Tomorrow's schools : principles for the design of professional development schools. A report of the holmes group / Stefan Mieszalski.

This paper reports on the introduction of a ‘clinical model’ of teacher education at the University of Glasgow in 2011. The account is set against the backdrop of a review of major contemporary developments in teacher education. The common focus in this work is on such themes as the key function of the practicum, on ‘teaching schools’ and on the roles and responsibilities of the various players in teacher professional learning. The context for reform of teacher education in Scotland is described, showing how the opportunity for a radical intervention arose. The distinctive features of the Glasgow model are set out and a summary of the findings of the internal evaluation carried out at the University is offered. Issues identified include challenges of communication, the nature of professional learning and the cultural embeddedness of existing practices. In the light of this initiative, the paper then reviews insights gained concerning the relationship between policy, practice and research in teacher educat...

Developing a ‘clinical’ model for teacher education

Muslims in Nigeria, like in many Muslim-majority countries, are striving to have a functional Zakat system in search of solutions to the perennial problem of poverty and its damning consequences. Nevertheless, there are still unsettled concerns arising from the current and widespread implementation of dissimilar (diverse) approaches to the Zakat system in various parts of the country. The purpose of this paper is to review comprehensively what are the hindrances of a vibrant Zakat system and how far the identified impediments may affect the system in the Nigerian context.,The methodology adopted is the review of extant relevant literature in the field of scholarly publications.,The findings of this study revealed that the fragmented implementation of the Zakat system within the context of the Nigerian democratic system of government lead to the weak governance with respect to law, administration and management; lack of a generally accepted fatwa from the Muslims scholars (Ulamas); absence of Zakat accounting standard; and low compliance behavior are the major barriers that require the attention of government and other stakeholders such as the traditional leaders, the accounting regulatory bodies, the Ulamas, as well as the economic and accounting researchers.,It was recommended that the stakeholders should make concerted efforts toward ensuring success of the Zakat system for attaining salvation in the hereafter and for social security, as well as economic prosperity.,The paper is the first paper that comprehensively reviews previous literature in the Zakat environment on factors that become barriers to implement a comprehensive Zakat system in Nigeria.

A comprehensive review of barriers to a functional Zakat system in Nigeria: What needs to be done?

This paper presents an array of structural configurations that invite new consideration of the necessary conditions for developing systemic school reform; first by reviewing the current literature, and then by examining thirty-six existing partnerships as structural configurations, an exploratory typology for the analysis of successful school-university partnerships is developed. The basis for three models is derived from Mintzberg’s five-part framework adapted for schools and universities. The paper concludes by noting the strengths and weaknesses of the three models, and suggests areas for inquiry, no matter the model chosen for a school-university partnership.

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Three Configurations of School-University Partnerships: An Exploratory Study.

Evidence-based practice is among the most influential and compelling reforms in contemporary education. Despite their potential to improve the outcomes of students with disabilities, adoption and implementation of evidence-based reforms have been disappointing, with the gap between research and practice remaining wide. Practice-based evidence provides an alternative perspective on evidence grounded in the realities of classroom teaching in authentic settings, which practitioners find compelling when making instructional decisions. We propose that practitioners and other special education stakeholders (e.g., researchers) can form partnerships around practice-based evidence to leverage the implementation of evidence-based practice, and provide examples of such partnerships.

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Leveraging Evidence-Based Practice through Partnerships Based on Practice-Based Evidence.

Clifford, Matthew, and Millar, Susan B. (2007). K–20 Partnerships: Literature Review and Recommendations for Research Federal programs, such as the National Science Foundation’s Math and Science Partnership program, are promoting K–20 partnerships (partnerships between K–12 and higher education institutions) in hopes of fostering greater alignment and cooperation among participating institutions, and pooling resources within institutions to address persistent problems associated with poor student performance. To identify what is known about K–20 partnerships and assess the rigor of the available research, the authors undertook a literature review. They identified 36 research articles that met pre-established selection criteria, reviewed all articles, and conducted an analysis of the literature. The analysis addresses the following questions: (1) What inquiry methods have been used to study K–20 partnerships, and what is the rigor of the methods?; (2) How is partnership defined?; (3) What do we know about the formation, process, and results associated with partnership? The authors conclude that the K–20 partnership literature lacks methodological rigor and scope, that partnership is inadequately defined in essentially all cases, and that the research about how K–20 partnerships form and function, and what they achieve contains significant gaps. Despite these weaknesses in the literature, a strength is that multiple, independent qualitative researchers working with a grounded approach and in different contexts arrived at similar conclusions about factors associated with success and failure. They recommend that future research articles begin with a clear definition of the term partnership, build upon and extend available research through replication studies and diversification of samples, pay closer attention to the contexts in which K–20 partnerships operate, and include findings on how K–20 partnerships form, and how they function.

Matthew Clifford

Papers

K-20 Partnerships: Literature Review and Recommendations for Research. WCER Working Paper No. 2008-3.

K-20 Partnerships: Literature Review and Recommendations for Research

K-20 Partnership: A Definition and Proof of Concept