Teachers’ perceptions of factors impeding school improvement in Serbia
In the last ten years the education system in Serbia has undergone a series of innovations which have encountered various obstacles. Teachers, as the key actors in the implementation of innovations, have implicit perceptions which may impact on the success of any school improvement. Therefo...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Drustvo Psihologa Srbije
2014-01-01
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| Series: | Psihologija |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0048-5705/2014/0048-57051402231J.pdf |
| Summary: | In the last ten years the education system in Serbia has undergone a series
of innovations which have encountered various obstacles. Teachers, as the key
actors in the implementation of innovations, have implicit perceptions which
may impact on the success of any school improvement. Therefore this study
employed a mixed methods research strategy to investigate what teachers see
as the obstacles to school improvement. A qualitative study implied four
focus groups with teachers, while quantitative data was gathered through a
questionnaire completed by 1,441 teachers from 40 primary schools from
different regions around Serbia. Factor analysis confirmed that the potential
obstacles could be grouped into six factors (Teachers’ incompetence, Material
and organizational barriers, Lack of systemic support, Student related
barriers, Lack of communication within the school, Lack of communication
between schools and stakeholders). Teachers see the biggest obstacles to
school improvement in student related and material and organizational
barriers. Teachers do not see themselves as the most significant source of
problems in improving the work of schools, but transfer responsibility onto
more general issues and external agents. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke
Republike Srbije, br. 179034: From encouraging initiative, cooperation and
creativity in education to new roles and identities in society i br. 47008:
Improving the quality and accessibility of education in modernization
processes in Serbia] |
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| ISSN: | 0048-5705 1451-9283 |