Autonomy and accountability: the power/knowledge knot

Bogotch, Ira

doi:10.1080/13632434.2014.943173

Cited by 7 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 7 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The ideal types described by Glatter et al (2003) illustrate that autonomy is a dynamic concept and can have different forms in different governance regimes (Bogotch, 2014; Finnigan, 2007). What is defined as autonomy for schools in education laws does not necessarily result in the same for all schools.…”

Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Autonomy and accountability in schools serving disadvantaged communities

Klein

2017

JEA

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Purpose Increased school autonomy and accountability have been a common denominator of national reforms in otherwise heterogeneous governance systems in Europe and the USA. The paper argues that because schools serving disadvantaged communities (SSDCs) often have lower average performance, they are more often sanctioned or under closer scrutiny, but might also receive more additional resources. The purpose of this paper is to therefore analyze whether SSDCs have more or less autonomy than schools with a more advantageous context in four countries with heterogeneous autonomy and accountability policies. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on the data from the Programme for International Student Assessment 2012 school and student questionnaires from Finland, Germany, the UK, and the USA. The choice of countries is based on different governance models described by Glatter et al. (2003). The data are used to identify SSDCs and analyze the reported autonomy in resource allocation and curriculum and assessment. Using regression analyses, patterns are analyzed for each country individually. They are then juxtaposed and compared. Differences are related back to the governance models of the respective countries. Findings The results indicate an association between the communities the schools are serving and the autonomy either in the allocation of resources, or the curriculum and assessment. SSDCs appeared to have a little more autonomy than schools with a more advantageous context in Finland, Germany, and the UK, but less autonomy in the USA. The comparison suggests that in the USA, autonomy is rather a reward for schools that have the least amount of need, whereas in the other three countries it could be a result of strategies to improve schools in need. The paper discusses possible explanations in the policies and support structures for SSDCs. Originality/value The effects of increased school autonomy and accountability on student achievement have been discussed at length. How different accountability policies affect the autonomy of schools with the highest needs has so far not been studied. The study can be understood as a first step to unravel this association. Following steps should include in-depth investigations of the mechanisms underlying increased or diminished autonomy for SSDCs, and the consequences for school improvement in these schools.

show abstract

Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Autonomy and accountability in schools serving disadvantaged communities

Klein

2017

JEA

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…A school principal's role has become more dynamic in recent years, one subject to the many pressures, demands and various other factors in the new era of accountability (Alazmi and IJEM 35,1 Alenezi, 2020;Bogotch, 2014;Keddie and Holloway, 2019;Kılınç and G€ um€ uş, 2020). To reflect this changing role, most principals have indicated some level of concern about their ability to make legally correct decisions and acknowledged that they could make critical mistakes if they did not understand relevant aspects of the law (Findlay, 2006;Hariri et al, 2016).…”

Section: The Statement Of the Problemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Principals’ knowledge of school law in Kuwait: implications for professional development

Alazmi

2021

IJEM

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine a principal's knowledge of school law in Kuwait. It further aims to examine the relationship between a principal's knowledge of school law and other variables.Design/methodology/approachThe study employed a quantitative research paradigm. Data for this study, collected via survey, were collected from a sample of 369 public school principals.FindingsUsing descriptive and inferential statistical methods, the findings indicated that school principals have only limited knowledge about the legal rights of teachers and students. Furthermore, the results revealed a significant difference in knowledge of school law relative to a principal's gender, school level, years of experience, knowledge source and the number of completed school law training courses.Practical implicationsThe implications for professional development programs which prepare all school leaders to serve the needs of students’ and teachers’ rights are included.Originality/valueStudies showed that there is a lack of research regarding a principal's legal knowledge in the Arab countries. As such, this study examined a school principal's knowledge of school law in Kuwait and discussed the associated implications for principal professional development programs.

show abstract