A Story of Change and Innovation to Enhance Quality of Schooling:
A Case Study of AKU-IED Impact
This study investigates the impact of the Aga Khan University Institute for Educational Development (AKU-IED) led school improvement programmes that include Certificate, Diploma and Master's programmes in teacher education for "partner schools" being offered over the last 10 years. The 15-month long study was intended to (a) help understand and identify the changes that have occurred in the schools, (b) document the processes that led to the change, and (c) factors that facilitated/inhibited this process. Four broad areas of school improvement -- (i) Classroom teaching and learning processes, (ii) Student outcomes, (iii) Academic coordination, and (iv) Teacher-teacher interaction were identified from the literature as the focus of reserach (Thiessen & Anderson, 1999; Hopkins & Reynolds, 2001). A qualitative approach was considered most appropriate for understanding reform efforts. A multi-stage sampling process was used to select seven schools out of 107, as "cases" that had at least five years of continuous interaction with AKU-IED and had a variety of staff graduate from AKU-IED. Each case was researched by one of the eight-member research teams.
This paper presents the case of Shining Star Academy (SSA), a private English-medium, boy's school, from classes 6-10, located in Karachi. The school is a part of a system owned by a religious community, governed by a Board of Governors that includes representation from the school management. Data was collected through multiple interviews of eight teachers teaching in classes 6-8, including two who had not obtained any training from AKU-IED. Two lessons taught by each teacher were observed. Key administrative staff and a group of students were also interviewed. A large number of documents, including examination results and examination papers, were obtained and analysed.
Findings show a positive impact of AKU-IED in all four areas. There is change in classroom teaching -- new methods of teaching are being used by most of the teachers observed. The change in students is multi-dimensional; they appeared confident and articulate. Academic coordination brought about innovative ways of professional development. The teacher-teacher interaction was greatly enhanced through structures/activities built into the school timetable. These changes were brought about in the management, teachers and students of the school through four overlapping processes:
- Planning and initiation
- Implementation
- Institutionalisation and
- Evolution and modification.
The concept of school improvement employed by SSA can be seen as a large and complex participatory action research where change was fostered through an iterative process much like the cycles of action research. However, there are a number of issues that need attention both from the school and from AKU-IED. There is tension and disharmony between school improvement activities and the philosophy of the school and the teachers. Though the school improvement initiatives are showing results, they are also causing "problems", for example, in the perceived "lack of discipline" among the students. More details and implications of these findings for both AKU-IED and the school are discussed.
References
Aga Khan University Institute for Educational Development. (1998). Visiting Teacher Programme: Information Handbook. Karachi: AKU-IED.
Hopkins, D. & Reynolds, D. (2001). The past, present and future of school improvement: Towards a third age. British Educational Research Journal, 27 (4).
Thiessen, D., & Anderson, S. E. (1999). Getting into the habit of change in Ohio schools: The cross case study of 12 transforming learning communities. Toronto: University of Toronto.