Courses are the fundamental building blocks of educational programs, serving as a tangible representation of student attainment and the desired learning outcomes of the program. Despite their pivotal role in education, however, a standardized framework for the development, implementation, and enhancement of course specifications remains elusive. Given that different programs may employ varying formats with differing levels of detail, it is critical to establish a universal framework that enables instructors to adhere to quality standards at the program level. To this end, leveraging the ASEAN University Network – Quality Assurance (AUN-QA) and Quality Matters Rubric, this study seeks to optimize course quality assurance requirements and assess lecturers' perception of these proposed guidelines. Drawing on document analysis, semi-structured interviews, and importance-level measurement, the findings of this study underscore the significance of eight criteria, comprising a total of 25 quality requirements, in ensuring course quality. These criteria include learning outcomes, structure and content, instructional approaches, learning assessment, learner support, staff, and output. Notably, these criteria align with the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle theory, thereby promoting continuous improvement in education.

Research has shown that school leaders’ engagement in teacher induction is vital for establishing supportive school structures and conditions that are conducive to successful socialization and long-term sustenance of newly qualified teachers (NQTs). In Malta, the problem of teacher recruitment and a growing attrition rate is becoming very acute. This article describes findings from an exploratory qualitative study that examined the perceptions of five heads of schools regarding their engagement in the induction and mentoring programs that have been designed to support NQTs in Malta. The findings describe the ways through which the heads of school support NQTs and their advice for new heads of schools working with NQTs. The article offers a discussion of research results in relation to the extant literature and concludes with implications for practice and further research.

Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) directors are crucial for sustainable quality ECCD centre management, leading to a focus on efficient 21st-century practices. Planning principles are essential for managing the complexity of early childhood education services. This paper aimed to explore how ECCD directors plan management activities in their centres in Ghana. The study was conducted in sixteen ECCD centres located in five metropolitan and municipal districts within the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. The study involved 20 participants, including directors/head teachers and board members, selected using a purposive sampling strategy. Data were collected through interviews and document reviews. Although evidence from the study showed that ECCD directors put much effort into managing their centres, the study found that ECCD directors experience various challenges concerning applying the basic management principle of planning at their centres. In this article, the authors contend that planning is a crucial management function that sets achievable goals in line with the ECCD centre's vision and provides direction for actions to achieve ECCD goals. In addressing the identified challenges, the researchers developed a systems-based planning framework to guide directors in their planning roles at the ECCD centres.

Turnover in middle management can be very expensive for a school, not just financially, but also in terms of providing continuity of leadership, sustainability of management practices, and quality student experiences. Therefore, a rigorous understanding of why middle managers in schools are thinking of leaving post can provide senior leaders an opportunity to develop strategies to reduce this turnover cost. Using the case of Lady Agatha’s Boarding School in England, this paper uses a novel approach to investigate the complexities of school middle management from a social perspective, arguing that by using a Bordieuan lens, researchers can investigate the complex matrix nature of working in middle management. By using the Bordieuan tools of field, habitus, doxa, capital, and symbolic violence, researchers can observe the struggles that the middle managers engage in to acquire capital or resources compared to other actors in the field, as tournaments of socio-political dominance. By using this original ontological turn in analysing turnover antecedents, researchers as well as practitioners could make significant impacts in the way turnover can be understood and its costs mitigated.

Teachers are expected to influence the development of certain attributes, including courtesy, discipline, accountability, and diligence among learners. These attributes echo the basic premise of the child-friendly school framework (CFS) and the ideology of sustainable learning environments. In order for teachers to contribute towards efficacy in schools and in instructional activities, studies indicate that they should be satisfied. However, it has been revealed that in some Lesotho secondary schools, teachers are not happy with their jobs. The reported teachers’ discontent adversely affects their commitment and enthusiasm. In order to reveal the causes of teacher job dissatisfaction in some Lesotho secondary schools, this study adopted a narrative qualitative approach design. This approach was ideal as it enabled 10 purposively identified teachers in Leribe and Maseru to freely narrate their lived experiences. The Herzberg duality theory (HDT) and the Transformational leadership theory (TLT) were adopted as the philosophical underpinning for this study. The inductive thematic analysis approach was used to analyse the data generated for this study. The findings suggest that teacher job dissatisfaction in some Lesotho secondary schools is caused by factors such as the use of resources for personal gain, lack of maintenance, intolerance, and habitual absenteeism among principals. The findings further suggest that strategies including teacher involvement, impartiality, and external school auditing could reduce teacher job dissatisfaction and instead create the opposite effect.

Due to the fact that it is vitally important for the people of Latvia to preserve and develop their national identity in today’s globalized world, it is especially important to maintain a high level of art education quality and promote the well-being of art teachers more holistically. In the era of growing globalization and multiculturalism, supporting Latvia’s unique cultural values is vital. The aim of the study was to explore the well-being of music, ballet, dance, and visual art teachers in the context of the sustainable development of art education in Latvia. In the interdisciplinary study, 72 music, ballet, dance, and visual art teachers were involved. According to the well-being criteria (positive relationships with others, self-acceptance, autonomy, the meaning of life, skills to fulfill life’s needs, and life goals), the research results were differentiated by demographic indicators. Considering the influence of school principals on the well-being of art teachers, the study identifies school management activities that can contribute to well-being in the workplace.

Knowledge is increasingly a valuable asset that transfers among nations. This trend has led to challenges in producing the best graduates and competition among organizations to retain these talents. These global trends require skilled and highly productive employees. The Malaysian education sector is no exception to these changes, as academic functions are crucial in universities. The success of universities in accomplishing their goals depends on highly motivated and committed academics. Several past studies have identified the significance of quality of work life (QWL) in building a more committed and productive workforce in the education sector. However, studies on QWL and how organizational commitment (OC) reinforces its effect on job performance (JP) among academics in Malaysian research universities (RUs) are limited. Therefore, this inquiry explores the correlation between QWL, OC, and JP. A questionnaire was utilized for data collection from 387 academics, and the data were analyzed using SPSS 21.0. The findings reveal that QWL has a significant influence on OC and JP. Additionally, OC significantly influences JP and partially mediates the relationship between QWL and JP. As a result, improved QWL of the academics is necessary for enhancing their OC and JP.

The research's aim is to assess the services offered by Greek public secondary education schools, with the intention of identifying any discrepancies between students' expectations and their perceptions of the final services provided. The gaps discovered indicate that the school's educational services are not meeting student expectations in the five quality dimensions of the SERVQUAL model. To be specific, the average expectations are 4.44, perceptions are 3.11, and gaps are -1.33. The schools examined had a greater discrepancy in the dimensions measuring safety and emotional understanding, which was observed. The fact that the 5 factors are correlated with each other indicates the model's reliability. However, in relation to the independent variables of gender, age, and class, there appears to be a positive correlation across all factors, which is very weak and not statistically significant. In contrast, a low negative correlation appears to be present between only the demographics being considered. Therefore, demographic characteristics do not affect the quality of education in secondary schools. Our findings benefit decision-makers by assisting them in taking corrective actions necessary to enhance the quality of services provided by schools as part of a continuous improvement process in order to achieve a higher level of excellence. 

School leadership in Nepal is shaped by sociocultural, institutional, and resource-related challenges. This study fills a gap in the literature by examining leadership dynamics within this unique and diverse educational context. Guided by resilient leadership theory as a referent, this qualitative case study, grounded in a constructivist paradigm, involved semi-structured interviews with public high school principals to investigate their workplace challenges and coping strategies. The findings reveal challenges including sociocultural and gender biases, teachers’ resistance to modern pedagogical practices, and resource limitations. They navigate these challenges through strategies of humility, intrinsic motivation, and collaborative partnerships. The findings highlight the need for systemic reforms to promote gender equity, enhance professional development, and increase resource allocation. This study presents a resilient and adaptive leadership framework for policymakers, emphasising the need to implement gender-inclusive policies and leadership training programs to address the challenges faced by principals in their diverse educational contexts.

This study examines the characteristics, challenges, and strategies of school leadership in Cambodian high schools, with a focus on leadership in resource-constrained settings. Using a qualitative case study approach, the research investigates how principals in six northwestern provinces implement leadership practices to improve educational outcomes. Data were collected through semi structured interviews with 21 principals and analyzed via thematic analysis. Key findings reveal that visionary approaches, collaborative cultures, data-driven decision-making, and resilience characterize effective leadership. Challenges such as limited resources, variable teacher quality, and insufficient professional development hinder progress. The study contributes to educational leadership theory by highlighting the critical role of tailored leadership development programs and resource management in transforming underperforming schools. Practical implications include recommendations for policymakers to expand leadership training, enhance community engagement, and prioritize funding for underperforming schools. This research offers valuable insights for improving leadership in post conflict and resource-limited educational contexts.

This study explores the implementation of Differentiated Instruction (DI) in Philippine multigrade classrooms and develops a tool to assess teacher proficiency in DI. Employing an exploratory sequential mixed-method design, the qualitative phase included focus group discussions with eight multigrade teachers, capturing their experiences and challenges in DI. These insights informed the creation of the Multigrade Differentiated Instruction Performance Appraisal Tool, which assesses DI proficiency across instructional planning, delivery, and classroom management. The tool underwent expert validation and reliability testing, with Cronbach’s Alpha of 0.91, indicating high internal consistency. The quantitative phase surveyed 163 multigrade teachers, revealing that DI implementation was generally effective, particularly in aligning lessons with curriculum standards (M = 4.09, SD = 0.73) and fostering a supportive learning environment. However, teachers faced challenges in utilizing technology, contextualized materials, and diverse assessment methods. Findings support the DI Assessment Checklist as a valuable tool for teachers and administrators to enhance instructional practices through reflective teaching. Recommendations include expanding training programs, improving access to instructional resources, and integrating DI-focused technology training. Further research should explore regional variations in DI implementation to inform more localized educational policies. This study provides practical insights to support teachers in effectively managing the complexities of multigrade education, ensuring equitable and inclusive learning experiences for diverse learners.

The transitioning of Teacher Training Colleges into Colleges of Education as tertiary institutions by Act 847 is significant for ensuring strategic management change. This research investigated the strategic management of Dambai College of Education in the transitional change. The study adapted the methodological framework of the “Theory of Organisational Change” to ascertain leadership strategies that worked well in contributing to rapid positive transformation and their impact and those potential strategies to further improve the College. The study was qualitative with an interpretive paradigm and nominalist ontological and epistemological stance with participatory inquiry design. Homogeneous purposive sampling was used to select 15 participants for data collection. Data was collected through an open-ended questionnaire. Thematic analyses were done. Findings under strategies that worked include effective governance, recruitment, continuous professional development, Internally Generated Funds (IGF), merit-based remuneration of staff, and enhancement of physical infrastructure. The impact made includes boosting the morale of staff, students, traditional authorities, and other stakeholders; ownership of responsibility; improved learning outcomes; more spaces and equipment for effective work; and the College's improved outlook. Strategies to adopt include more stakeholder engagement and integration of technology. The research concluded that the college has transformed positively and needs to further improve its developmental agenda by adopting hybrid change models.

This study investigates the organising practices of directors in Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) centres, focusing on Ghana and offering insights applicable to global contexts. The research examines how directors manage resources, define tasks, delegate authority, and align organisational functions to achieve operational and educational goals. From the findings, four key themes emerged: resource allocation and management, task definition and role assignment, delegation and authority, and functional integration and task alignment. Public centres demonstrated greater efficiency due to clearer role definitions and effective delegation, while private centres faced challenges such as limited resources, role ambiguity, and reluctance to delegate authority. Task alignment with organisational goals and resource optimisation were found to be critical for maintaining operational coherence and meeting educational objectives. As a major contribution, the study develops an Integrated Organising Framework to guide ECCD directors in addressing these challenges. The framework offers practical strategies for improving resource allocation, clarifying roles, and fostering organisational alignment, particularly in resource-constrained settings. By addressing identified gaps, this framework provides a systematic approach to enhancing service delivery, staff performance, and operational efficiency while remaining adaptable to policy changes and diverse community needs.

This study comparatively examines state policies of university autonomy in the Eastern Neighborhood countries of the European Union, with a particular focus on Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova. Guided by the principles outlined in the 2007 Lisbon Declaration, the research investigates how university autonomy is shaped by state policies in these three countries. The study is grounded in the qualitative research design, drawing on document analysis, semi-structured interviews, and content analysis of legislative frameworks and higher education experts’ perspectives- including those of professors and administrative personnel. Five core features of university autonomy policies were identified: Legislative control over university autonomy, Political appointments to administrative positions, gaps between policymaking and implementation, the impact of funding on financial autonomy, and the existence of formal rather than substantive academic autonomy in relation to quality assurance standards. Two primary explanatory factors emerged: the scarcity of university resources and the persistence of centralized management practices. The study is framed through systems theory, drawing on the work of Alex Clark, Michael Hogg, and Ron Stewart in University Autonomy and Public Policy: A Systems Theory Perspective. From this perspective, universities, government bodies, and policymakers are understood as interdependent components of the broader systemic network, where actions taken by one entity influence the functioning of others. This research contributes to the limited academic literature on university autonomy in the EU’s Eastern Neighborhood by offering a cross-country comparison aligned with European higher education standards.