Administrative Responsibilities of PILAT
This essay book contains the written work of Norbert Wamsi who studied for the master's degree in education. It is the student work presentation. You may read for pleasure.
This assignment reflects the educational
leadership of Pacific Institute of Linguistics Arts and Translation (PILAT),
its leader’s performances and responsibilities of the administration, and how
various leaders play their administrative roles of academic training program
achievements to fulfil its main objectives. PILAT’s main focus is to train as
many national translators as possible of Summer Institute of Linguistics (SILPNG) and PNG Bible
Translation Association (PNGBTA) to acquire skills necessary to do better of
their vernacular Bible translation work here in PNG.
It is important to reflect, evaluate
various leadership roles played in administrating various subject curriculum
areas; the implementation of these subjects in schools under the oversee of the
school principal, the deputy and the academic coordinator, the management of
staff and their welfare, the financial administration and the properties. Every
leadership functions strive to achieve its institutional purposes and objectives
through a clear guided mission policies and vision as written by the
institutional governing council. This is its sole purpose to transform
institution and its clients so that there are educational achievement of life
long skills acquired through practices and commitments. For example the ‘loose-coupling’ model as
stated by (Weick
1976; Rowan 1990; Meyer and Rowan 1992) also highlights
some of the vivid points of ‘education detailing decisions about what should be taught
at any given time, how it should be taught, what students should be expected to
learn at any given time, how they should be grouped within classrooms for
purposes of instruction, what they should be required to do to demonstrate
their knowledge, and, perhaps most importantly, how their learning should be
evaluated and aims at individual class-rooms, not in the organizations that
surround them’. This model reflects well PILAT’s main objectives and goals of
its overall training programs and administration. The school is determine to
see changes in the functioning of the institution as a whole.
Delimitations are research issues within
the researcher’s control while limitations are those beyond the researcher’s control.
Limitations of this paper is that the data gathering was done through
observation and oral interview rather than writing detail questionnaires to
collect data. Delimitations were my choice of the leadership responsibility area
to be investigated and the construction of items on the questionnaire. For
example I interviewed the school principal, the academic dean of studies and a
student representative of PILAT.
In chapter one, the purpose was to explore
effective administrative functions, teaching and learning administration;
criticality for this paper was introduced to analyze from the research
instruments, findings on how to reflect on educational leadership of the
principal and the administrative roles played in the lives of teachers and
learners and further down the concepts underpinning the delimitation and
limitation of the study. The next chapter will describe the literature review,
which is important to understand environmental influences on administration, teaching
and learning at PILAT.
Chapter Two: Literature review and Methodology in Used
2.1 Introduction
This case study is to evaluate and report
about the school management system, curriculum planning-monitoring- and implementation
responsibilities of the principal and the coordinates. The methodology in used
is a qualitative method. This method is used to collect qualitative data to represent
realistic experiences about the standard base education system practiced by
various subject master teachers and its administration.
2.2 Theoretical
perspective of social context in the education system
Blumer (1969) coined the term symbolic
interactionism and put forward an influential summary of the perspective that,
(1) people act toward things based on the meaning those things have for them;
and (2) these meanings are derived from social interaction and (3) modified
through interpretation. Case study reflection and experiences of knowledge is
created through past experiences and social interactions through observation
and one to one interaction of leadership responsibilities and functions. This
highlights how evaluation and summarising for this case study report is discussed
and presented about its standard based reform education system.
Standards Based Reform Education system
(SBRE) is a system which should be held accountable for
their contributions to student learning in all educational institutions. It is
the work of every one who should communicate its expectations for what students
should know and be able to do in the form of standards, both for what should be
taught and for what students should be able to demonstrate about their
learning. School administrators and policy makers, at the state, district, and
school level, should regularly evaluate whether teachers are teaching what they
are expected to teach and whether students can demonstrate what they are
expected to learn. The fundamental unit of accountability should be the school,
because that is the organizational unit where teaching and learning actually
occurs. Evidence from evaluations of teaching and student performance should be
used to improve teaching and learning and, ultimately, to allocate rewards and
sanctions (Elmore, Abelmann et al. 1996). This is an effective practiced experienced of PILAT in its teaching
administration and its school overall administration.
2.3 Epistemology of education system
Epistemology is concerned with how
knowledge is created. This study used the epistemology of social
constructivism. Social constructivism is
strongly influenced by the work of Vygotsky (1962) who stressed categories of
knowledge and reality are actively created by social relationships and
interactions. ‘Meanings are constructed by human beings as they engage with the
world they are interpreting’ (Crotty, 1998, p. 43).
PILAT’s administrative responsibilities and
functions are clustered around social constructivism. Its aim is to answer
effectively its vision and mission objectives, which is to see the whole body
of educational administrators, teachers, and students and support staff to make
concrete meaning out of the educational learning process and its administration.
Effective administrative responsibilities and functions will achieve its
productivities of training, managing, implementing its programed curriculum,
monitoring and reporting to the higher structure of the educational
administration.
2.4 Ethical
Issues in One to One Research Study of Leadership
Protecting the identities of participants
was done by using the interviewees as leaders without mentioning their full
details. This is done to avoid any prejudices and abuses. The principal
researcher has undertaken much consideration about any matters may arise
against this study. The whole school community was informed who would be
involved to take part in the case study research. The interviewees were the
school principal, the academic coordinator, and course subject teachers and the
student representative.
2.5 Qualitative
research data presentation in the leadership of PILAT
There are various methods researchers choose for a particular
research study paradigms. For the case study research program for this study is
qualitative. Chosen leaders were interviewed to explore their academic,
financial, staff and property administrative functions and responsibilities. This
is reflected to highlight some of the national and institutional functions and responsibilities
to ensure that all students achieve mastery of curriculum objectives, and the
institution focuses on implementing those requirements to the best of their
ability (Elmore, Abelmann et al. 1996) to meet
SILPNG and PNGBTA goals and objectives.
2.6 Case Study
of educational leadership at PILAT
Essential features of a case study are
investigating a phenomenon as a unit around which there is a boundary, the
conduct of research in its natural context, and extensive data collection (Yin,
2009). The phenomenon at the centre of this study are the school principal, the
academic coordinator, the subject master teachers and students for the
curriculum implementation, managing the school, monitoring so that the teachers
and students are actively participating in the teaching and learning process.
2.7 Data
gathering instruments
Data gathering is essential to administer
any education system. Teachers would not know the functionality of its
institution without collecting data to evaluate school operation. Concrete data
collection and interpretation assist educational administrators to know the
student performances, teachers and the principals. Without collecting and
analysing data can cause confusing and lower level of achievement for the
leaders, students, and the teachers.
2.8 Summary
This chapter has provided an overview of
the design of the study to evaluate implementation of the various subject
curriculums. It described the qualitative data through out of a questionnaire
and interviews. The data were collected, analysed and interpreted. Results are
discussed and presented in the next chapter.
Chapter Three: Data analysis, interpretation and Conclusion
3.1 Introduction
This chapter presents results from data
gathered by the oral interview and performance observation to explore and write
evaluative summary report to evaluate the role of the school principal, the academic
coordinator, course subject master teachers and student participation for school
administration; curriculum planning, managing and implementation, monitoring
and reporting. Qualitative results will be reported in the narrative form.
3.2 Qualitative
data results
During interviews and observation, the
participants were asked to elaborate on their responses to the questionnaire
and to add their views on other aspects of the planning and management, curriculum
implementation, monitoring and reporting of the principal and the subordinates
administrative functions and responsibilities.
These are the researcher and interviewee
responses. These data are general overview summary of the different interviewees,
school view of management and the researcher teacher administrative roles.
A) Vision and Values-‘It is the work of
the PILAT’s governing council’s work making up of SILPNG and PNGBTA to sit-down
and plan for what they want to write as the vision statement for the training
and administration. Both organizations have institutional representatives who
have meetings in a quarterly terms to oversee if the principal, teaching staff
and co-workers are leading the organization by fulfilling its mission and
visions. The mission statement for PILAT reads as ‘To
Understand – learning and
equipping for the task; To Communicate
– telling others in the language they understand best; To Live – life to the fullest in Christ’ (PILAT-website)’. These
guide its teaching and learning approaches in the school. The school emphasise
on speaking communicable language of English as well as Pidgin as much as they
can when in school and at homes. When the students leave PILAT and go back to
their villages, they can be able to apply well the skills taught at PILAT.
B) Curriculum and instruction-‘Each
subject areas are headed by the subject-masters. It is their work and
responsibilities to make sure the colleague teachers teaching in those subjects
they are head of been instructed and implement well. The subject-masters have
the responsibilities to observe each teacher colleague on their performances in
collaborating with the school principal and the deputy-principal. After lesson
observation, they make profile report for each of the teacher, send it to the
principal, the principal then compile these reports for the Pacific Area for
Christian Accelerated Council representative to come and check to make sure the
institution is achieving its training administrative objectives.
This council collects teacher portfolios for teaching and learning
methodology as well. The teaching methodology is on standard based education
system. The teacher instructions must aiming at students to be very competent
in applying the taught skills. When learners complete various training programs
offered at PILAT, they are competent themselves to apply the taught skills in
their lives. Teachers and subject-masters must target the learners’ competency
abilities when preparing teaching and learning lesson programs as stated by (Elmore,
Abelmann et al. 1996) ‘school
administrators and policy makers, at the state, district, and school level,
should regularly evaluate whether teachers are teaching what they are expected
to teach and whether students can demonstrate what they are expected to learn.
The fundamental unit of accountability should be the school, because that is
the organizational unit where teaching and learning actually occurs’ when standard based education system is applied well into the education
system.
C) Assessment and research-‘Assessment
is an on-going thing in all schools. For our case we have internal assessment
which teachers collect marks from all subject areas when teachers are giving
various topic tests to categorise to rate students of their learning strengths
and weakness. We called it as School Internal Base Assessment (SIBA).
In the national education system there are
areas of assessment called Assessment Period 1 (AP1) and Assessment Period 2
(AP2). AP1 for grade tens starts in grade nine and for grade twelves starts in
grade eleven. Both AP1 and AP2 for grade ten’s and twelve’s finishes at around
in August before they sit for the final examination to select grade ten’s going
to secondary schooling and for grade twelve’s to get government scholarship to
go on higher institutions.
For the case of PILAT, there are no
evidence of AP1, AP2 and examinations. We only train learners and assess them
of their competency abilities. The learners are giving various approaches of
testing. There are: -oral testing which is to test learners if they can explain
back what they are been taught to enable knowledge and understanding of the
subject skills taught; the visual application test where learners are directed
to demonstrate skills they learnt by applying into the real work place
situations and nevertheless, there are type and printed test where learners
answer questions of their knowledge and understanding.
All of these approaches for testing do not
require failing anyone at PILAT. The test are given to assess students’
competency abilities and not to fail anyone. PILAT’s educational training
programs do not require failing anyone because they are not competent enough to
apply the taught skills. We encourage others to work in groups to assist anyone
who is a bit slow to learn the taught skills quickly. We sometimes reteach in
pairs the slow learners to learn skills. PILAT’s main educational focus is not
to fail anyone of their educational training programs but to train so that
everyone is very competent to apply any of the taught skills.
D) Staff
development-‘We normally have two types of in-services. One is internal or
school base and external which is the in-service organized by the Pacific Area
Christian Accelerated Schools Directorate (PACASD). There used to be a weeklong
in-service where teachers become students by sleeping in the dormitories to
attend these training in-services. Different curriculum subject areas need to
be in-serviced on are organized and planned by the school principal and the
PACASD according to the collected portfolio of teacher and student performances.
These are done to improve teaching and learning at PILAT.
The internal in-services are organized in a
fortnightly bases by the school base in-service coordinator and also the subject-master
teachers. The in-service coordinator planned and organized various in-services.
He/she gives directives to the various subject masters to write various
in-services and present it before other teaching staff. This can be done for
one or two hours depending on the subject and topic of in-service presentations.
F) Management-‘Management is anyone’s
business. A student and parents, teacher/s to the administration and the
community, the subject-masters to the teachers, and principals to the teachers
and likewise. When everyone in the school community knows how to manage affairs
affecting them and there is management. The principal is just the general
overseer who wants to make sure school functions and responsibilities are
carried out as effectively been directed by the PACASD.
The principal also want to make sure school
administration of finance, staff well-fair and student well-fair are cared for
effectively and not to miss out anyone. The principal also want to make sure
student assessments are done properly and also the teaching staff in-services.
These functions and responsibilities are make sure gathered for according to
the directives of PACASD.
3.3 Concluding overview
of a leadership at PILAT
The administrative responsibilities of the
Principal of PILAT have leadership characteristics reflecting around the
servant and transformational leadership. There are also other qualities of
leadership integrated in leading the subordinates and co-workers. These
leadership roles are applied in managing and leading the institution’s daily
operation. All operations of the institution require good leadership in
managing and leading to meet the standard required by the two organizations of
which it is a part. They are the SILPNG and PNGBTA. PILATwas set up to meet the
demand for training Papua New Guinean translators and Church co-workers,
pastors, and any other people called into Christian ministries in the Churches.
PILAT has a leader who serves to make sure
things are in order to meet the institution’s objectives. Most of all is a
servant leader who considers others first (Lk22:25-28) in the leadership role.
This means that the leader is the Principal. This followed by the sectional
subordinates heading various sections of the institution. Then we have the
co-workers who are responsible for certain functions they perform to the
contribution of institution’s operations.
The
subordinates and co-workers are all contributing in one way or the other
sustaining and collaborating with the leadership of the Principal to perform
responsibilities they are dedicated to perform. The Dean of Academics
responsibilities are to initiate creation of quality course administration and
instruction. He also make sure there are resourcing course materials available at
the campus to administer any course programs and adequate staffing for
administrating and instructing the course. The Training Coordinator’s
responsibilities are to promote the courses we offer at the institution. He
also takes responsibilities for student and selection, enrolment and their
travel arrangement. The Centre Manager oversight building of new buildings,
also centre maintenance, and purchasing of food for the centre kitchen. The
co-workers are also carrying out their designated responsibilities to keep the
institution meeting its objectives.
The principal is the central person for all
the functionality of the entire campus. He makes sure things are functioning to
meet all the daily operations of the whole institution. The kind of leadership stated
so far demonstrates the combination theory of servant leadership that
emphasises servants first, leaders who
‘place the needs of subordinates, customers, and the community ahead of their
own interests in order to be effective’ (Pasingan 2011) in leading others. Not
only servant leadership can be stated here. There are also other attributes of
leadership which the principal, the subordinates, and the co-workers perform in
what they do to administer the institution. Some of these characteristics seen
in what the principal does and manages are:
having empathy for others; expressing stewardship to lead and organize
centre programs; and commitment to the personal, professional, and spiritual
growth of subordinates in the institution. Everyone has to live by Christian
ethics, which contributes to the administration of the institution including
the principal, SILPNG and PNGBTA. With the servant leadership there must also
be an effective means of communication. For instance, informing about the
courses and dates we administer to the regional directors, center program
directors, department managers, translator advisors, translators, Airyura
Valley pastors and Christians, and NGOs.
Chapter4: Summary
This chapter has presented the results from
the data analysis for the evaluation of the infrastructure improvement and
administration of PILAT. These findings assist in making informed decisions
about ways to improve the quality of curriculum implementation and monitoring.
There are some conclusions which arose from this study worthwhile to consider
for the school to reflect its leadership functions and responsibilities.
References
Blumer,
H. (1969). Symbolic interactionism; perspective and method. Englewood Cliffs,
NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Crotty, M. (1998).The foundations of social
research: Meaning and perspective in the research process. NSW, Australia:
Allen &Unwin.
Department
of National Planning and Monitoring (2010).Papua New Guinea medium term
development plan 2011-2015. Port Moresby: Department of National Planning and
Monitoring.
Fullan,
M., & Pomfret, A. (1977).Research on curriculum and instruction
implementation. Review of educational researchB47 (2), pp. 335-397.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Comments
Post a Comment
Welcome to comment