Researches in Education

Researches in Education

Why research in anything, particularly in education? I think there are several reasons for doing so. Foremost is the idea that we are not alone in this vast universe. No particular instant is ever so unique. I think the Preacher mentioned something like this. Wherefore, it is useless and stupid to assume that yours is a unique situation, or worse, you want to start from scratch, without referring to results of other researchers. The latter is just a sort of excuse. First, they maintained that the research situation in their school is different. Theirs is a different race, culture, gender, age group, country, wealth level, economic status. Their students and teachers have different attitudes, aptitudes, personalities, and motivation. The parameters are different. We can raise an infinite reason for not believing research. But all these boil down to the single reason of self-denial - to the fact that one simply don't get the value of statistical probability and decision making. It is like Hume debating Kant all over again. When you say that research situation is different in your school, you are speaking the truth. Indeed, Carl Jung once said that "The individual is an exception to the rule". But does that make us shun the results of research? By far no.

Research is what makes us stand on the shoulders of giants. We must grow from the findings of the past, checking and re-checking, improving and furthering, applying and misapplying past concepts to new situations.

We cannot start from scratch every time. Else, we will always need to reprove that water = H2O or that Pluto is a planet. I know that perhaps, in the future there will be a lot of improvements on those two statements. But those improvements will not make the statements here less correct. It is using the knowledge that we have at present - the science of our times.

I don't know why some people say they believe in science and yet won't apply the results of research. I think it has to do with confusion (they don't know which to apply, there seems to be millions - sometimes conflicting results), laziness (there are too many of them for me to just even read one), lack of time on the part of the educational leader, and finally, the general goal and direction of survival (they just want to survive the day, the quarter, the school year - minus the lawsuits of course).

Expectancy Theory Predictions

This is a review of an article I got from Proquest entitled Within-Person Expectancy Theory Predictions of Accounting Students' Motivation to Achieve Academic Success.

The authors are
Harrell, Adrian, Caldwell, Charles, Doty, Edwin. It was taken from The Accounting Review Sarasota: Oct 1985. Vol. 60, Iss. 4, p. 724 (12 pp.)


ISSN / ISBN 00014826
Proquest Document ID 925409
url http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=925409&Fmt=2&clientId=47883&RQT=309&VName=PQD
Abstract

Evidence is presented to support the contention that the force model of expectancy theory (Vroom, 1964) offers a useful conceptual framework for understanding a student's motivation to strive for academic success. Previous studies on this issue have used the methodologically flawed across-persons approach. Here, the within-persons decision modeling approach of Stahl and Harrell (1981) is employed. A total of 77 undergraduate students majoring in accounting voluntarily took part in the study and completed a decision-making exercise. Several important results were obtained: 1. Force model predictions of student motivation are very accurate (R=.85). 2. Increases in the value of expectancy result in declining marginal increases in a student's motivation. 3. A student's motivation to strive for academic success is positively related to the student's actual academic performance. The results have implications for the grading and other policies of accounting educators who want to establish a learning environment that encourages high student motivation.

Review: The article also probes into the question of grading. In my case, this is the most important point in this article. Since I am interested in student motivation, expectancy theory is almost automatically included in my research. Now, the inner workings of the theory presupposes our understanding of the valences of the people we are working with. The reward system that follows from our motivation should be considered - that is, whether they value this or not.

I am reminded of my child's behavior in front of the computer. She plays this activity cd for pre-school, which I bought sometime ago. In that activity, everytime she accomplishes something, she "receives" a train ticket. Now, after four such "tickets", she gets to choose the train destination from a variety of places - ruler land (her favorite), the land of numbers, the land of colors....etc. Now, I recently noticed that everytime she gets a correct answer, she would make this sound midway between crying and exasperation. And I would always ask her, "What's the matter, you got it correct, didn't you?" Worse will happen when she finally receives four of those. I was a little disturbed (I always am, anyway) at this especially since at times, she would deliberately pull a mistake, so I paid attention at what she is doing - she plays on my other computer beside my own computer (she says - this so big for daddy, this small - for baby) . I observed that most of the times, when choosing between the "hiding places" of the mouse, she would choose the wrong one first - "I am hiding behind something that is green", and she would choose the blue one first" before she chooses the correct one. I realized that the reason why she's doing that is because she wants to lengthen her play time. She doesn't want the ticket. She doesn't want the train ride. She wants the enjoyment.

In our case in school, some students would rather just focus on the learning, rather than the grades and the evaluation (testing). But how do we know? We should be focused on the students, and really try to find out - uncover their valences. If we know how to motivate them, then our teaching will be more fun and less exasperating.

Now, in the article at bar, the authors found out that there exists a high correlation between student academic achievement and their motivation to strive for academic success. If a student is motivated to strive for academic success, more likely he/she will have a higher academic achievement - whether measured in grades or other means.

Assertive Discipline (Canter and Canter)

Assertive Discipline (Canter and Canter, 1997)

Teachers should gain control of the classroom through insistence on students' appropriate behavior. Student infractions should be dealt with assertively.

* Assertive - "Sit down on your chair and do the seatwork now."
* Tell the student the expected behavior straightforwardly. No passivity nor hostility. Canter and Canter recommends saying the order up to three times, ignoring the distractions students will do - crying, cursing, excuses.
* Student: "I will sharpen my pencil first, teacher." Assertive teacher: "I understand. But I want you to sit down on your chair and do the seatwork now."
* Student: "Why are you always picking on me?" Assertive Teacher: "I understand what you feel, John. But I want you to sit down on your chair and do the seatwork now."
* Maintain eye contact and refer to the student with his/her name. Sometimes, we beat around the bush, perhaps for fear of embarrassing the student (especially in High School). But Canter and Canter maintain that we should refer to the misbehaving child immediately and by name. "Timothy, I want you to sit down and do your work." This the teacher says looking at Timothy straight in the eye. But there should be no hostility.
* Ignore the distractions of the students. "Sir, I am just borrowing pencil." "I understand, but you have to sit down and do your work." Focus on the rule and the behavior.
* If all else fails, do not be hostile. Do not curse. Deal with the misbehavior in a democratic way - through the rules. Remember that we are trying to grow democratic and law-abiding citizens in the classroom. They must also learn the penalty for breaking the norms and the law. But of course, there must be an appropriate punishment for every mistake. By appropriate, I mean that you cannot suspend a child for merely standing up. You cannot send him or her to the principal's office for merely disregarding your express wishes. You must be particular on the rules. The school must have its rules, and these must be clear on the students. If the issue is disobedience and disrespect, you must deal with it swiftly and justly. Else, all the other students will not respect you anymore. Be firm and considerate at the same time.
* Don't make excuses for the children. Don't let inadequate parenting, poor health and all else make excuse for a misbehavior. Treat all students fairly and equally. That's how it is in real life anyway.
* Don't disrupt the classes because of the misbehavior. Implement the consequence as simple as possible.

Study of APSA results in FHMS

This is a quantitative analysis of the academic / scholarship program of FHMS. In order to gauge the effectiveness of FHMS especially in delivering instruction, FHMS opted to employ the services of APSA (Asian Psychological Services and Assessment Corporation).

The 30 students of FHMS – Malolos were tested before they were accepted to the scholarship program. Chosen from more than 100 applicants, these students were accepted after submission of their card for grade 3, and subjected to interview by teachers. Their homes were also visited by our Social Worker, who rated their economic and social adequacy.

Before the classes started this June, these students were again tested on their academic aptitude in English (Language Arts), Science and Math.



Statement of the problem:

1. Are the increases in SAS (Scaled Ability Score) significant for a) English b) Science, and c) Math?
2. Are the increases in PR (Percentile Ranking) significant for a) English b) Science, and c) Math?
3. What among the following factors explain
i) high APSA SAS and
ii) high APSA SAS increase?

a. Gender
b. Age
c. Economic Adequacy
d. Social Adequacy
e. Teacher Factor/Grouping
f. Academic Performance in Grade 3
g. APSA Scores in Grade 3

4. Are there significant relationships among the following factors (taken two at a time or bivariate)?
a. English Grade 3 Grade
b. Math Grade 3 Grade
c. Science Grade 3 Grade
d. APSA English post Grade 3
e. APSA Math post Grade 3
f. ILA Grade for First Trimester
g. Math Grade for First Trimester
h. Science Grade for First Trimester
i. General Average for First Trimester
j. Percentile Rank – Star Reading (Renaissance Learning)
k. Percentile Rank – Star Math (Renaissance Learning)
l. APSA Grade 4 Pretest SAS in English
m. APSA Grade 4 Pretest SAS in Science
n. APSA Grade 4 Pretest SAS in Math
o. APSA Grade 4 Midterm SAS in English
p. APSA Grade 4 Midterm SAS in Science
q. APSA Grade 4 Midterm SAS in Math
5. Multiple Correlation – Predicting APSA Success
a. What predicts high SAS in English?
b. What predicts high SAS in Math?
c. What predicts high SAS in Science?
d. What predicts success in academics (high General Average)?
e. What predicts high conduct grade?
6. What is the path analysis of the success in APSA scoring, as demonstrated by high SAS scores?


Tools Used:

I used SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) 12.0, and Microsoft Excel 2003 to perform the following statistical treatment and analysis:

For number 1 and 2, Paired-wise Sample T-test;
For number 3, One-way ANOVA and Chi-Square;
For number 4, Pearson correlation
For number 5, Multiple Correlation / Linear Regression (stepwise)
For number 6, Path Analysis


Results:


1. a. Are the increases in SAS (Scaled Ability Score) significant for English?

Yes. The mean SAS for ILA increased 9% from 69.17 to 75.59. Paired-wise T-test for the paired scores yielded a p-value of 9.78 E -09, an error below 0.01%. Statistically speaking, we are sure that the two scores are significantly different 99.99%.

The distribution of students based on proficiency level (as reported by APSA) will point out the differences in nominal scale:

Proficiency Level June 2006 October 2006
Proficient 0 6
Progressing Towards Standards 12 24
Standards Not Met 17 0

b) Are the increases in SAS (Scaled Ability Score) significant for Science?

Yes. The mean SAS for Science increased 10% from 67.48 to 74.21. Paired-wise t-test for the paired scores yielded a p-value of 3.16 E -07, an error below 0.01%. Statistically speaking, we are sure that the two scores are significantly different 99.99% of the time.

The distribution of students based on proficiency level (as reported by APSA) will point out the differences in nominal scale:

Proficiency Level June 2006 October 2006
Proficient 0 5
Progressing Towards Standards 8 22
Standards Not Met 21 3

b) Are the increases in SAS (Scaled Ability Score) significant for Math?

Yes. The mean SAS for Math increased 10% from 71.24 to 78.13. Paired-wise t-test for the paired scores yielded a p-value of 2.73 E -08, an error below 0.01%. Statistically speaking, we are sure that the two scores are significantly different 99.99%.

The distribution of students based on proficiency level (as reported by APSA) will point out the differences in nominal scale:

Proficiency Level June 2006 October 2006
Proficient 2 13
Progressing Towards Standards 19 16
Standards Not Met 8 1


2. Are the increases in PR (Percentile Ranking) significant for a) English b) Science,
and c) Math?

For the questions above, the answers are all YES. PR ended up for English 122% (from 15.17 to 33.69), 124% for Science (13.38 to 29.97), and 103% (21.48 to 43.55) for Math. T-test gives significant differences for the three paired variables, with p-values lesser than 0.000. Hence, as above, we are 99.99% sure that the paired scores are significantly different.

It is also considered that FHMS’ student scores represent the aptitude for a grade 4 student in his/her 5th month. The standards used by APSA are based on students who have finished grade 4 already.

In fact, in the attached Excel file, I studied each APSA skill and found out that most of the wrong items are those items that have not been tackled yet in the classroom, following scope and sequence. Amazingly, there are items where FHMS scored better against the standards, even for those which have not tackled by all the groups especially in Math. (Please see attached file Apsa analysis of skills mastered, an excel file)


3. What among the following factors explain
i. high APSA SAS and
ii. high APSA SAS increase?

a. Gender – Although the girls have outdone the boys in APSA English, APSA Math, APSA Science, General Average, Star Reading PR, and Star Math PR, the difference cannot be attributed apart from chance. We cannot reject the null hypothesis; hence, there is no significant difference between the scores of the boys and the girls.

b. Age – For the age groups, we have three age groups in FHMS – Malolos: the 9 year olds (N=7), the 10 year olds (N=17) and the 11 year olds (N=6). We see here that the 9 year olds have the highest scores in all tests and the 11 year olds, the lowest. The differences in scores for the three groups are significant for the following: APSA Science (p=0.016), Math (p=0.048), Star Reading (p=0.034, the 9-year olds are better reader than the 11 year olds, and this difference is significant), and the General Average for First Trimester (p=0.024).
The nine year olds are the students who are early schoolers. In contrast, the 11 year olds are those students who have not started school early, or those who have not been promoted quickly. For example, Angela, our first honor last trimester is only 9, and she said she was promoted from kinder to grade 1. On the contrary, most of our 11 year olds are those who are struggling in academics (Moran, Macasiray)

c. Economic Adequacy
The result is a non-significant verdict. Economic Adequacy cannot explain high SAS in Science, English and Math.

d. Social Adequacy
Not significant for all APSA subjects.

e. Teacher Factor/Grouping.

Every child was factored as to their teachers for the first five months. For example, Aguillon started ILA last June with Teacher G (high group). When transfers were made to other groups last August, he wasn’t transferred. Then, after the first trimester test, he was transferred to Teacher M (higher group) where he stayed for two months. Hence, for the teacher factor, Aguillon stayed with Teacher G 60% of the time, and with Teacher M 40% of the time. His SAS increase in ILA is 4 points. This will reflect with Teacher G as 2.4 (4 x 60%) and with Teacher M as 1.6 (4 x 40%). This is done for Math and ILA, computing only the increases in SAS and in Percentile Ranking.

Chi-square was used to verify whether there is consistency in the share of each teacher in the increase, taking into consideration the time each student stayed with them.

For ILA, total increase for all students amounted to 186 points. Teacher G’s share is 52.59 (there was a period of time when the high group numbered only 6), Teacher M 73.12 (she handled more students), and Teacher A 60.29. Factoring all the increases of students to the shares of each teacher who handled each of them, we came up with a 67 pt increase in G, 79.4 in M, and 39.6 in A. Dividing the total time the students were with them, we have an average increase in G of 8.17, M, 6.96 and A, 4.21.

Chi-square checked this against the theoretical probability scores for each teacher share and the result is a significant verdict with p = 0.003. Hence, for ILA, teacher is a factor.

For Math, the result is more or less the same. Average increase in Teacher G is 8.55, M 5.6 and A 5.76. Chi square analysis gives a verdict of significant difference, with p = 0.014. Hence, allowing 1.4% error, we are sure that teacher is a factor in Math APSA results.

I used only the SAS increase because considering SAS per se will all the more give higher score to G in Math, who handled the highest group. It will also skew Teacher A in ILA who handled the highest group 60% of the time, or to Teacher G, who handled them 40% of the time.

f. Academic Performance in Grade 3
Not significant enough for English (p=0.064), Science (p=0.869) and Math (p=0.425).

g. APSA Scores in Grade 3
Not significant enough, with p-value of 0.101 for English SAS. For Science SAS, it is significant (p=0.023). The highest performers in APSA Grade 3 scored an average of 78.83 as compared to the lowest performers from APSA Grade 3, whose average is at 71.5 only.

It is also significant for Math SAS, with the scores coming from the 3rd group (those who ranked 13th to 18th in APSA grade 3) outperforming even the 1st group (those who ranked 1st to 6th in APSA grade 3). Their average is 82, as compared to 78.03 by all the groups. The 1st group (those who ranked 1st to 6th in APSA Grade 3) has an average of 80. This may prove that FHMS is not catering only for the brightest. Indeed, those who perform very well in our midterm APSA test were not always the best from grade 3. Neither are they the ones who did very well in APSA grade 3.

4. Are there significant relationships among the following factors (taken two at a time or bivariate)?

Before I give the correlations, let me define the terms here. “Correlated” in this part of the study means that there is a significant (p < 0.05, or 95% certainty) relationship between the two variables. Now, “highly correlated” will mean that the relationship between the two variables is highly significant with p < 0.01, or 99% certainty.
a. English Grade 3 Grade. Highly correlated to Math grade 3, Science grade 3, APSA English post grade 3, Science grade for first trimester, General Average for first trimester, APSA Grade 4 English pretest. Correlated with ILA grade for first Trimester, Math grade for first Trimester, Percentile Rank for Star Math, APSA Math 4 Pretest, APSA English SAS Midterm and APSA Math SAS Midterm.

Here, it would appear that one of the best predictors of success in our students is their grade in English from grade 3. This is understandable since our class revolves around the Language class, in accordance to the SIOP background. Even Science success in class is presupposed by the student success in English grade 3. Now, we also see a consistency of grades in grade 3. The grades of Math, Science and English are all highly correlated against each other. Also, it has significant relationships with all the APSA test results for both pretest and midterm test.


b. Math Grade 3 Grade. Highly correlated with Science grade 3, Science grade for first trimester, General Average for first trimester, APSA Grade 4 ILA Pretest. Correlated with Math grade for first trimester, PR Rank – Star Math, APSA Grade 4 Math Pretest, and APSA Grade 4 Math Midterm SAS.

No new knowledge here. As in English 3 grade, Math 3 grades predict success in APSA and Academics.

c. Science Grade 3 Grade. Highly correlated with Science grade for First Trimester, and APSA Grade 4 English Pretest. Correlated with APSA English post grade 3 test, Math grade for first trimester, General Average for first trimester, APSA Grade 4 English Mid SAS.

Same as in Math 3 and English 3.

d. APSA English post Grade 3. Correlated with Science grade for first trimester. Highly correlated with APSA English midterm SAS. Both English APSA tests are correlated, which is understandable.

e. APSA Math post Grade 3. Highly correlated with ILA grade for first trimester, APSA Grade 4 Science Midterm SAS, and APSA Grade 4 Math Midterm SAS.

The result here points out that those who were good in math in grade 3 (evidenced by our APSA grade 3 posttest) are most likely to get high SAS for Science and Math in the midterm. Science and Math are of course related with each other, especially in the measurement part.

f. ILA Grade for First Trimester. Highly correlated with Math, Science and General Average for First Trimester, Percentile Ranking for Star Reading, APSA Midterm SAS for Math, APSA Midterm SAS for Science, and APSA Midterm SAS for English. It is also correlated with Percentile Rank in Star Math.

This will point out that our grading system is consistent with the true aptitude of the students, and their classroom performance predicts APSA success or failure.

g. Math Grade for First Trimester. Highly correlated with Science grade, General Average, PR in Star Math, PR in Star Reading, APSA Midterm Math and APSA Midterm Science. It is also correlated with APSA Midterm English (p=0.03).

Again, we have the same conclusion as above. Math grade for first trimester is representative of the students’ aptitude, not only in Math, but also in Science and English.

h. Science Grade for First Trimester. Highly correlated with General Average for First Trimester, PR in Star Math, PR in Star Reading, APSA Midterm SAS for Science, Math and English.

Science grade seems to be most representative of the student’s APSA success in academics and a good predictor of APSA success.

i. General Average for First Trimester. Highly correlated with Star Reading, Star Math, APSA Midterm SAS for Science, English and Math
j. Percentile Rank – Star Reading (Renaissance Learning). Correlated with Star Math, Math SAS Midterm APSA. Highly correlated with English and Science APSA Midterm SAS
k. Percentile Rank – Star Math (Renaissance Learning). Highly correlated with English and Math SAS APSA Midterm. Correlated with Science SAS APSA Midterm.
l. APSA Grade 4 Pretest SAS in English. Not correlated
m. APSA Grade 4 Pretest SAS in Science. Highly correlated with Science and Math Midterm SAS APSA.
n. APSA Grade 4 Pretest SAS in Math. Correlated with APSA English Midterm SAS.
o. APSA Grade 4 Midterm SAS in English. Highly Correlated with Science APSA Midterm SAS
p. APSA Grade 4 Midterm SAS in Science. Highly Correlated with Math APSA Midterm SAS
q. APSA Grade 4 Midterm SAS in Math. Follows from above.
5. Multiple Correlation – Predicting APSA Success

I used multiple correlation using linear regression analysis (SPSS-assisted, stepwise) in order to identify the best predictors for APSA high SAS. I considered many models, as will be clear in the attachment (Predicting APSA Success2.doc) and the model presented here is the best model.
a. What predicts high SAS in English?
The best model is the one with the following factors as predictors:
APSA English 3 post grade 3 and Percentile Rank in Star Reading. This model has an R of 0.719 and an R-square of 0.516. This means that this regression line accounts for the variance in the variables 51.60% of the time. It is significant with p=0.000

Coefficients are: Star Reading 0.782, APSA Grade 3 English, 0.321. The coefficient of the constant is 49.691. All are significant with p < 0.01

Hence, APSA SAS English = 0.782 Star Reading + 0.321 APSA Grade 3 English + 49.691

Another model to be considered uses the General Average for the First Trimester, although the coefficients given to Star Reading is higher (0.564), followed by General Average (0.291). Lastly, we have APSA Grade 3 English (0.268). This simply means that in predicting English SAS APSA, it is more important to note their score in Star Reading. Then, we must consider their First Trimester General Average. Lastly, we must take a look at their previous APSA English results from Grade 3.

b. What predicts high SAS in Math?

The only predictor given by the Linear Regression is the General Average for the First Trimester. This regression line has an R of 0.786, an R-square of 0.618, and is significant with p=0.000. This means that this regression line allows error of 0.000+ % only, and can account for the variance of the variable 61.8% of the time.

Coefficient of General Average is 1.360 (Significant with p=0.000). Constant is at -34.111 (significant, p=0.05). Hence, regression line is

APSA Science SAS = 1.36 General Average – 34.111

c. What predicts high SAS in Science?

Again, amazingly, the only predictor given by the Linear Regression is the General Average for the First Trimester. This regression line has an R of 0.760, an R-square of 0.577, and is significant with p=0.000. This means that this regression line allows error of 0.000+ % only, and can account for the variance of the variable 57.7% of the time.

Coefficient of General Average is 1.118 (Significant with p=0.000). Constant is at -17.981 (not significant, p=0.247). Hence, regression line is

APSA Science SAS = 1.118 General Average – 17.981

d. What predicts success in academics (high General Average)?
e. What predicts high conduct grade?
6. What is the path analysis of the success in APSA scoring, as demonstrated by high SAS scores?

Development Program for a High School

1. Philosophy and Objectives. Since the Philosophy must be formulated in the light of the clientele, we must first investigate whether the clientele finds the school objectives and philosophy as something that benefits them.

a. Determine the needs of students

b. Determine the objectives of parents in sending their children to us.

c. Determine the needs of the community as to its classification, its present work needs, and what sets it apart from other communities.

d. Review the philosophy and objectives of the school, and conduct a self-evaluation, using a survey on parents, teachers, administrators and even students, specifically to test whether they think that the philosophy and objectives of the school are pertinent and working or not. If not, it should be replaced with a working philosophy, which will be imbibed by the school, its officials and teachers, and the students themselves.

e. After reviewing (or formulating) the philosophy and objectives of the school, it should be written to the students’ handbook and stated in the bulletin. Teachers and students alike will memorize it. All activities will be centered to its objectives. Parents will be informed of them and the community will be given copies of it, in order to tell them of the school’s ideals and objectives. It is the belief of the proponent that many prospective students will be won by the school, if we formulate our philosophy and objective correctly and fittingly – that is, to the needs of the community.

f. Every statement of the philosophy and objectives of the school must be centered on the development of the intellectual, moral, social, and physical aspects of the learner.

g. Following the mandate of the Constitution, we shall “inculcate patriotism and nationalism, foster love of humanity, respect for human rights, appreciation of the role of national heroes in the historical development of the country, teach the rights and duties of citizenship, strengthen ethical and spiritual values, develop moral character and personal discipline, encourage critical and creative thinking, broaden scientific and technological knowledge, and promote vocational efficiency”.



2. Faculty. The faculty, needless to remark, is that which will either make or break a school. In fact, of the 23 points in PAASCU accreditation, Faculty and Instruction – which is also dependent on the Faculty – make up 10. Clearly, what determines school quality is the strength of the Faculty and their Classroom Instruction (James O’ Donnell, SJ). In connection with this, it is the conviction of the proponent that education starts for the teachers. Teachers need to be educated more than the students, because they are the ones modeling the school for us. They are our representatives to the students, and the outside world. Hence, improving the faculty and the classroom instruction is the priority of any reasonable school.

a. Determine the philosophy of teachers. Test their loyalty to the institution. If a teacher’s philosophy is not at par with the philosophy of the school, tell the teacher concerned. Remind him or her that we must all look towards the same directions.

b. Have an initial faculty evaluation, both by the principal and the students. Test the attitude of students to the faculty as a whole, using the instrument made by Atento and Quinto (2005).

c. Determine if there is a need for additional faculty or lesser faculty.

d. Determine the qualifications and preparedness of faculty. Convince the faculty that in five years time, the school will be undergoing accreditation, so they must be academically prepared. Convince on taking up units in masteral education

e. Determine the goals of faculty.

f. Determine the problems encountered by faculty in their teaching.

g. Determine the degree of mastery of teachers in their subject.

h. Conduct seminars on professional development of the teachers.

i. Research for journal articles and research materials for professional reading of teachers

j. Determine the length of service of faculty in teaching, including the years from other schools.

k. Improve the faculty selection. Give better test instruments geared for classification and research on the faculty – whether the faculty is competent and his/her strengths and weaknesses.

l. Gauge professional performance of faculty.

m. Design doable and affordable faculty improvement program.

n. Review and comment on the teaching assignment, load, and salary scheme of faculty

o. Determine and evaluate the school policy on tenureship, leave of absence, dismissal and retirement provisions.

p. Organize activities meant to educate the teachers and transfer in them the true ideals of being a teacher.




3. Instruction.


A school should manifest deep concern for the quality of instruction offered to its students and give evidence of efforts to make instruction effective.

a. Design a system of preparation of test questions, meant for content validation by the principal.

b. Review and improve diagnostic examinations being given to incoming students.

c. Prepare a study for correlating results of diagnostic examinations to performance of students.

d. Let the teachers prepare TOS for every examination.

e. Teach the teachers on how to study the results of their examination through descriptive statistics, and item analysis for difficulty and discrimination.

f. Design a system of follow-up for students who graduated and are already in college.

g. Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the curriculum. Present improvement for development of curriculum. Seek the help of the veteran teachers in re-designing the curriculum ultimately.

h. Let the teachers submit their subject matter budget for the year and prepare a curriculum matrix from this. (from grade 1 to fourth year)

i. Help the teachers in realizing the need to improve the classroom teaching procedure through effective strategies, varied methods and affordable but efficient materials and teaching aids.

j. Seek the suggestions of teachers in improving the teaching materials and aids for use in classroom instruction.

k. Initiate a series of in-house seminars meant for improvement of the faculty in:

1. Writing and Executing Effective Lesson Plans
2. Teaching Methods
3. Teaching Strategies
4. Classroom Management
5. Test Construction
6. Item Analysis
7. HOTS and Critical Thinking


l. Review the present textbooks being used. Tell the faculty to design their own modules for review and publication for the next year. Textbooks then will be discarded and merely used for reference.

m. Design instruments to gauge students’ critical thinking, or document its existence through observation.

n. Implement strictly the punctuality and attendance of teachers. Make a system of substitution for teachers in case of absences. Tell the teachers to prepare a weekly module as evaluation procedures in case of their absence.

o. Let the teachers prepare the school register daily, to check for students who are always absent.

p. Review class schedules and length. Review the number of students per classroom.

q. Tell the teachers to design student-centered activities.

r. Study on how to gauge and document student-preparedness and participation.

s. Study on how to gauge critical thinking and scientific attitude among students.

t. Review the grading system employed by the school.

u. Design a rubric for the components of the grading system.

v. Let the teachers prepare rubrics for project grades and recitation/character and homeroom grade for uniformity.

w. Computerize the grading process and propose a computerized grading system from class record to grading sheets, to consolidated sheets, to cards, to permanent records and report on promotions.

x. Review the extra-curricular activities. Implement better activities geared towards scholarly development of students: oratorical contests, fora and symposia, dramatics, students' publications and science exhibitions.

y. Propose a better educational guidance to students. Interview students on their inclinations and aspirations, their goals and career preferences.

z. Organize a better remediation program for students who have a need for it.

aa. Formalize the system of parent communication. Open the doors to parents and convince them that we must work hand and hand to improve the quality of education, especially on their children.

bb. Identify the gifted students and give them special requirements and tasks to stimulate their mind.



4. Library

The school library (and audio-visual center, if there is) is not a mere storage place for books and materials. It is a dynamic institution for teaching the love and use of books and other instructional materials. To be really effective, the library must be vitally correlated with the objectives of the school. Therefore, provision should be made for the early orientation of the students to the library and audiovisual center

a. Let the librarian review the books and try to correlate the books the school has with the objectives of the school.

b. The librarian is expected to note the attendance of students during break times and vacant periods. This analysis is done to gauge the students’ love for books and learning.

c. Impose on the need for teachers to give challenging assignments, which will make use of the library materials, and other reading materials such as periodicals, magazines, and research materials.

d. Encourage the teachers to list down better library materials, books and teaching materials, and rate them as “immediately needed” or “needed”, so that a proposal for their order may be done.

e. Analyze the qualification, academic preparation and salary scheme of the library personnel

f. Evaluate and propose an improved library funding

g. Let the students evaluate the library and materials through a survey.



5. Laboratory


a. Evaluate the space of classroom whether there is an adequate space and provision for demonstration and exhibits appropriate for the Science, Technology and Home Economics (THE), and Computer Education courses.

b. Inspect whether there is adequate laboratory facilities for Science, THE and Computer subjects

c. Inspect whether there is adequate equipment and supplies for each of the laboratory courses offered by the school.

d. Evaluate the maintenance procedures and improvement programs for laboratory facilities and equipment.

e. Document laboratory experiments and students’ work for exhibit purposes. Design experiments that are affordable, replicable, original, and can be improved on.

f. Analyze experiments, whether they are using the resources of the community, and catering for its needs. Also, analyze whether they are using the scientific method, and in line with the mission vision of the school



6. Physical Plant

a. Inspect whether the site is indeed adequate for the attainment of the school’s objectives.

b. Inspect whether the site is located in a wholesome environment, free of moral and physical hazards and unsanitary conditions.

c. Inspect whether the size of the school meets the requirements of the present and prospective enrollment of the school.

d. Inspect whether it is easily accessible to the clientele of the school.

e. Evaluate whether the campus is well planned and adequate for the social, physical, cultural and religious interests of the school. Also, whether it is provided with adequate facilities for all curricular and co curricular activities

f. Inspect whether the buildings are of reasonably permanent, earthquake and fire resistant construction. Evaluate whether the same insures a sufficiently quiet atmosphere and the safe and convenient circulation of the school population.

g. Ascertain whether the plant conforms with the socio economic conditions of the community in which it exists

h. Evaluate the buildings if these are well illuminated and ventilated and provided with a sufficient water supply.

i. Inspect if there are adequate drinking and sanitation facilities.

j. Check for provisions for bulletin board space, precautions against fire, proper disposal of waste, custodial staff services and facilities.

k. Inspect whether classrooms are large enough to accommodate the enrollment therein (about one square meter per student). Also, whether these are adequately equipped with furniture and blackboards. Further, lighting, ventilation, aesthetic appearance, and freedom from noise should be satisfactory.

l. Check the institution’s provision for adequate facilities for food service.

m. Check for adequacy of provision for clinic for medical and dental examinations.

n. Check for adequacy of provision for administrative offices, a faculty room and other auxiliary services.

7. Student Services

a. Improve the entrance tests for prospective students. Identify their needs, learning styles, multiple intelligences, attitudes, personality, motivation, confidence, aptitude and readiness for each level, informing with parents the strengths and weaknesses of each, and suggesting on the means and ways to improve the student’s performance.

b. Define ways to predict student’s academic performance based on the testing program

c. Evaluate the physical and medical examinations of students.

d. Appraise the guidance program of students that should reflect the philosophy and objectives of the school.

e. Develop an orientation program for new students, and a reorientation program for the old students.

f. Organize and develop a student inventory service, containing vital information for each student, including psychological tests, aptitude test results etc.

g. Evaluate the testing service of the school, and suggest ways to improve it.

h. Appraise the counseling service of the school and suggest ways to make it efficient.

i. Improve the remediation program and the enrichment service offered by the school

j. Improve the vocation and career orientation of students, giving vital assessment of counseling on students’ career preference.

k. Initiate the follow-up service of the school for its graduates.

l. Appraise the student activity program and the student council.



8. Administration

a. Suggest on the ways to improve the administration of the school, based on the standards set by the PAASCU.


9. The School and the Community

a. Prepare a survey intended on the community the school serves, its needs and resources.

b. Analyze the school relationship with the community and seek ways to improve it and document the process.

c. Inform the community of the school’s mission and vision, its philosophy and objectives, its programs and services.

d. Develop the social awareness of students by inculcating in their minds the need to know the community where they are in.

e. Provide a program of activities for students’ immersion in the community.


10. Enrolment

a. Find better ways to attract new clientele. Apply the knowledge we have of the community’s needs to attract new students.

b. Start an all-out campaign to raise the enrolment by at least 30% a year for the next 5 years.



11. Student Discipline

a. Apply the students’ test and psychological results to find ways to handle the students.

b. Educate the students on the role of discipline to success.

c. Seek the help of teachers and parents to maintain discipline.

d. Improve the rules and regulations of the school and let the students and teachers know about them.

Trends, Impact and the Challenge of Technology

Dr. Nitz V. Habulan

A reflection by George Atento


Whether we accept it or not, we have come to the point in our lives wherein, technology has permeated our existence by so much. It is as evident to most of us as that the sun is bright. However, for some, there is still much hesitation for technology. I would like to view this attitude like towers of ignorance, nonchalance or even technophobia – but it has been breached. The “enemy” for so many people who are technophobic – has arrived and infiltrated their ranks. Call this piece a call for surrender, a holy and humble yielding. Call it resignation to the will of destiny. Call it adaptability. But somehow, we must do it. We must yield because there are no more choices before us. Technology is here to stay. It has arrived and it has conquered. In fact, it is even at the brink of overthrowing people, displacing jobs, substituting existence, and even emotions. The movies have touched on these things for the greater part of the last century, and somehow their propositions have played between the realms of sci-fi and absurdity. But today, it’s quite a different story. These things have become a reality. And as the article of Dr. Habulan expounded most effectively, technology has become like a tsunami, raging across boundaries in a warp mode.

It has long been believed that at least technology cannot replace jobs that are centered on humans, like counseling and education. Again, these assumptions are blown to the wind. Although strictly speaking, we cannot remove the presence of a human instructor on every classroom, technology has multiplied the efficiency of the classroom instruction, by giving way to virtual classrooms and e-learning. Hence, in course taking, what normally takes a year for a student – bright or otherwise – to finish will take an aggressive and responsible student just a fraction of that time. Now we hear of young people who have multiple advanced courses and post-graduate degrees! I am wont to remember the scene in The Matrix wherein Neo, the protagonist learned all the kung fu styles in just a fraction of a day, through computer download.

Again, even in counseling, we are invaded with do-it-yourself psychological tests that tackle personality, emotions, love, intelligence, stress and even spirituality. At the end of each test, an email of propositions will be given to one confused and able (technologically, that is) soul – suggestions that may spell the difference on their lives. Technology has prevailed once more. So much so that psychologists, psychiatrists and counselors alike are even adjudged as mediocre without the knowledge of these Computer Aided Tests. Indeed, the net floods us with do-it-yourself tests that normally should take you to Oxford or Stanford University. But now, it is – as Dra. Habulan says – just a mouse-click away.

In the Philippines, however, most of our learning institutions have not moved towards the trend of technology the selection points out. It is sad – to the point of mourning – that even the better and able schools have not yet moved towards the trend worldwide. The public school system of course will not dare dream about it yet, because at present the ratio of computer to child in public high school is still a pitiful 1 to 300. I even read in an article that in the public elementary schools, the ratio is something like 1500 or so to 1! We are at the point of no return – towards globalization. And I dare not use the word “emerging” nor even “budding”, because it has passed that period of safety years ago. And here we are, a country categorized as “developing”, still considering technology as a far-fetched dream in most of our schools. How could this be? If we cannot embrace technology that has become the only tool for development, how can we be considered developing? I opine that if we will not do anything about this grim reality, we might end up as another Africa, in the next century. The indicators are there, and they are glaring red for everyone to see. But our government focuses on other things – mad politicking, graft, corruption, jueteng scandals and election frauds and protests. In the first place, a fully computerized election would have kept us from experiencing these things.

As in any thing that pushes alteration in humanity’s way of living, technology has its grim realities too that we have to address, let alone consider. Technology is pushing a massive and speedy change in our way of lives, and the fear of being overrun by machines, as modern fiction posits it, is lurking on the minds of some concerned people. The moralists insist on the loose morals some techno-based gadgets and stuffs are bringing about. The parents complain of not being able to talk to their children anymore, because they are busy surfing the net or texting their friends. The psychologists speak of the same breaking down of communication among members of families that may lead to family failure and confused children later on. The intellectuals are disturbed by youths being unable to be personal in their communication, or being too dependent on their gadgets. The teachers, on the other hand, complain of grammatical weakness on the part of students. But, all said, these things are historical realities that we must accept and face.

When cars were first invented, some people said that cars would increase the incidence of heart problems because they will take away the walking in people. When television was invented, the puritans classified it as a tool of the devil. Looking back, perhaps they were right. But one thing is for sure - we cannot simply ignore the reality that these things are here to stay. It is either we adapt or we become stuck with our old beliefs and old ways. Technology is the tool of humanity. Because of it, we have cured diseases that were fatal last century. Because of it, we have reached the far reaches of the universe. Because of it, we have expanded our knowledge and capabilities.

It is queer but “technology” comes from two Greek words that mean study of art. In fact, the tools that were used by our ancient fathers – their farming tools of 12,000 years ago are all considered part of technology. These “technological breakthroughs” made them control their food supply and freed people from nomadic existence. In turn, this heralded the evolution of cities and towns. Early farming tools date from about 6000 BC – for example, the axe was used for clearing; flint sickles were used for harvesting cereal crops; a flat rock and rounded stone were used for grinding flour; and perforated clay slabs were probably used to ventilate bread ovens. And again, these tools are considered technology during those times.

Again, since we cannot do away with technology, nor – in education – merely choose among the many gadgets and devices that will fit us, we have to adapt, and use these things in order to better our lives. Such is the true objective of technology. While we are anxious of its repercussions and ill use, we must set out our path towards the good things technology can do in our lives. Humanity is marching as a whole – nay, it is running, even riding a vehicle – and we cannot march on our own. We cannot ignore the success of humanity and remain in our primitive ways like the Amish Mennonites. Nor can we, as St. Thomas Aquinas would say, reject the findings of earlier science, lest we want to reprove everything from the very beginning. As he said, it took one scientist 30 years to study the nature of a bee. Hence, proceeding in the same may, we might end up beginning to doubt everything – attempting to prove that the earth is round, that the sun is the center of the solar system, and that two molecules of Hydrogen and one molecule of Oxygen yield a water molecule. Point is, we must march with the scientific and technological breakthroughs of humanity as a whole. We cannot retrace the steps we had. We must go forward and not back. Since, therefore, we cannot help but accept technology, we must learn to adapt.

I still believe that if we look down deep inside our hearts, and truly know our strengths, weaknesses and our goals, we will be able to bridge the difference. The bedrock of our lives consists of the values and aspirations of our inner selves, and what our goals and objectives are. These things define our existence and meaning. These things make us humans and define our true essence. Hence, back to the soul level, devoid of techno gadgets we are very much humans, spiritual and moral at that. And we should stay that way. There is no technology for the person who has lost the values of his spirit

Come to think of it, all the problems and concerns raised up on technology are adaptive ones. They are more into questions on core values and philosophy. Instead of breaking down relationships, I am confident that technology brings people closer now. In fact, we can communicate with our friends from various parts of the planet with much ease and little use of monetary resources. Instead of loosening our morals, technology should convince us, as it has convinced many atheists – that the mathematical order and certainty in the vastness of the almost infinite universe points to a great purpose and a great architect – God Who in His Great Wisdom and Love designed everything that there is. Instead of breaking down families through lack of communication, technology should bring them closer together through cellphones’ SMS and MMS, email, chat, webcam, and all the gadgetries of improved computerized communication systems. Instead of being poor in communication skills, the more we should become better through the many software available teaching us to improve our grammar and sentence construction. In fact, now, you do not need to hire a proofreader to check your simple grammar, nor even a language instructor to learn a new language. Through available softwares, I am able to study Spanish, French, Italian, and German all at the same time. The other things are challenges that we have to answer. They are tough but if our spirit is intact, then we will not have a problem. Devoid of gadgetries, we are humans, and through our intellect and will, we choose to be where we want to be. And in the end, we hope to end up in God Who is the Only Thirst of our souls. To Him be the glory forever. Laus Deo.




George Atento
San Pedro, Laguna
2005

Leadership in Education: Five Commonalities

By: Mark F. Goldberg

Reflection by George Atento


The article recalls the 43 interviews done by the author on so-called “educational leaders”. These are principals, teachers and even city mayors. What the author came up is a list of the common qualities of a leader in education.


BEDROCK BELIEF

I believe that this quality refers to the goals set by the educational leaders. When a leader sets goals, he or she believes these can be achieved. These goals are specific, time-bound and measurable. They are also challenging and realistic. If goals are well made, then the only thing needed is the leader’s belief that these goals can indeed be achieved by his/her organization. Change is not only possible among all people. It is a day-to-day necessity. Leaders only need to present the stimulus of change, and the reasonableness of absorbing it.

There are problems that will be met along the way. A man who knows where he is going, who is convinced of the necessity of his goals, will eventually find a way to pull through.

COURAGE TO SWIM UPSTREAM

Mere belief in your own goals does not imply leadership success. There will surely be problems along the way. Hence, courage to swim upstream, or go against the normal flow of things is greatly needed. Again, we are presented the question of change. People are so afraid to change their ways because culture becomes deeply rooted in their lives. Once they got used to a certain way of doing things, they become resistant to change. But change, we must. Therefore, as leaders, we must prepare ourselves with enough courage to go against the tide of the status quo and the hostility of people who got used to the status quo.

Another thing we must be ready to fight with is despair. Most of the times, change takes so long to happen. There are almost an infinite number of given. And most of the time, the innovations we are hoping for are dependent on many things: political moves, economy moves, stock market fluctuations, prices of oil, labor problems, wage disparity problems, results of national and local elections, etc. Here in the Philippines, the most we can hope for is that the one deciding up there in the Department of Education will take up one or two of the most pertinent issues you (as teacher) have proposed fifteen years ago. Fact of the matter is, change does happen. But it requires years, and a big amount of faith. If a leader believes so much in his ideals, he is ready to wait for years, even lifetimes, in order to make his work put to completion. As a leader, he is aware that he is merely passing the torch, making it a little brighter, for the future world to see. “It is better to light just one little candle than to forever curse the darkness.” One does not know how the finish line looks like, but he must take these small steps everyday, to make him nearer to it. When Disneyland was constructed, it is said that one of the older executives of Disney Productions remarked, “I hope Walt was here to see this”. To which, someone remarked, “Walt saw this, that is why we are seeing it now”.


SOCIAL CONSCIENCE


It is a bit of a surprise that again, the consideration of society and the community where the organization operates, is a common requirement of leadership. Whatever we do, we must address the issues of crime and poverty, among the many societal issues and problems. Leadership cannot operate apart from the community. In the Fullan article, the same is being said. In this article, we have no theories being laid down. What we have are matter-of-fact answers of known education leaders from all walks of life. If educational leadership is to be successful, it must address societal concerns and tackle it head-on. Education is for social transformation. If education does not teach children how to behave, we will just leave them to “turn their arithmetic to roguery and their literature to lust” (John Ruskin).

The issues of society are the things we must teach the children today. If they are not ready for them, they will be disillusioned in the future. They will despair to the harsh realities of life: that cognitive food does not satisfy the soul of society. Then, later they will realize that the chasm that separates the rich and the poor for example is too big to handle. We must offer the solution now.


SERIOUSNESS OF PURPOSE

Goals and courage mean nothing without the definiteness of purpose. One seminar I attended maintained that a person who continually changes his goals would not achieve any of them. If you must light pieces of papers with a magnifying glass, you must fix your glass under the sun. Indeed, as was mentioned above, the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. You cannot expect the educational system to change in one day, just because you recently became the principal of your school. “We are here for the long haul” (Theodore Sizer).

Napoleon Hill in his book “Think and Grow Rich” mentioned something about this through the concept of bulldog tenacity. He mentioned Edison who broke 10,000 bulbs before he became successful with the light bulb that works. When Edison was asked whether he felt bad about the 9,999 bulbs, he said, “Not at all. I just regarded them as 9,999 ways of not making a light bulb”. Again, we must be serious in our purpose before we can achieve anything. People follow leaders who are serious in their purpose. Gandhi was just 90pounds, yet he rallied the almost 200million Indians with a thousand diverse beliefs, towards independence. Such is the magic of definiteness of purpose. And this requires not a small amount of rigor and integrity. No one follows a leader without honor. Hence, the leadership problems in our country.


SITUATIONAL MASTERY

There is another requirement of leadership, and one that may easily be called the x factor in leadership. If the previous four are attitudes, this requirement is a skill. I believe that most leaders who are goal-oriented individuals do not become leaders, or even fail as leaders because of this. Conjoined to the quest for perfection in leadership is the responsibility of working with diverse personalities and talents. Some will even say that they have to put up with little or no-talent. On the contrary, I believe that all people are endowed with talents and creativity. The challenge in leadership is trying to identify, nurture, and put these to use, according to the needs of the organization as a whole. Also, there is the need of convincing these people to stay.

These are the perennial questions in leadership. How do you maintain a well-oiled organization with people of different talents and inclinations, yet looking towards a single, definite goal you have set? How do you keep them in the organization and help in the reculturing process of the whole association? All these questions have good answers in the theoretical side. But in the practical side of the coin, one is left to wonder.

In the Philippines, the main problem is lack of capital. Sometimes, we cannot hire the best people because we cannot pay for them. Further, there are needs that should be addressed, and most of the times, the means necessary are not far from financial and/or material. All these things, a leader must face, including his own self-esteem and the addressing of his material as well as emotional needs.

Not every one is called for the job of leadership. You must be fit for the job. And what are the requirements? Not a few: great amounts of faith, hope, courage and all the positive attitudes of successful people. And the exact fit of the talents and skills required for the task at hand.

Reshaping School Leadership

Reshaping School Leadership

Leadership for the 21st century: Breaking the Bonds of Dependency
By: Michael Fullan

Reflection by George Atento

Two factors were identified in the article as contributing to dependency: overload and vulnerability. Although we cannot make a good comparison right now of how overload is to be classified as such, we may say that most school leaders, particularly principals here in the Philippines, are experiencing overload. For example, in public schools, they are also taking care of the canteen, and the beautification of the school. Some principals even handle financial management, student discipline, marketing, and still others. Most of them operate on little or no budget at all.

Indeed, as a newly hired principal of a basic education school, this particular article is very timely for me. As expected, I started out strong, since there was a change in responsibility for me. Idealism is written all over me. Reform the school! That was my mission. But I did not realize that “change” is something hard, almost revolutionary. Hence, in our discussion in class, I was prompted to react against too much emphasis on change. I felt the philosophical debate starting all over again: Parmenides on one end, holding Being to be true; Heraclitus on another, giving that lofty position to Change, or Becoming. I felt that I was again in the midst of the ancient question of motion and becoming, and was almost tempted to quote Aristotle’s “potency and act”, but I held my ground.

My experiences with my present school prompted me to be careful to “change”. The quotation from Evans made me laugh in utter recognizance: A leader needs to “innovate, but cannot spend much money, replace any personnel, or upset any constituency”. (Evans, 1995). Indeed, there are so many given, so many “Untouchables” that you wonder in the first place how it’s going to be done. While it is easy to create a utopian goal, you have to face diverse personalities, cultures, norms, beliefs and personal attitudes. And these are fixated by the gods of Olympus, mind you.

Fullan, in his book, What’s Worth Fighting Out There proposed four guidelines in 1998 regarding School Leadership:


RESPECT THOSE YOU WANT TO SILENCE

There is only one thing certain in leadership: resistance. In my case, it is quite strong. Here am I, a 34-year-old former banker, who has only four years of teaching behind and a huge flame in my heart that no one can see yet. And I am trying to tell teachers almost twice older than I am, with five times teaching-experience than I have that we can increase our enrolment four-fold and increase their salaries twice in the process. It was too much for them. Someone said that I was teaching them faster than they can learn.

There is resistance, and it must be silenced. And the key word is respect. What Maurer proposed is quite clear. You cannot start with the assumption that everything they say is wrong. If indeed, they are mistaken, there is still something true in what they say. If you must arrive at the truth, says St. Thomas Aquinas, you have to listen to all views: “If you must arrive at the truth, listen to even to the dull and ignorant, for they too have something to say”. Since we are new to the place, as we often are, or because we are busy looking at the finish line, we sometimes fail to see things that are evident to them: a small rock on the road perhaps. In a way, we become like a Progressivist, taking into consideration what they hold dear, in order to influence them. Indeed, as St. Paul said, “To the Jew, I became a Jew; to the Greek, a Greek”. If we must influence, we must respect. For Piaget, Freud, Erikson and a host of psychologists: we must assess their needs and attitudes. Hence, for me, over and above the courage to effect change, is the humility to listen to those who will experience the change we are proposing.

MOVE TOWARDS THE DANGER IN FORMING NEW ALLIANCES

Here we are reminded of the need to form a good relationship with the community. In order for schools to increase, the leader must take up the clientele’s needs and aspirations. We cannot talk about technology and science-enriched curriculum in a setting centered on cottage industries or garment factories. We must consider the community where we belong, and this is part of the goals of the school leader.

In the PAASCU questionnaire, community holds an important part. In fact, according to Palma (Curriculum Development System), we must consider the expectations of the community and the clientele, before we can make a final list of the Instructional Objectives (p.161ff) of the school. Hence, curriculum engineering is even a by-product of the community among many other factors.

MANAGE EMOTIONALLY AS WELL AS RATIONALLY

In this section, Fullan proposed to use our heart as well as our mind in dealing with people. The result of my Management, Supervisory and Attitudes toward Employees, which is part of the entrance examinations with DLSU, is quite revealing. My management attitude is “High”, while my supervisory attitude is “Average”. In contrast, my attitude towards employees is “Low”, with a p-value of only 12. I think that upon reaching the position of being the principal, I knew I had to change from being so friendly to people, to being firm and uncompromising. Perhaps, I was exacting from my staff the same things I exact from myself. Perhaps also, I am afraid that these people will start to take me for granted once I show friendliness towards them. Hence, I started very strong. My adminstrator even remarked that some teachers feel that they have not done anything right since the start of the school, ten years ago. Perhaps, they view me as unrealistically idealistic. I was dumbfounded. Here I am, faced with 200 days of school year, my first time as a principal, already failing as a leader. After all the motivational and leadership books since high school, here I am becoming too hard in my leadership styles. I believe that in order to succeed in influencing people, we must take into consideration the feelings of people: “Not too tightly or it might break, not too loosely or it might slip away”. (Amanda Gardner) People indeed fail not in theory, but in practice.

Napoleon Bonaparte knew this. He said, “There are no bad soldiers, only bad officers”. The great emperor, though barely 5 feet in height, conquered half the world, through his big heart. It is said that he even goes to his soldiers’ ranks and engages them in lively talks about their families and loved ones at home. They know them and their feelings; hence, they are ready to die for him.

Hence, from the strong beginning, I am now taking things to a stride. Rome wasn’t made in a day, my mother always tells me. Fullan mentioned about reculturing, not restructuring. You must help them reshape their cultures and norms, in order to progress. They won’t change from outside. As a leader, I must only convince them the reasonableness and even the necessity of changing. This, they must do from within.


FIGHT FOR LOST CAUSES

Hope against all hopes. Several times along the way, we will go home despaired and utterly confused. We will be beating our hearts and asking “What the h*** am I doing here? I don’t belong here”. (Creep, Radiohead) We must be optimistic, since there will be fits of indecision and despair, even insanity. Without someone to hope against all hopes, the organization fails. My teachers told me the first day of meeting with them: “Sir, we know we’re not bad teachers. Only, we don’t have a leader to tell us where to go”. I guess someone needs to tell us where to go. Or simply, where this or that path leads. That we can choose our own. For me, all these spell being goal-oriented. If a leader believes enough in his goals, and he is ready to face hell and high waters so that his goals will be fulfilled, everything will happen, and there is nothing impossible for him, for a man of faith.

Hence, for me, a leader ought to show his constituents the goals that he (or the organization) formulated. He or she must explain to them the reasonableness, the necessity and practicality of these goals. Then, when everything is agreed upon, he or she must be ready to see to it that these goals are fulfilled in the proper way, and at the proper time, through his constituents’ talents, creativity and self-programmed choices and plan of action.

FINAL WORD

Overload and vulnerability? Are these defeatable?

I do believe that there is hope! We can actually do something for the benefit of education at large. If we believe we can, and persist smartly (cf. Prof. Habulan) and hardly, we will make a difference. Then, our lives will be meaningful lives.

Submitted by: RAMON GEORGE ATENTO

When teammates raise a white flag

by: Paul W. Mulvey, John F. Veiga, Priscilla M. Elsass

A reflection by George Atento



Reading this article – like the other articles Dr. Habulan assigned us – is like going over the same experiences I have had, or am having in the various stages of my life. The very words from the article puts me back in time – as a youth leader, as President of church groups, as bank employee, bank officer, and teacher. It also makes me cogitate on my present position as principal.

It is in the management position that awareness is achieved on the importance of certain values and attitudes of leadership, and how a team becomes successful through cooperation. Team effort, cooperation, team spirit – all these things point to an important, nay, an essential thing in every organization, business or otherwise.

Cooperation in an enterprise – business or religious – was easy for me as a “teammate”, as a follower. As an employee in the number one branch of our bank, I had to do multiple tasks even without the supervision of my immediate supervisor. Often, this is done without filing for overtime. When I became the youngest accountant there – even though my bachelor course is in Mathematics, the more I engaged in multiple tasks because you have to focus on the whole, not just the part of every accounting entry and transaction. In that place, I never saw an employee do his task with the whole in mind – that, is, the company. All we hear of is this is my job, and that is yours. When someone else’s client comes in, he is asked to wait for the employee in charge of him/her. If the employee is absent, he is politely turned over to the officer. Worse, he/she will be asked to return some other time.

As teacher, I was the source of unity among the ranks. I was able to draw the best in people – my co-followers by simply inspiring them by my examples, and through the “friendship factor” mingled with humor, which became my character back then. And almost always, I make a difference in my organization by instilling positive energy and encouragements to my co-teachers, my co-employees. I see to it that everyone is comfortable. Even in adversity and drudgery. I believed then as I believe now that sometimes, a smile makes the difference. And as a follower, I was always ready to give that to the rank and file people. And sometimes, even to the middle managers.

Now, when we talk of leadership – of directing people someplace, through the direction of the company goals – the school’s mission and vision, there is much difference. I stayed long enough in the rank and file and somehow developed sensitivity to the needs and aspirations of these people. Now, when you become a leader, this sensitivity sometimes becomes a sort of a stumbling block. There are genuine benefits to this sensitivity and friendship, and there are also critical setbacks. When you become ultra-sensitive to the needs of your people, you worry a lot if they are able to cope with your pace. Sometimes, you fail to look to the goal and measure them merely by the strengths (and weaknesses) of your people. Some will not even call this sensitivity but a clinging to approval ratings.

Sometimes I would wonder, “How did our administrators view us then? Did they believe that we were raising a white flag when we would rather sit at the back rows during meetings?” Perhaps. But there is a reason even for sitting at the back row. Here again, sensitivity is needed. One cannot be a leader especially in this age, this new economy, without considering the goals, aspirations, needs and even fears of the rank. In the Art of War, Sun Tzu mentioned that you could not lead a band of soldiers without considering where they are. How can you orchestrate an attack when you are already at the hills, and your soldiers are still at the valleys?

Most administrators I know either fail to communicate their goals clearly to the rank and file – or they simply do not trust them enough. Perchance, they do not have a clear goal also. How can you give something you do not have?

I do not agree with the authors that the reason why teammates raise a white flag is because of the presence of someone with expertise. Even when there is a person with expertise in the team, there will be cooperation if each member knows the goals of the team, and what is expected of each of them. If the leader – especially if he/she is the person with expertise – is able to communicate what he/she wants everyone to do, and there is collegiality among the team members, then everyone will share inputs. The six statements given by the authors are not why teammates raise a white flag so to speak. These statements are the six favorite excuses of teammates why they do not want to share their thoughts in an organization. Here, humility is a big factor. Plus the “friendship factor” that I mentioned above. Without this from the expert or he leader, no one will really share his/her opinions.

One clear example is inside the classroom. Clearly, the teacher is the expert. But students share their opinions. The teacher elicits the answers from them. Perhaps, this is because the students know what is expected of them. Finally, they are given some allowance for failure. They know they won’t be laughed at for their mistakes. They know that they are students so they are allowed to make some of those.

So goes the same with the other “reasons”. The presentation of a compelling argument per se does not make middle managers or even staff members inhibit. If there is unity and collegiality among all members of the team, even the presence of a compelling argument makes you analyze your position and the position of the whole team. Team members will all the more posit their opinions, whether these are of agreement, points of query or total disagreement.

Again, if there is clear communication of goals and the task at hand, no one will question his own ability to contribute. If there is a climate of trust and confidence on every member of the organization, and this is communicated to every one, then this will not be a problem. Nor will there be meaningless or unimportant decision. Every decision, contrariwise, affects every unit. Every item to be taken up is considered as part of the whole. Hence, since the whole influences every part, every parcel of decision influences every unit and is undeniably important to each.

I believe that what is important in every environment is a communication of trust, of confidence. Leaders must expect the best from the people they lead. This may – in the short term – turn out to be sluggish. But, in the long term, this will prove to be better for the organization. Of course, this is given that the decision is not a matter of life and death that the leader must make immediately.

Leaders, for me, must allow his constituents to share their opinions, and let them realize whether or not these are viable or not. In the process, the leaders must give some allowance for failure. Let them create an environment where failure does not mean death. Failure shakes an organization, but if there is clear policy, genuine justice and humane consideration for weaknesses, then failure will not be so bad. And only then will teammates decide to contribute, because they know they are essential to the organization. Nor will they be criticized unjustly for their opinions. When the teammates contribute, then there is ownership, and cooperation. A lot will be at stake, even for the constituents. There is a clear transformation then from the so-called “X” syndrome to the “Y”, and even to Ouichi’s “Z”.

Hence, as a leader, we must realize that we cannot do everything on our own. This is true especially in schools. Even though you are a good principal, with clear goals and vision, but you are not a source of unity and collegiality among your members, it will be hard for you to stand. The school is a place of people, more than in any organization. And people have feelings and needs. The teachers can make you or break you. Hence, as a leader, we must consider the whole picture focusing not only on our goals, but also on the goals of our team members, our own teammates. They too have something to say. And these cannot be all wrong. We have to listen to them, and let them know that we do. Only then can our organization be a healthy one. Once, I heard of a motivator speak of success as 85% attitude and only 15% skills. Now, the figures are not theoretical to me anymore. Laus Deo. (Sta. Rosa, Laguna)