Islanders’ educational choice: Determinants of the students’ performance in the Cambridge International Certificate Exams in the Republic of Maldives

Yamada, Shoko; Fujikawa, Kiyoshi; Pangeni, Krishna

doi:10.1016/j.ijedudev.2015.01.001

Cited by 8 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Until 1992, secondary education was only available in Malé. What is unique to the Maldives is that international examinations from the UK are used at a system-wide level as secondary certification (Yamada et al 2015 ). It is not, as in some countries, a choice to sit the international O-level exams rather than a local national certificate.…”

Section: Maldives Context—a Small Island Developing Statementioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is not, as in some countries, a choice to sit the international O-level exams rather than a local national certificate. Yet, as Yamada et al ( 2015 , p. 61) ask, “Does the national adoption of an international certification equally affect students who take the exams?” This question is a product of how the use of O-level examinations has evolved over time as the education system expanded. Consequently the question is very relevant.…”

Section: Maldives Context—a Small Island Developing Statementioning

confidence: 99%

“…They revealed that 77% of students failed the English examination in 1999. This speaks to the large numbers of students who, over the years, have experienced failure in sitting these exams (World Bank, 2012 ; Yamada et al, 2015 ). Moreover, the English medium of instruction further differentiates Malé parents, who tend to have higher levels of English fluency, from island populations, positioning some families better than others for these examinations (Yamada et al, 2015 ).…”

Section: Maldives Context—a Small Island Developing Statementioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

“We cannot do away with exams: Parents believe in them, so does the wider community”. Reimagining the examination system in the Maldives

Sodiq

Biase

2022

Prospects

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This article presents an exploratory analysis of the external secondary examination system in the Republic of Maldives. The school system is structured around primary grades following a local national curriculum, secondary grades leading to O-level (Ordinary Level) examinations and higher secondary grades leading to A-level (Advanced Level) examinations. Based on desk data, the article analyses different dimensions of secondary and higher secondary education enrolments and attainment levels. It considers the implications from the reliance on British international examinations for students and schools. In addition, there is an exploration of the National Curriculum and equity in secondary education in relation to gender-specific outcomes and outcomes for students in rural atolls in comparison to the outcomes in urban capital island, Male’. The article concludes by considering alternatives to the reliance on international examinations and potential options for national certification that may be more aligned to local needs and relevant to the context.

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Section: Maldives Context—a Small Island Developing Statementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Maldives Context—a Small Island Developing Statementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Maldives Context—a Small Island Developing Statementioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

“We cannot do away with exams: Parents believe in them, so does the wider community”. Reimagining the examination system in the Maldives

Sodiq

Biase

2022

Prospects

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“…The country faces many challenges due to its distinctive geography, dispersed population, and limited resources (Di Biase, 2019). However, it has made impressive gains with regard to access to education (Yamada, Fujikawa, & Pangeni, 2015) and a high rate of reported functional literacy (98% in Dhivehi, 75% in English; National Bureau of Statistics, 2015). Until the 1950s, education had been conducted in Dhivehi, but was not widely accessible, and had been limited to literacy, numeracy and religious education (Yamada et al, 2015).…”

Section: Research Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

First Language Loss and Negative Attitudes Towards Dhivehi Among Young Maldivians: Is the English‐First Educational Policy to Blame?

Mohamed

2020

TESOL Quarterly

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This article focuses on the inequalities of an educational policy that favours English over the national language and the resulting impacts on young people. While the constitution identifies Dhivehi to be the official language of the Maldives, and the National Curriculum recognises both Dhivehi and English as languages of instruction, English has been the dominant language in education for several decades. This English‐first policy was initiated to modernise and develop the small island nation, limiting the space for Dhivehi in the curriculum. Following a sequential explanatory mixed‐methods design, the study investigates three aspects of this dual‐language context. It examines students’ attitudes towards Dhivehi and English, compares their language attainment, and considers the extent to which the curriculum fulfils students’ linguistic needs. The findings indicate that students’ attainment in Dhivehi lags behind their attainment in English and that many students feel inadequate and unprepared for the real‐world demands of both their languages. Furthermore, while young people recognise the uniqueness of Dhivehi and are proud to be affiliated with the language, they have a much higher regard for English because it is viewed as being more useful for their upward mobility. The implications for policy and practice are explored.

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“…Maldives is an island nation consisting of approximately 1190 tiny islands out of which only about 189 islands are inhabited. (Yamada, Fujikawa, & Pangeni, 2015). This is a dire situation and needs to be addressed immediately.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Untitled

2021

REAL

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Article InfoThere seems to be an assumption that an enhanced scientific foundation, in form of an application of research results, leads to better quality in schools and also to better student outcomes. The objective in this article is to explore how this demand can emerge in an action research project as well as in school principals' daily life. This is done in form of a case study were a group of principals enters a partnership with a researcher in their quest to apply a scientific approach in their own and, in their teachers' professions. This study provides a pertinent example of how this demand can emerge in practice. The theory of practice architectures (Kemmis & Grootenboer, 2008) is used as an analytical framing. The research questions are as follows: 1) How do the principals understand and realise the demand of a scientific approach in their roles as pedagogical leaders? 2) What happens when a group of principals and a researcher enters a partnership? 3) What practice architecture affect the partnership between the principals and the researcher? 4) What practice architecture affect the principals' pedagogical leadership actions in their schools?

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Islanders’ educational choice: Determinants of the students’ performance in the Cambridge International Certificate Exams in the Republic of Maldives

Cited by 8 publications

References 12 publications

“We cannot do away with exams: Parents believe in them, so does the wider community”. Reimagining the examination system in the Maldives

“We cannot do away with exams: Parents believe in them, so does the wider community”. Reimagining the examination system in the Maldives

First Language Loss and Negative Attitudes Towards Dhivehi Among Young Maldivians: Is the English‐First Educational Policy to Blame?

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