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Blended learning (BL) has been a popular mode of course delivery in higher education, aiming to provide students with better learning experiences by integrating face-to-face (f2f) instructions and affordances of digital technology. However, lack of knowledge about how students perceive BL cross-disciplines can make it difficult for teachers to provide consistent learning experiences to students, yielding inequity in learning experiences. This study aims to explore how university students perceive BL, and to compare differences in perceptions across subjects. Participants were 407 university students from eight subject disciplines. Data were collected through a questionnaire and were analyzed using SPSS. A one-way ANOVA was performed to compare the differences between the groups. Results showed, students were generally happy about the use of BL, despite facing multiple barriers in using the learning approach. Results further revealed that students studying tourism/hospitality, and business subjects were more negative about BL, while students in science, and Islamic studies faculties were more receptive to BL compared to the rest of the university.

The adoption of mobile apps in teaching and learning stimulates learner motivation and engagement, and as a result, can enrich the overall learning experience. This study explores how Viber messenger, an instant mobile messaging application, can be used to foster learner engagement and online social presence among blended learning students. A case study approach was used, and data were collected through a questionnaire and student focus groups. A total of 237 students enrolled in various undergraduate and postgraduate blended learning courses participated. Results showed students preferred technological tools that help them to receive easier and quicker communications and learning support. Results further revealed that Viber messenger can enhance student collaborations and can help maintain social presence within a blended learning community in a geographically dispersed context. Further findings and implications for teaching and learning are also discussed.

The "Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities" was adopted with the intent of bringing about a paradigm shift in the way the general population perceives disability. The paper reports the findings of a qualitative inquiry that used a phenomenological approach to discuss the social grievances of persons with disabilities from a human rights-based perspective and in the context of the middle-income small island nation of The Maldives. Fifteen participants with disabilities, as well as carers and parents of children with disabilities, took part in the study. The findings indicated that the environment is physically disabling, and opportunities for participation, including access to quality education, and social protection for people with disabilities, are limited. The findings speak to the need for a shift in the social view that persons with disabilities are dependants to enabling human diversity and facilitating the capabilities of persons with disability, their dignity and meaningful engagement in society. The paper concludes there is a need to explore further approaches to encouraging a shift in society and using a human rights approach to social protection to make progress towards the "Leave No One Behind Agenda of 2030."

Little is known about the relations between principals' effectiveness in specific leadership tasks and student achievement. The purpose of this study is to explore principal task effectiveness, as perceived by principals themselves and their senior management teams (SMTs), and to explore the associations between perceived principal task effectiveness and student achievement. This study employed an exploratory quantitative design using surveys to collect principal and SMT ratings of principal task effectiveness. In addition, grades from secondary school exit examination in Mathematics and English as a Second Language (ESL) were collected from all public secondary schools in the Maldives. An exploratory factor analysis was used to explore principal task dimensions. Hierarchical regressions were used to examine the predictive ability of principal task effectiveness and certain principal characteristics on student achievement. The analysis revealed five leadership task dimensions: School Management, Instructional Management, Teacher Quality, External Relations, and Program Development and Evaluation. The Teacher Quality dimension positively predicted student achievement in ESL. This research highlights the importance of principal task effectiveness and its link to student achievement. The findings have implications for principals' preparation and professional learning.

Purpose: Virtual professional learning communities provide digital platforms for teachers across the globe to join learning networks and engage in continuous and unrestricted learning. This study aimed to explore the impact of contextual factors on establishing virtual professional learning communities in Maldivian schools. Design/methodology/approach: This quantitative study used a sample of 420 Maldivian in-service teachers chosen using two-stage cluster sampling and a stratified random sampling method. Findings: The findings revealed that all three contextual factors-- micro-, meso- and macro-contextual - positively and significantly influenced the virtual professional learning communities. Practical implications: These findings recommend an integrated framework with micro-, meso- and macro-contextual factors as valuable instruments for educational leaders striving to establish virtual Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). Originality/value: This study is among the first to examine the association of contextual factors of schools with the establishment of virtual PLCs in a country such as the Maldives, with geographically dispersed islands and limited resources.

School culture is considered to be a system of meanings that influence every aspect of the school including school effectiveness. The aim of this study is to examine the impact of school culture on school effectiveness in government schools in Maldives. A quantitative approach using a survey design was adopted for the study. In order to achieve the research objective, a sample of 359 teachers was selected from government schools in the capital city, Malé through stratified random sampling. In the study, data were collected with scales related to two different variables, school culture and school effectiveness. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data using SPSS-25 and AMOS-25. The study revealed that the level of school culture and school effectiveness were high in Maldivian schools. According to the results, school culture had a significant influence on school effectiveness. The findings suggest that a positive and collaborative school culture enhances school effectiveness. In addition, it reflects the importance of creating a positive and collaborative school culture that empowers all school members to work towards common goals, which improves the effectiveness of the school. The findings confirm the current proposition that a positive school culture is instrumental in achieving school effectiveness, adding clarity to the understanding of school culture as a critical component of an effective school.

The loss of direct experiences with nature among today's children is of concern as it affects their conservation willingness (CW). While little is known about the influence of live experiences on CW, much less is known about how these events are related. This study aimed to examine the serial mediating effects of biodiversity knowledge (BK) and affective attitudes (AA) on the relationship between live experiences with species and CW. An online questionnaire was administered to 429 school children (11-12 years) in the Maldives. A two-serial mediation analysis revealed that live experiences exerted significant negative direct and positive indirect effects on CW. Thus, although a predictive sequential pathway from live experiences to BK to AA to CW was confirmed, partial mediation involving other mediators or moderators is likely. The direct effects of live experiences on BK and AA and of BK on AA suggest that experiential learning that stimulates AA is necessary to achieve overall positive impacts on CW. Therefore, educators and policymakers are critical in providing first-hand experiences to instill positive biodiversity conservation traits in children, enabling successful education for sustainable development and long-term biodiversity conservation.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the field of teaching and educational research, requiring new changes to methodological tools in my research. My doctoral study examines Maldivian primary teachers' engagement with social studies pedagogies through reflection. The pandemic posed several complex data collection challenges which I experienced as a researcher. As a result of not being able to return to the Maldives from New Zealand to gather data, data methods were altered from Participatory action research (PAR) to form online action research (OAR). The data were gathered from four different teachers in Maldivian primary schools through an online questionnaire, online workshops, online reflective narrative texts and online interviews. Unexpected research challenges included (1) time zone differences, (2) my own and participants' unfamiliarity with new methods of online data collection in the research, and (3) challenges of maintaining good researcher rapport with participants. These research challenges contribute to an emerging understanding of the unexpected issues that researchers might face using an OAR approach.

Qualitative data analysis (QDA) is often depicted as a linear process that employs an organised structure to derive themes inductively or deductively. However, I realised the "messiness" of the process during my doctoral studies on primary teachers' use of digital technologies in ESL classrooms in Maldivian schools. My own experience revealed that QDA is a nonlinear, iterative and recursive process. Adopting a phenomenological research design to capture my nine participants' "lived" experiences, I gathered data from various sources over eight months. Shared through this paper is a selection of my experiences that exemplify the nonlinearity of QDA, including the emergent need to develop an NVivo-enhanced Spiral-QDA process to accommodate my unforeseen data analysis experience. Therefore, reflections from my doctoral research experiences may be edifying and helpful for postgraduate students and supervisors in their own QDA process.

Children worldwide are increasingly deprived of direct nature experiences (DNE). Often rooted in restrictions of urbanization and modernization, this loss may hamper biodiversity conservation through erosion of biodiversity knowledge. Yet, the extent of this phenomenon in small cities, particularly in rapidly developing islands, remains understudied. This study aimed to compare the frequencies of DNEs based on islands and evaluate the influences of different islands and frequency of direct nature experiences on biodiversity knowledge among children. The sample consisted of 429, 11- 12-year-old public-school children from seven islands. Findings of this online survey questionnaire show that the frequency of visiting nature places and contact with animals was not significantly different, but the frequency of contact with plants as well as the overall frequency of experiences was significantly different among the islands. Children have a low level of biodiversity knowledge but are better at identifying animals than plants. Biodiversity knowledge scores were not significantly different among islands. Hence, island environments have a significant effect on DNE frequency but not on biodiversity knowledge. Increased frequency of nature experiences has a significant positive effect on biodiversity knowledge. This effect is more evident when the frequency is more than once a month. The study suggests that the frequency of DNEs is more influential in determining children's biodiversity knowledge than their place of residence. Hence, meaningful nature experiences must be facilitated to promote biodiversity knowledge.

The quality of education is a major concern in the Maldivian education system. Previous literature posits that effective leadership is critical for the realization of school goals. As such, instructional leadership is claimed to contribute to the teaching and learning process of the school. The purpose of this research is to determine the impact of deputy principal's instructional leadership on school effectiveness in public schools in Malé, the capital city of Maldives. It also aims to analyze the interaction effect of school level on the relationship between instructional leadership and school effectiveness. A quantitative research approach is selected for this study. The data was collected using a survey questionnaire. The sample consisted of 359 teachers working in the public schools of the capital city, Malé, who were selected through stratified random sampling. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the conceptual relationships. The findings revealed that deputy principal's instructional leadership has a direct and positive relationship with school effectiveness. The moderation test indicated that school level moderates the relationship between deputy principal's instructional leadership and school effectiveness, where the interaction effect is higher at secondary level compared to primary level. The results present many implications towards theory and practice of instructional leadership and school effectiveness.

This article aims to examine teacher readiness for inclusive education with the contextual influence of gender, age, academic qualification, teachers' teaching experience, involvement in teaching students with special educational needs, and teacher training. Using a quantitative research design, a survey questionnaire was administered to 628 teachers in 77 government schools. The results from the survey were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 27.0. Findings indicate teachers' rating of their knowledge, understanding, skills, abilities and attitude for an inclusive education. In addition, results for the inferential statistics of t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) based on teacher's gender, age, academic qualification, teaching experience, involvement in teaching students with special needs, and teacher training are presented. The findings from this research highlight the important role of teachers' knowledge, understanding, skills, abilities and attitude in further enhancing the inclusive educational opportunities for students with special needs.

This paper reports the findings of a meta-synthesis of studies which investigated the ways in which teachers described their pedagogical practices in three different contexts: the Maldives, Australia and Nepal. Each of the studies was focused on making teachers' classroom practices visible in an effort to establish a shared language and understanding of practices relevant to context. We were interested in what teachers say about their teaching practice and the ideas they hold that underpin these acts of teaching. Our analysis, across our respective studies, revealed insights to the questions: how teachers name their practices; how teachers articulate their understanding of these practices; and, how teachers identify priorities for their practice. Insights drawn from our meta-synthesis explore the implications of naming practices and the importance of considering teacher voice in determining visions of effective teaching. What teachers believe and do needs to be taken into account if professional development and reform initiatives are to be enacted in ways that are relevant and sustainable. The findings have implications for improving the quality of education and approaches to teachers' professional development.

Language plays a vital role in everyday life, and language learners should make the most out of their basic education in order to use language skills to function in their future working environment. Writing is a skill used for writing letters, writing reports, news, and official documents. It is important for second language learners to be proficient in their writing skills, so learners are required to use different writing strategies to develop their writing. This study aims to investigate the writing strategies used by Maldivian second language learners in secondary school. Conducted using a qualitative research design, this study employed semi-structured interviews with four students and four language teachers purposively selected from one of the secondary schools in Male', the capital of Maldives. The coded data from student interviews revealed five significant strategies common to all participants, namely planning, mind-mapping, drafting, proofreading, and editing, while the teachers also referred to peer-reviewing and brainstorming as additional strategies that aided L2 learners' writing. The study revealed that awareness of meta-cognitive strategies is more evident in more proficient learners than in those less skilled. Limitations of the study are discussed along with recommendations for future research and for language teachers to support language learners in enhancing their writing skills.

The spread of COVID-19 forced many higher education institutions to switch to e-learning using a diverse range of educational platforms. The purpose of this qualitative research is to explore the challenges encountered by Maldivian higher education institutions conducting online assessment during the COVID-19 pandemic, from both lecturer and student perspectives. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from a purposively selected sample of full-time lecturers (n=30) and students (n=30) at 10 different higher education institutions in Maldives. Data were analysed using a thematic analysis. Findings revealed that issues related to technical difficulties, Internet connections, and students' lack of basic technological skills as major difficulties faced by students. Inadequate exam space during online assessment was a root cause of other obstacles. In addition issues related to feedback mechanisms, exam stress and anxiety were also revealed. The study concludes with key implications for effective online assessment.

A major curriculum reform was implemented in Maldives in 2015. Little is known about how the new curriculum has been used and implemented in classroom teaching. This qualitative multiple-case study aims to examine the teacher-tool relationship of six teachers teaching sixth grade English and the factors that shape the teacher-tool relationship. The teachers were situated in four schools with distinct contexts -- a densely populated urban context, a sparsely populated island with multi-grade classrooms, an island dependent on fishing and an island dependent on tourism. Data collected include three video-recorded observations of each teacher as well as post and pre-observation interviews. Brown's Design Capacity for Enactment Framework (DCEF) was used as a basis to see whether teachers offload, adapt or improvise the curriculum. In addition, an analysis of the descriptive data, across and within the cases was done to identify factors that shape the way teachers use the curriculum. The analysis revealed that teachers use the curriculum in distinctive ways and included multiple layers of offloading, adapting, improvising and omitting. The way teachers use the curriculum varies from one teacher to another, from one lesson to another, and from one activity to another. Curriculum tool features, individual characteristics as well as the island context played significant roles in shaping how teachers use the curriculum in their teaching. The results of the study can provide curriculum developers with a different perspective in designing curriculum tools, particularly to create flexible affordances within the curriculum to allow for differing teacher and locational characteristics.

This paper sheds light on the higher education system of the Maldives from the perspective of gender equality between men and women. The findings presented in the paper are based on the results of a survey conducted among students enrolled in higher education institutions and on desk-research of relevant policy documents. The study explores the reasons for patterns of enrolment, reasons for selection of a particular study field and influence over the decision for selecting a discipline to study in higher education. Choices of whether they are simply down to the interest of the individuals or a matter of availability and affordability are explored in the research. Pressure from family, peers, work environment, stereotypes of masculine and feminine ideology, and availability of employment opportunities associated with particular disciplines are also discussed within the framework of this study in order to understand their relevance to deciding subject choice in higher education. The research shows that students' decisions are affected by reasons beyond subject or discipline. The study shows that a gendered dichotomy is very much prevalent in the higher education system of the Maldives.

The COVID-19 global pandemic presented an unprecedented challenge to the sustainability strategies and initiatives of many nations. In many countries, education strategies and funding were negatively impacted and, consequently, especially vulnerable groups were highly affected, amongst them Indigenous communities around the world. As Indigenous communities were already amongst the most vulnerable before 2020, a strategically and well-planned recovery from this pandemic would be vital to secure their well-being. This article offers reflections on the potential of infusing "Education for Sustainable Development" (ESD) in the classroom, the school and the community as a whole, to deal with known and yet unprecedented sustainability challenges in presenting commonalities of 32 good practice reports from 21 countries collected in advance and during the global pandemic. Authors make the point of considering the pandemic and its widespread impact as yet another sustainability challenge and position "ESD" as a potential tool to achieve quality education and unleash the full potential of education for society when planning recovery efforts in hope for a better future of Indigenous communities in the long term. As the good practices were also included in a report of the "UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to the 48th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council," focusing on the post-pandemic recovery efforts for Indigenous Peoples, further thoughts on both official reports and their alignment with the overall "2030 Agenda" from an "ESD" perspective are included.

This article explores the critical role of education in promoting sustainable development in the Maldives context. It presents the outcomes of a small-scale project, Playing with Solar, implemented in a small island school in collaboration with the island community. Because of the environmental and educational principles embedded in this project, it is presented as one that prioritizes sustainable development, actively engages with the community, and aligns with the key competencies underpinning the Maldives National Curriculum Framework. The Playing with Solar project is an example of transformative pedagogy aligned with sustainable development. By promoting problem-based learning, the project shows how key competencies and pedagogical principles can be operationalized in line with National Curriculum Framework syllabi that promote interdisciplinary learning, in contrast to textbook-based, transmission models of teaching.

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.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the differences in teachers' sense of efficacy, their knowledge, and implementation of DI based on their experience and qualification. The study also aims to investigate the moderating effect of teachers' experience and qualification. The study employs a tool composed of validated items and constructs from previous studies to collect data from a sample of 101 elementary teachers in a single atoll of Maldives. Parametric statistic of independent sample t-test and one-way ANOVA were used to investigate differences among groups of respondents while multiple regression using split sample was carried out to examine the moderation effect. Results indicate that there is a statistically significant difference in teachers' sense of efficacy across the three experience-groups, F (2, 93) = 3.56, p = 0.032. However, there is no significant difference in teachers' knowledge and implementation of DI based either on their experience or qualification. The results also indicate that neither teachers' experience nor their qualification was a significant moderator of the DI implementation model. It is recommended teachers be equipped with sufficient knowledge of DI by incorporating relevant content in teacher training programs.

Existing literature suggests that teachers' sense of efficacy, their perception and knowledge of differentiated instruction (DI) are related to their implementation of differentiation. However, there is deficiency of research examining the predictive nature of those relationships. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of teachers' perception and knowledge of differentiated instruction, and their sense of teacher efficacy on the implementation of DI strategies. The study employed a tool composed of validated items and constructs from previous studies to collect data from a sample of 101 elementary teachers in a single atoll* of Maldives. Data were analyzed using SPSS 21.0. The results indicated that there was a significant correlation between teachers' knowledge of differentiated instruction and its implementation, and also between teachers' sense of efficacy and implementation of DI. Result of regression analysis showed that teachers' knowledge had a significant impact on their implementation of differentiated instruction. Recommendations were made for future research to investigate the effect of certain demographic variables and mediators on differentiation.

Ethical academicians are perfectly virtuous. They always strive for greater virtue and follow strictly the moral stands of their profession. The ethical living and self-efficacy are important to them because of being fair and honest in their academics. Determinants of ethics include knowledge, values, attitude and intention. The domain-specific framework developed by Verbeke et al. (2004) has been considered as fundamental for identifying the dimensionality of work Self-efficacy and ethical challenges of academicians. A comprehensive literature review is undertaken regarding the concept of work Self-efficacy to assess workers' confidence and their ethical living in the workplace. This article examines theoretically and analytically the antecedent processes and information cues involved in the formation of work self-efficacy. Theoretical and numerical analysis of the key determinants of work self-efficacy increases the understanding of moral values, truthful fair and honest. Factors which decisively affect ethical living were identified from literature collected from the academicians who are working in the Five Regions of Asia - Central Asia (Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan) East Asia (China, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau) South Asia (Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal, the Maldives) through Google classroom. Methods of Statistical Analysis of self-efficacy data are descriptive statistics, Pearson Correlation Coefficient and Kolmogorov-Smirvnos normality test and Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance and Principal Component Analysis. Positive, mastery experiences give academicians a sense of accomplishment when they have faced a challenge ethically. Positive Zeal during Academic interaction, vicarious experiences that occur when academician see others succeed and feel an increased sense of their own ability to succeed. Sincere & deeper self, mingling with students, Social persuasion increase a teacher's sense of confidence and ability to succeed. A proper plan of action has drawn special attention, and inferences pertaining to future research are discussed at the end of the critique.

Despite the temperate climate, surrounded by pristine oceans, children in the Maldives do not meet the minimum daily physical activity (PA) requirements. Maldives is a resource inhibited country within the Indian rim. Generalist teachers are required to deliver primary physical education (PE). There is a paucity of information about Maldivian PE, and comprehensive studies of children's engagement in PA levels in this, and similar contexts are limited. Therefore, this study examined PA levels of fifth-grade students (N = 30 classes) during PE lessons from four schools in the capital city of Male'. The Health Optimising PE model conceptually framed the work. Teachers' (N = 20) perceptions of implementation barriers were reported during semi-structured interviews. Students' PA levels, lesson context and PA promotion were assessed during PE lessons with the System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time. The students averaged 31.05% (7.95 min) of PE time in moderate to vigorous PA. During 26.56% of lesson time teachers focused on skill and knowledge development, while for 10.31% of PE lesson time children were encouraged to be active during and outside of class. Programme implementation, according to the teachers, was impacted by a lack of teacher knowledge and confidence, teacher attire and perceived lack of infrastructure, resources and equipment. Recommendations to improve PE outcomes include interventions and continuous professional development aimed at enhancing teachers' knowledge and confidence towards PE, in conjunction with promotion of effective teaching strategies. Maldivian PE programmes and student health-related outcomes could be improved by addressing these barriers.

This study emerged due to the introduction of the 60 per cent pass policy to increases the pass rate of the students in the secondary school completion examination in the Maldives. As an essential part of this policy, the Ministry of Education developed an action plan, in which principal leadership was recognized as one of the key factors that can contribute to pupils' academic attainment. The cases used in this study comprise the full population of teachers working in all public secondary schools in the Maldives (N = 6047). A survey questionnaire, which was based on Principal Instructional Management Scale was administered to gather data of principals' instructional leadership. Just over 81 per cent of the teachers responded to the survey. The results showed that 68 per cent of the teachers reported that principals demonstrate instructional leadership of the kind that should influence students' attainment. And the result also suggested that there is a strong relationship between principal's leadership and pupils' secondary school attainment. However, the result of the binary logistic regression revealed that factors related to individual students and the school community are the key contributing factors for higher attainment in the secondary school completion examination in the Maldives.

Teacher readiness for inclusive education is frequently investigated in literature. However, the psychometric properties of a scale to evaluate teacher readiness for inclusive education in the Asian, specifically Maldivian, context are extremely scarce. This study aimed to modify the teachers' readiness for an inclusive education scale to determine if the modified scale was reliable and valid in the Maldives Context. A total of 628 teachers (258 males and 370 females) from seventy-seven schools participated in this study. In phase 1, the construct validity of the Maldives teachers' readiness scale was established through exploratory factor analysis. In phase 2, the tests of dimensionality, reliability, convergent and discriminant validity was established through confirmatory factor analysis. Results supported a two-factor, 23 items scale. The scale may be utilised as a reliable and valid instrument to assess teacher readiness for inclusive education in the Maldivian context.

Purpose: Alternative service delivery approaches are required to provide support for children with communication difficulties in underserved communities. Schools have a unique set of assets that can be utilized to provide this support. This study explored what the education sector and classrooms in the early years of schooling offer as support for children with communication difficulties in an underserved Majority World country, the Maldives. The objective was to identify opportunities to enhance support provided for these children. Method: A qualitative multimethod approach was used involving (a) 520 min of classroom observational data from four remote schools, (b) interviews with four special education needs teachers, and (c) an interview with a Ministry of Education official. Classroom observational data were analyzed using the Communication Supporting Classroom Observation Tool. Deductive content analysis was used to analyze the interview data. Results: The support system aimed to reflect the Inclusive Education Policy of the Maldives. The Ministry of Education official and teachers raised concerns regarding lack of allied health services such as speech-language therapy in schools. Teachers frequently used certain communication supporting interactions such as imitation in classrooms. Missed opportunities to enhance communication were observed, including limited use of some interaction features such as modeling language, limited planned opportunities for children to interact in class, and limited resources in the environment to develop communication in Grade 1 and 2 compared to preschool. Conclusion: Findings suggest building capacity among teachers and training teachers on identified classroom communication support areas to enhance support for children with communication difficulties.

Due to many factors, particularly developments in technology, LIS professionals need to continuously refresh and upgrade their knowledge and skills through participation in continuing professional development (CPD) activities. The objective of this pilot study was to understand LIS employees' perceptions, motivation, assessment, and preference for participation in CPD programs. Both quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques were used. An online questionnaire was administered, and 49 responses were received which was adequate considering the small size of the country. Seven semi-structured interviews were conducted via Zoom with four LIS employees representing national, academic, and school libraries and with three other LIS professionals in the country. Findings revealed that only 30.7% of the respondents had participated in any CPD learning programs. It was also revealed that LIS employees in the Maldives had access to a very limited number of LIS-related CPD programs. The CPD programs offered by the National Library of Maldives's (NLM) were mainly targeted at new entrants to the profession as a majority of them were without any LIS qualification. As a result, appropriate training programs were lacking for supervisory and middle management employees across all types of libraries. Data analysis also revealed that the top three barriers to pursuing CPD programs were lack of suitable training programs, too costly to pay from personal funds, and lack of opportunities for career advancement. Three areas of potential improvement pertaining to LIS employees' engagement in CPD activities were identified. The findings are expected to provide some basic data for developing a CPD plan and strategies for the LIS sector in the Maldives.

Quality of services, as judged by students, has become paramount to attract and retain students in the competitive atmosphere of higher education provision in the Maldives. With increasing awareness, students demand wider choices. Postgraduate students were targeted to ascertain their expectations and perceptions about the quality of services at selected higher learning institution (HEI) in the Maldives. Quantitative data was collected using the SERVQUAL instrument. A cross-sectional survey design was employed, and 72 samples were obtained. The data were analyzed using the statistical package SPSS version 23. After application of Pearson correlation tests and multiple regression analysis, the findings revealed that there was a positive but a weak relationship between expectations and perceptions on all the five different dimensions of the SERVQUAL instrument. Interaction effects related to expectations and perceptions between four different groups were tested using MANOVAs. The results were detected only between groups of males and females and in all the other three pairs of groups, null hypotheses were accepted. Implications and suggestions for future research discussed.

Educational technology researchers have often overlooked the effect of culture on teachers' use of digital technologies in their pedagogical practice. Several technology integration models, such as the Technology Adoption Model (TAM) and Technological, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK), have also failed to explain the connections between technology, pedagogy, and culture. This paper argues that teachers' pedagogical and technological practices cannot be fully understood without considering the social and cultural norms of their specific cultures. An ethnographic methodology, linked to Bourdieu's (1977) habitus, is used to explore teacher educators' practices in the Maldives. The author uses interviews, observations, focus groups, and the hanging-out approach to gather data from eleven teacher educators who work in a Maldivian university. Key findings demonstrate that teacher educators' pedagogical and technological practices are influenced by their own culture, their early learning experiences in the Maldives, and their workplace (institutional context). Through this finding, the paper proposes a framework; namely, Pedagogical and Technological Cultural Habitus (PATCH), for understanding teachers' pedagogical and technological habitus in various contexts. The PATCH framework provides a theoretical basis for designing technology-oriented professional development for professionals in various pedagogical contexts, including virtual and blended pedagogical spaces. It also contributes to the TPACK framework by adding an outer layer to its current theorisation to represent teachers' backgrounds and habitus when examining their practices.

This paper explores active learning reform in the small state of the Maldives. Acknowledging the implementation challenges of active learning approaches globally, the study explored the policy-practice intersection by examining the experiences of one island school and its approach to promoting active learning pedagogy. The school was selected for its proactive approach to adopting innovation. Within the overarching methodology of design-based research, a study of the context was undertaken to investigate the enabling conditions for reform. Drawing on Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological framework, this paper considers factors within the school and island context that played an enabling role in the implementation of active learning pedagogy. Data were collected through interviews from key stakeholders within the school. The findings identified the following key features in developing a change-welcoming school: the role of school leadership in leading change; the importance of parent-school collaboration; the school's proactive approach to managing existing resources; and the critical role of leading teachers in providing classroom-based support. The findings were converted into design principles, an output of design-based research, that are intended as guidelines for others implementing similar reforms in related contexts.

Purpose: Access to speech-language therapy services for children with communication difficulties is limited in vulnerable countries within the Majority world, such as Small Island Developing States. The use of information and communication technology (ICT) has been identified as a possible solution to provide equitable access to services in Minority world countries. This study explored ICT-related conditions in remote schools of the Maldives, a Small Island Developing State, in order to identify potential service delivery approaches. Method: A mixed methods approach was used, involving (a) an online survey of 107 teachers, (b) observational data from four schools, (c) interviews with 31 teachers and the four principals of participating schools, and (d) 13 relevant online documents. Content analysis was used to analyze and integrate data from all sources. Results: Teachers' access to ICT devices and fixed broadband Internet varied across schools. The government had limited funds to provide adequate fixed broadband Internet for them. However, favorable prospects were also discovered, including high access to 4G mobile broadband Internet in islands, high levels of confidence among teachers to use ICT, a variety of ICT uses currently employed by teachers, and the presence of financial aid for students with special education needs. Conclusions: The findings of the study support the potential for using mobile broadband Internet, available ICT devices, and teachers as agents of service delivery in remote schools to enhance speech-language therapy service delivery in the Maldives. The creation of relevant digital educational content for teachers could further support children with communication difficulties in the country.

This paper presents findings of a case-study set in one of the small schools of Maldives which was practising the concept of multigrade teaching. The aim of the study was to investigate teachers' experiences of using Differentiated Instruction (DI) in multigrade classes. It also explored the benefits as well as challenges for using DI in the combined classes. Participants of the study included the school principal and four respective teachers who were teaching in multigrade classes. Data for the study were obtained through semi-structured interview, classroom observation and document analysis of teachers' lesson plans. Findings indicate a high level of differentiated instruction taking place in the multigrade classes displaying numerous benefits that were positively related to students' academic progress as well as students' psychosocial development. Findings also revealed teachers' lack of competency, lack of time for high workload and assessment of student learning as major challenges that hamper the use of DI. Several practical implications for teachers, teacher educators and school leaders are discussed in the paper.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which emerged in 2019 in China, countries worldwide have been grappling with the numerous challenges required of them to protect their citizens and respond to the consequences of multiple lockdowns on the global economy and their education systems. The devastating socio-economic impact is apparent worldwide, but Small Island Developing States (SIDS) have been identified as some of the most vulnerable contexts. In this paper, we build on the international literature and discourse on SIDS, giving special consideration to the context of the Maldives. We highlight the challenges to providing education in this Indian Ocean nation and the disproportionately negative impact of lockdown conditions on students' learning. In the light of original field research carried out with school principals, teachers, students, and parents, we identify and discuss how learners and schools coped with a rapid change to online schooling. In doing so, we highlight what has been achieved and how the pandemic has contributed to the widening disparity between urban and rural schools. Our findings point to the importance of SIDS governments having contingency plans in place to manage education in socially just and equitable ways during emergencies.

This paper explores the agentive role of school leaders in interpreting and implementing macro language education policies at preschool level in the Maldives. The Preschool Management Act of 2012 initiated a change in the medium of instruction from English to Dhivehi, recognising the importance of developing children's literacy skills in the national language. This was closely followed by the implementation of a new National Curriculum that reinforced this need to prioritise strengthening children's first language. Based on observational and interview data from two preschools, this paper investigates how school leaders' ideologies about language, language education, and decision-making processes affected how these policies were interpreted and implemented at the micro-level of the school. The implementation process was dependent on whether school leaders opted to accept the policies and take on a proactive role in language planning at the school level; or chose to resist the policies and distance themselves from external pressures. Findings from these case studies reveal the critical role that school leaders play in either supporting or opposing pathways towards additive bilingual language acquisition. This paper contributes to the field of language policy by providing a portrait of how macro-level policies are enacted at the micro-level of the school.

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.

The challenges of implementing learner-centred pedagogies have been well documented, noting that many reform efforts fail to consider important contextual factors. With attention to the disparity between policy and practice, this study investigated the conditions under which teachers can enact learner-centred pedagogy in the Maldives using design-based research; a theoretically oriented, participatory methodology exploring practical solutions in real-world settings. Working collaboratively with teachers from an island school, a pedagogical intervention based on learner-centred principles, was designed to fit the Maldivian context. This article discusses the process of implementing the intervention, the challenges influencing its use, and the particular contextual factors impacting on learner-centred reform. Analyses of the research data and the reflection on the research process, highlight the importance of addressing the particularities of small states in the development of educational interventions and reinforces the need for close attention to contextual factors within reform efforts.

For education reform to move beyond policy rhetoric and find a place in teachers' practice, the critical role of teachers must be acknowledged. Moving beyond a focus on the "what" of educational reform to the "how", this study explores the enabling conditions for implementing learner-centred education in the Maldives. Using design-based research, an interventionist methodology, the key role of teachers and their professional development needs was investigated. A pedagogical intervention was developed and studied in a Maldivian island school. Data were collected through questionnaires, interviews and fieldnotes to document the processes and circumstances that influenced teachers' enactment of innovative practices. The findings highlighted the importance of professional development focused on teachers' access to new knowledge and ideas, the school-based conditions necessary for transferring knowledge into practice, and the need for ongoing refinement in working towards the desired pedagogical goal. The paper concludes with three overarching design principles, a theoretical output of design-based research, intended to inform similar innovations in other relevant settings.

In efforts to improve the quality of education, the disparity between policy and practice in implementing learner-centred pedagogy has been well-documented. Acknowledging these challenges, this study investigated active learning reform using design-based research, an interventionist methodology in the Maldives. The intervention specifically sought to address the policy-practice gap through the development of a structured model of active learning, drawing on recommendations in the literature and moving beyond the simple dichotomy of teacher-centred versus learned-centred pedagogy. Teachers' enactment of the model was studied within a Maldivian island school. The data identified enabling conditions in teachers' use of the intervention: the pedagogical model needs to be clearly and simply articulated; promote a staggered approach to reform; and reflect and respect local priorities. These were converted into design principles -- an outcome of design-based research intended to inform the work of others enacting similar reforms.

In rapidly globalizing systems of schooling around the world, economic considerations have led to a push to impose neoliberal reforms in the field of education. Under this influence early childhood education and teacher education in Asia have increasingly become positioned as regulated markets governed by neoliberal policies, leading to peak activities in privatization, consumerism, standardization and high-stakes testing. This article, based on a series of qualitative inquiries, presents a review of recent early childhood policies in India, China, Singapore, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. The impact of the policies on pedagogy is discussed within the frameworks of neoliberal globalization and postcolonial theory, emphasizing the growing need to recognize the third space of pedagogical hybridity in classrooms that are becoming increasingly multicultural and global.

Representing isolated small island communities through social survey research continues to be challenging. We examine a locally developed method to reach and recruit older people (65+ years) for a survey on well-being in the small island developing state of Maldives. The use of messengers to recruit participants is examined in the context of these isolated islands. The approach allowed for the participation of the isolated island communities in the survey yielding a high response rate. We consider the aspects of this approach for further application to survey research in isolated communities.