountable and thus, contribute to their professional development (140 unceasingly do so whereas only 3 never do so). odour responsible towards the classroom setting and oraginsing and managing classrooms effectively has an impact on the performance of students and therefore bring quality teaching, they believed. This is why, a considerable number of educators take care of these aspects with existing infrastructure at their particular schools. However, some educators (40 rarely and 4 never do so) do not feel responsible/accountable for preparing their students for competition and collaboration in a glob al economy. This confirms that the vision of the Ministry of Education and Human Resources, as stated in the Strategy Plan 2008-2010, has not totally reached the understanding of educators. Another reason might be that though the vision is noble yet appropriate infrastructure and training are hardly to be provided to schools for implementation.3.4 Teacher Experience a