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When young people engage with climate change education, they are often left feeling disempowered and daunted. But past research has shown that there are ways to design and deliver climate change education that can be empowering and enabling. The delivery of climate change education was further challenged in 2020 by the shift to online learning driven by the COVID‐19 pandemic restrictions. However, the challenges of the pandemic context also offered an opportunity to engage new audiences and establish new collaborations in climate change education. In this paper, we explore how the shift to online research, collaboration and education can also be harnessed to develop interdisciplinary coastal adaptation training for young people interested in better understanding the complexities of our coastal environments. The resulting 'More than Maps' framework draws on qualitative and quantitative data collected over a two‐year programme focused on the design and delivery of an international climate change research capacity building workshop series, across the United Kingdom, Ghana, Jamaica and Australia. Carried out by an interdisciplinary team of early career researchers and established academics, 15 workshops were developed on coastal adaptation research methods, targeting a range of 'young' audiences who are and will continue to be impacted by climate change. Building on reflections from the workshops' design and delivery, we developed a scalable framework to aid researchers in sharing open‐access, replicable methods for studying climate change mitigation and adaptation. This work demonstrates that our workshop participants had increased confidence, sought to apply learned methods to other contexts, and wanted to share this knowledge with others. We conclude that the COVID‐19 online workspace facilitated rather than hindered the international collaboration and delivery of these coastal adaptation research methods workshops, and we provide best practice tips to researchers delivering climate change education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an introduction in which the editors discusses articles on topics such as economic, social, and cultural factors contributing to boys' experiences of higher education in Jamaica; the education of refugees in Great Britain; and educational inequality in China and Vietnam.

This paper advocates for the introduction of teaching about religions in schools in Trinidad and Tobago and presents a preliminary strategy to this end. The background to the paper is a National Commission for UNESCO project, for which one of the major goals was to determine the status and feasibility of Teaching About World Religions (TAWR) in schools. The initiative involved: (a) a survey conducted in a sample of schools in 2008; (b) a symposium (January 2010); (c) a workshop (October 2010); and (d) a presentation at the Ministry of Education consultation on the primary school curriculum in 2011. Some of the consultation feedback revealed societal fears arising from a misunderstanding of the purpose of educating young people about religions other than their own. The paper argues that greater knowledge and understanding of the tenets of our various religions are critical for promoting harmony in diversity. Historically, interfaith relations have been marked by disrespect and persecution of some faiths. While there has been decided improvement at official levels in the 52 years of independence, there exists a legacy of mutual intolerance, prejudice and mistrust, based largely on lack of information. The formal education system does not adequately address this legacy. The authors considered the nomenclature for such a programme and propose a preliminary framework and implementation strategy for teacher training and curriculum materials development for interreligious studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a two-phased, job-embedded, teacher professional development model (TPD) which employs action research and onthe- job professional support. The model is a response to evaluative research evidence which shows that in spite of their pre-service and in- service training, primary teachers' traditional perspectives of science education persisted as a barrier to effective implementation of primary science curricula reform. The TPD differs from the Cascade model which is widely used in teacher training. That model transmits teacher learning. The TPD is grounded in enquiry and the principles of andragogy. In the case study, using TPD, two teachers were actively engaged in the systematic investigation of their classroom practices, as they taught the Grade 4 science unit of Jamaica's national primary curriculum. This resulted in shifts in teachers' approach to classroom assessment in phase 1 and phase 2, a deepening of conceptual understanding, and use of enquiry teaching as intended for the Science unit. The model has relevance for similar educational contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including the phytochemical investigation of Capparis ferruginea, an argument that contemporary women in the Caribbean enjoy the gains of earlier waves of feminism, and the relationship between education and economic development in post-independence Jamaica.

The world as we know it has been irrevocably changed since the emergence of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Jamaica, like many other countries, has not been left unscathed by COVID-19. On March 12, 2020, schools were ordered closed for an initial period of 14 days. Since that time, the closure was extended for the rest of the academic year. The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information (MOEYI) then had to initiate a COVID-19 response plan to deal with the new reality of schools being conducted remotely. This paper firstly documents the sequence of events that unfolded as a consequence of the Ministry's response. Secondly, it shares our experience as parents (who are also educators) of children at two different levels of the education sector (primary and secondary) trying to navigate the nuances inherent in remote learning. Fundamentally, the paper provides some insights about critical things to consider not only in times of crisis, but as we move forward to ensure the education sector transcends learning that is not based merely on depositing content (Freire 1970), but more on how students can activate their own learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a post-colonial lens, this paper describes the changes and constants in Jamaica's educational system between the 19th and the early 21st century using academic literature and secondary data from the Ministry of Education. High schools initially emerged in Jamaica for the upper and middle classes only, based on the families' income level, thus excluding children from the lower income bracket. Over time, breaking the glass ceiling for lower-income students became more possible as education included students moving from elementary to high school based on merit. This still restricted a large body of lower-income students who needed the tools and merit for success in the exit examination to high schools. In the 21st century there is more direct intervention in the Jamaican school system through funding and policies that change the high school education structure available to lower-income families, making it more possible for upward mobility on the social ladder. While there may be legacies of the colonial era, Jamaica has made significant strides in moving away from her turbulent past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose This paper aims to highlight the recruitment practices in the records management (RM) profession in Jamaica’s public sector and their implications for professional practice. This paper is part of a larger doctoral study completed at the University College London that investigated the connection between RM education and national development.Design/methodology/approach The research is a qualitative mixed methods study, which mainly utilises data from 34 interviews done among RM practitioners and educators, and development administrators and analysts in Kingston and Spanish Town, Jamaica.Findings The study found that there is an urgent need for a change in how RM practitioners are recruited for their roles in Jamaica’s public sector. More coherent frameworks and a more coordinated effort are required to support for the recruitment of practitioners.Research limitations/implications This research is specific to the Jamaican case; therefore, it provides little basis for generalisation. Consequently, the study seeks to make no claims that the results in the Jamaican context are generalisable to other societies. Nonetheless, the conclusions and recommendations may be instructive in other environments.Social implications The study evaluated some of the existing practices for the recruitment of RM practitioners. As a result, the findings should enhance the knowledge about the human resources needs in RM in Jamaica.Originality/value In addition to providing some directions for future research, the study also gives voice to a diverse group. It brings together an analysis of national discourses around RM recruitment practices. This is done through the multifaceted views of Jamaican RM practitioners, development administrators and RM educators represented in the interviews. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract. A number of authors and multi-national organizations have suggested that providing information services, and in particular software engineering and programming services, for export afford an important economic opportunity for poor countries. Throughout the world, developing countries have acted on this advice. This paper will argue that the opport unities for software engineering services in particular are limited, at least for small developing economies. The main argument is that software engineering and programming are labor-intensive activities and that small developing countries simply do not have the required resources to acquire or train a sufficient number of software engineers and programmers. Any development policy that blindly follows the tenet that small developing countries can improve their economic position through the provision of information services for export is therefore bound to fail. Hence, more sophisticated policies are called for. This paper will also examine a number of such policy options, including an innovative human resource development policy being developed in Jamaica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative scoping study explored how a small sample of teachers in urban primary schools in Jamaica responded to meeting the needs of students with low levels of reading. Data from interviews and observation, analysed through the lens of human learning theory and culturally responsive pedagogy, provided thick descriptions of participants’ shared views of context responsive teaching and learning. Findings suggested that context responsive teaching and learning was enacted by catering to students’ unmet physical, academic and emotional needs (a whole child approach) as means of improving their performance. The findings further indicated that individual teacher agency was the main means of responding to the situated context. Arguments are made that curriculum reform seeking to improve urban students’ performance needs to include strategies for meeting their unmet physical, and emotional needs in addition to the academic needs. The paper concludes that this can help to reduce the challenges that prevent students from performing well in urban contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper I describe and analyse the socio-educational significance of a theatre arts approach to learning for young adults in Jamaica, implemented by the Area Youth Foundation (AYF). Briefly outlining the genesis and development of the AYF, I provide snapshots of the experiences and destinations of some of its young participants. The paper discusses AYF workshops to show how the pedagogy was shaped by the expressive arts and based on the critical praxis approach systematized by Paulo Freire in adult education and Augusto Boal in theatre. Based on interviews with AYF's leader and some of the learners, I discuss how the foundation's motto, "Youth Empowerment Through the Arts," is played out in workshops and creative productions that are simultaneously learner-driven and teacher-guided, with the powerful impact of inspiring politically thoughtful creativity and skills in youths from less-privileged communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to explore some experiences of early Caribbean migrants, while offering comparisons between two similar school systems, namely England and Jamaica. The paper employs the autoethnographical method (auto/ethno/graphy), which is a study of self in context. Using the tool of memory, the autobiographical investigation of one set of migrant experiences confirms the commonality of educational systems and underscores the efficiency of colonial administration in managing the same lack of opportunities in two settings. The individual account of schooling in England revealed the impact and influence of family and the beginning of the racist practices that eventually became entrenched. However, the account also revealed the unplanned and casual opportunities that did arise for a child to navigate her way through the system. As the discriminatory practices hardened with time and legislation, there was increased alienation and the search by younger migrants for a better way of belonging through 'home' and community. The paper obliquely searches for the common grounds and routes shared by later migrants and descendants of migrants. The final aim of the paper has been to remind teachers of the wider possibilities for narratives in classroom encounters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes how a teacher of mathematics used problem posing in the assessment of the cognitive development of 26 students at the grade-four level. The students, ages 8 to 10 years, were from a rural elementary school in western Jamaica. Using a picture as a prompt, students were asked to generate three arithmetic problems and to offer their solution to one of these problems. The teacher used both formative and summative assessments to evaluate students' levels of cognition in mathematics. Formative assessment revealed that some students' mathematical ability were higher than their reading ability. Summative assessment showed that more advanced students generated more complex questions. The teacher was able to use the information gathered from the problem posing activity to create better lesson plans for the class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge discovery in databases and data mining has been used in several industries to improve decision making and bring significant competitive advantage especially in the retail industry. However, we believe these techniques are fairly underutilized in developing countries like Jamaica, though the benefits can be great. In this paper we discuss how information systems can be used to capture data that is relevant to the public school management and accountability framework. We further propose the use of knowledge discovery in databases and data mining to provide decision support and pre-emptive intervention programs for students. We posit that this may lead to a more integrated approach to the educational experience, where stakeholders can direct efforts more meaningfully towards students' holistic development. We also discuss some progress made concerning school information systems in Jamaica, which can serve as an enabler to the use of these techniques and the model proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper discusses factors impacting on boys’ educational aspirations at two case-study schools in urban Jamaica. It focuses on boys’ experience of their educational environment in relation to social, cultural and economic factors, which shapes the nature of their aspirations towards higher education. The study utilised Bourdieu’s notion of ‘capital’ grounded in a critical realist meta-theoretical framework, the narratives of the participants and the researcher’s experiential understanding as a participant observer to explore boys’ aspirations over a 12-month period. The findings from the study suggested that boys’ educational aspirations are complex and affected by their level of capital in relation to persistent narratives from family and the Jamaican Diaspora within high-income countries like the UK, the USA and Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

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Digital reference service (DRS) has its origin in the early 1980s and as subsequently become a ubiquitous feature of the twenty-first century library. With approximately 50% of academic libraries in the United States of America providing digital reference service, this case study examined the service offered at the Syracuse University. The paper seeks to present the findings of an exploratory research that was undertaken during the period October to December 2009. The objectives of the study were to identify the various models of DRS, determine the issues that librarians need to consider when offering DRS and to analyze the students’ perceptions of the service at Syracuse University. An online survey was administered to the students at the School of Information to determine their perception of the service provided by the Bird Library and its implications for libraries in Jamaica. A total of 53 respondents participated. The results showed that DRS augments the traditional reference service and that students believe that DRS enhances their learning. The results have implications for those libraries in Jamaica considering implementing such an initiative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper summarises the findings of an evaluation of the Programme of Advancement through Health and Education (PATH), a conditional cash transfer programme implemented by the Government of Jamaica. The authors find that PATH was generally implemented as intended; exhibited better targeting to the poor than other similar social assistance programmes in Jamaica; and had positive and statistically significant impacts on school attendance and number of preventive healthcare visits for children. They find no evidence, however, that PATH was able to affect longer-term outcomes such as marks, grade progression, or healthcare status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of culture as an instrument for education, consciousness-raising and demystification has been rediscovered and titled 'people's theatre' or 'popular theatre' in recent years. The use of popular culture as a designated instrument for individual and group psychotherapy is a more recent phenomenon. The paper traces the development of an active popular theatre movement in Jamaica, intensified in the decade of the 1970s and building on the blueprint of Marcus Garvey and Edelweiss Park in Kingston in the early 1910s. The 1970s saw the popular theatre trend produce a wave of performing groups, such as The Bellevue Cultural Team, Gun Court, and Sistren Theatre Collective. The prototype for the cultural therapy process began as an eight-week workshop with the reggae band Third World, and produced the popular theatre piece Explanitations in 1978. Cultural therapy emerged as a large-group psychotherapy process in the Bellevue Mental Hospital soon after, and was called 'sociodrama'. Between 1978 and 1981, the cultural therapy team at the Bellevue Mental Hospital produced annual pageants called Madnificent Irations , Visionated Penetrations , Madaptations , and Irations Explosion . The pageants told the story of the history of madness in a British postcolonial territory and the genesis of mental illness in specific patients of that hospital. The pageants challenged the participants and the audiences to re-evaluate preconceived notions and the stigma of 'madness'. The cultural therapy process was applied as popular theatre in Grenada in 1980, producing Genesis of Ites ; in Provident Hospital, Baltimore, USA, in 1981, producing Cooling the Fires of Hell ; and in Belize in 1982, producing Mongrel Juice . In Jamaica, the cultural therapy trend culminated in the novel fusion of dub music and the operetta in 1992, resulting in the production of Krossroads - de Culcha Clash .The psychotherapeutic outcome of the process is outlined and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Netball emerged in Jamaica in 1909 through a disjointed education system that was heavily influenced by British Crown Colony Rule. As such, the first avid netballers on the island were the tiny minority of young women who were afforded a high school education. It was not until the establishment of the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) in 1923 that netball began to develop beyond this exclusionary emergence. Specifically, behind a movement that sought to include all classes and races of young Jamaican women in intellectual and recreational activities, the YWCA quickly established netball as a central part of the services offered to members. Officials of the Kingston YWCA, the home and headquarters of the movement nationally, acted as ambassadors for netball by advocating its establishment in schools and other community settings. Ultimately, the YWCA's impetus led to the establishment of one of the first competitive netball leagues in Jamaica in 1935 – the Kingston and St Andrew Net Ball League. This narrative history provides the foundations from which to further understand and appreciate how netball has become one of the most popular sports for Jamaican women in contemporary times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Increasingly researchers are recognising the importance of including the perspectives of children and young people in research and in the development of interventions and innovations, in order to understand children's lives on their own terms. Purpose: This article reflects on the potential risks posed to children and young people in research and the role of gatekeepers in granting access and, in direct field activities, especially where the research could be deemed as 'sensitive'. Research Design: Using a combined descriptive and autoethnographic research design, questionnaires and reflections were gathered from the field experiences of researchers in four countries (India, Jamaica, Uganda and the UK) conducting research on children's experiences of violence victimisation as part of a gender-based violence prevention project. Data was collected retrospectively and analysed thematically with the aid of QSR NVivo. Results: Based on the five themes that emerged: accessing schools; approach to access; accessing participants; lessons learnt; and advice for other researchers, the overall findings indicate that researching sensitive topics with children and young people is necessarily problematic in order to safeguard them. This is especially the case in contexts where discrimination and stigma relating to certain topics may be a significant barrier to children's participation. Conclusion: Research planning requires attention to gatekeeper power, safeguarding children and young people, and understanding how processes and attitudes concerning the status and rights of children at national and institutional levels might influence the research process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Professionalism is the assiduous adherence to unwavering civility, integrity and responsibility in everyday transactions with all stakeholders. In this sense, professionalism includes areas such as in-class conversations and behaviour, and out-of-class communication. This also extends to feedback and teacher/ student relationships. The level of professionalism displayed by teachers has implications for their personal and professional growth and the development of their students. This paper discusses the issue of dwindling professionalism among Jamaican educators and highlights the implications for student development, collegiality and the wider education system. It therefore challenges educational leaders to hold educators to a higher level of excellence in order to promote adherence to their professional code of conduct and to professionalise teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teachers, whether new or experienced, have been described as an important element in the teaching process in terms of their potential to impact learning outcomes. Based on this premise, induction programmes have been implemented to provide the support necessary for new teachers to develop competence so that they can positively impact learning outcomes. Principals are vital to the induction process since, as the leaders in the institutions, their support and assistance are essential ingredients in developing, monitoring and sustaining the programme. Research conducted in Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and Belize indicates that principals' support for and involvement in induction programmes need to be improved. One strategy to accomplish this is to educate the principals about their roles and responsibilities in delivering an effective induction programme within the school. An understanding of their roles and knowledge of how to implement and sustain the programme will assist them in supporting new teachers, so that students can benefit. This paper defines teacher induction, outlines some of the reasons new teachers need to be inducted, and explains the role of the principal in providing induction to the new teachers. It also briefly explores some of the challenges that might impact the principal's ability to provide induction support to fledgling teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Study Tour is an opportunity for reflection in a new context. It emphasises experiential learning and offers both group and self-directed activities, enabling participants to explore new territories, cultures and people. It is a transformative reflectivce activity. This paper learns from the case study of a transformative experience for a group of Jamaican teachers and principals crossing the borders and engaging in a UK Study Tour. The evidence illuminates how teachers and principals might cross mental borders and widen their perspectives on the practice and leadership of education through experiential activities, and the ways teachers and principals can integrate new insights gained from crossing a border with existing knowledge from their side of their border. The main purpose of this qualitative reflective case study was to investigate the impact that Study Tours can have. The findings suggest that participants experienced remarkable personal and professional growth which are likely to result in significant changes to their practice and professional identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among Caribbean populations. Ideal glycemic control can be attained when patients adhere to self-management behaviors such as consistent monitoring of blood glucose (BG) levels, staying physically active, taking medications, and eating a healthy diet. Aim: The present study has the following aims: (1) to assess knowledge of self-care and the initiative of type 2 diabetic patients in medication compliance, making suitable food choices, regular physical exercise and BG monitoring, (2) to evaluate diabetic patient self-management by adhering to instructions of healthcare provider in attaining outcomes such as medication adherence, appropriate food choices, prescribed physical exercise, and self-monitoring of BG levels and determination of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels at clinic visits and (3) to determine whether there are associations between BG control (glucose and HbA1 levels) and sociodemographic factors (i.e., age, education, employment status) as well as knowledge of self-care and the number of years persons had type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Method: The study is a cross-sectional study that utilized a quantitative methodology. The study population consisted of 101 T2DM patients. The researchers used a 12-point interviewer administered questionnaire to solicit information on socio-demographics, knowledge of self-care, and self-management of T2DM, including physical activity and selecting appropriate food choices, and evidence of glycemic control, such as HbA1c and random blood glucose (RBG) levels. Researchers analyzed the data using SPSS version 17.0 and Microsoft Excel 2007. Authors applied an analytical statistical analysis with a 95% confidence level. Results: The findings revealed that 90.1% of respondents indicated that they knew how to take their medications. Results also indicated that there was no association of knowledge of self-care with the number of years persons had T2DM. Among the total respondents, 53.5% had poor compliance to prescribed medication, and women were 1.2 times more likely not to comply with medication. In addition, 65.3% of respondents reported poor compliance with physical exercise and 81.2% of respondents indicated poor compliance in self-monitoring BG. Conclusion: The findings from this study reveal that the majority of patients with T2DM knew how to take their medications. However, compliance with physical exercise and self-monitoring BG were less than satisfactory. Didactic interventions focusing on the acquisition of knowledge and information will empower patients and improve their self-care and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides an empirical test of the proposition that the role of maternal education in the production of children’s education represents household bargaining power in Jamaica. Discusses the implementation of the test for bargaining power, data and econometric issues. Determination of environmental parameters such as wage rates, marriage laws and factors relating to the socioeconomic and cultural environment outside the household.

There is a lack of clarity on what quality education means and how it could be achieved. This study examines this question from the perspective of secondary school students in Jamaica and Trinidad. The study also sought to ascertain whether there were significant country, school type and gender differences in the students' perceptions. A convergent mixed methods design was used for the research. The findings revealed that students perceive the context in which teaching and learning take place, the inputs available, teaching-learning processes and educational outputs as being critical to the achievement of quality education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efforts to combat continuing gender inequalities in academia need to be informed by evidence about where differences occur. Citations are relevant as potential evidence in appointment and promotion decisions, but it is unclear whether there have been historical gender differences in average citation impact that might explain the current shortfall of senior female academics. This study investigates the evolution of gender differences in citation impact 1996–2018 for six million articles from seven large English‐speaking nations: Australia, Canada, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, UK, and the USA. The results show that a small female citation advantage has been the norm over time for all these countries except the USA, where there has been no practical difference. The female citation advantage is largest, and statistically significant in most years, for Australia and the UK. This suggests that any academic bias against citing female‐authored research cannot explain current employment inequalities. Nevertheless, comparisons using recent citation data, or avoiding it altogether, during appointments or promotion may disadvantage females in some countries by underestimating the likely greater impact of their work, especially in the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay utilizes autoethnography to explore myriad cultural and institutional practices that impacted the author's education while she was growing up in Jamaica, West Indies. Informed by and through the use of some postcolonial theory, the information in this text is presented in the form of the creative nonfiction essay and chronicles the ways in which education is a path to economic well‐being as well as a lesson in acculturation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to identify the types of early reading tasks with which final year (5-6 year olds) Jamaican basic school children are struggling that place them at-risk for reading difficulties. A sample of 409 (224 females, 185 males) children in the final year of basic school were tested using measures of language development, phonological awareness, letter identification and letter-sound knowledge. Language development was found to be an area of strength. On measures of phonological awareness, letter identification and letter-sound knowledge, their performance indicated that these are the early reading tasks that place them at-risk for reading difficulties as 40% failed to identify sounds in the initial or final position in words, 32% were unable to identify letters and to match them with their sound, and 70% were unable to blend sounds dictated to identify words. Early identification of children at-risk for reading difficulties was highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the practices of teachers in teaching literacy to grade one students in Jamaica. Topics mentioned include the teachers attempt to develop engaging classroom environment while teaching reading and writing, the effects of sociocultural theory and social practices in teaching literacy, and the use of equal language and skills components to develop an effective literacy instruction to elementary students.

The use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the classroom has taken centre stage in most discourse about education in Jamaica. This has led to an increased demand on teachers to improve pupils’ grades especially in the external school leaving examinations through the use of ICT in teaching and learning. It is the belief in Jamaica that the use of ICT in the classroom can change things for the better and that therefore, the proper preparation of teachers to use ICT is an imperative. This study sought to determine whether student teachers who were pursuing Business Studies and Computer Studies at the tertiary level were using ICT with a view to improving pupils’ performance. Final year student teachers pursuing Business Studies, Computing, Administrative Management and education and training in three types of institutions: a university, a teachers’ college and a vocational training institution participated in the study. A total of 99 student teachers from the three institutions completed questionnaires, answered interview questions and engaged in focus group discussions. A case study approach using mixed methods was used to analyse the data. The quantitative analysis made use of descriptive statistics, cross tabulation and Kruskal Wallis test. The qualitative analysis used the thematic analysis approach by Braun & Clarke (2006) which produced a number of themes. The results revealed that many of the students said they were dissatisfied with the general level of supervision they received from both the cooperating teachers and lecturers. Trainee teachers use of ICT favoured multimedia presentations, in particular PowerPoint software and text and pictures to improve class activities, improve learning and provide notes for the pupils. Among the recommendations are that there should be continuous ICT training for all teacher trainers including cooperating teachers and the provision of a national ICT curriculum for all teacher training institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mediocre performance of students in the Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC) examinations, particularly in mathematics, raises the question whether private/public tutoring - more popularly termed in Jamaica, extra lessons - can improve academic performance in secondary education. The 2009 Jamaican Survey on Living Conditions revealed that extra lessons are the third highest expense in household education expenditures, after transportation and lunches. however, due to the lack of regulatory approaches from the government, there is litle data on the impact of this phenomenon. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to investigate students' perceptions on the effectiveness of extra lessons on academic achievement at the secondary level. Specifically, presenting the hierarchical linear model analysis from a larger transformative mixed-methods design, this study provides base line data not previously available that examines the scope and prevalence of extra lessons and relationships between academic achievement and extra lessons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of underperforming schools has been a feature of the educational landscape of Jamaica for decades. The scientific literature on school leadership is consistent in the view that the quality of leadership is one of the two most critical factors in determining the performance of a school. This study seeks to explore what specific elements of leadership were responsible for the turnaround that two non-traditional high schools in Jamaica have experienced. The study found six themes in the strategies which were used by the principals to realize turnaround in their schools. The study goes on to recommend that, among other things, policy makers should: 1. provide intensive training in turnaround strategies for those persons interested in becoming the principal of an underperforming school; 2. hire principals who show competencies in school turnaround; 3. introduce mechanisms to support accurate data collection and storage, easy retrieval, and systems for analysis of the data; 4. implement a system of performance contracts for principals hired to lead schools that are underperforming, and establish that the initial period of such contract not exceed three years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the distance education and higher education system in Jamaica. Topics discussed includes formal education system consists of early childhood or pre-education in Jamaica, dependence of Jamaican economy on imports and exports, and need of integrating technology at all levels of education system in Jamaica's education system.

Background In recent years, there have been increasing calls to develop a more contextually based sociocultural perspective of achievement motivation. Aim This mixed-methods study examined why Jamaican undergraduate students are motivated or unmotivated and how this relates to the extant literature on achievement motivation. Sample(s) This study was conducted in two phases and consisted of 175 and 189 Jamaican undergraduate students across phases one and two, respectively. Methods First, a qualitative investigation using open-ended questionnaires and semi-structured interviews explored Jamaican undergraduate students' conceptualization of motivation and the factors that positively or negatively impacted their motivation. The second phase consisted of using prototype theory to capture a hierarchical cognitive representation of Jamaican students' motivation using coded themes derived from phase one of the study. Results and conclusions The overall results indicated that personal, cognitive, contextual, and sociocultural factors are important determinants of Jamaican undergraduate students' academic motivation and that sociocultural (e.g., familial, economic, religious) factors appear to play a more critical role in impacting their motivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perceptions about teacher progression among Jamaica's primary schoolteachers should force society to stop and ask itself several questions. Are these perceptions accurate? If not, how did these perceptions emerge and what can national leaders and those in positions of authority do to ‘manage’ if not resolve these perceptions? If there is any truth to them, a different set of questions need to be asked. How did things come to be like this? How can the perception of corruption and mistrust be minimised? What will be done differently going forward? Either way, there is a more fundamental question: Do the current perceptions among teachers mirror perceptions in other areas of public service? The answers to these questions are not easy. The main aim of this small-scale qualitative exploratory study was to identify and understand the perceptions of primary schoolteachers in Jamaica as regards progression to the rank of principal. The findings point to a number of perceived barriersincludingreligious affiliation, political affiliation, ministry- and school-level politicking, social connections and predetermined outcomes. This study concludes that promotion on any basis other than merit is problematic and does not promote trust, openness and transparency, nor does it build confidence in those who are part of the system but themselves do not have such connections and/or affiliations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Is empowering peace education primarily about providing individuals with skills to respond to violence they experience and capabilities to enhance their own lives? Or is inspiring social transformation to alter forms of injustice that contribute to violence an equally valid and important dimension of an empowering peace education program? This article draws upon the authors’ experiences researching peace education programs implemented by local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in two different contexts: Jamaica and Peru. The basis for comparison is grounded in the discourse key actors in these NGOs utilized in reference to their respective educational initiatives, explicitly emphasizing empowerment for marginalized groups. Using critical qualitative techniques and troubling the idea of ‘empowerment,’ the authors analyze the discourse of empowerment to look beyond explicit truth claims and unveil tacit assumptions regarding the purpose and desired outcomes for the beneficiaries of their respective programs. The authors interrogate what definitions of empowerment – social and/or individual – the program stakeholders envision as well as how they believe such empowerment comes about. The study’s findings contribute to the need to critically unpack the commonly uncritical use of the term ‘empowerment’ as necessarily directed toward addressing social inequalities and altering unjust power relations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The aim of this small-scale, qualitative study is to understand the perspective of varying stakeholders responsible for student transitions from pre-primary to primary school in the Jamaican context. The questions that guided the research are: What factors affect student transitions to primary school? What skills do children need in order to successfully transition? and Who/what is responsible for preparing students to transition from pre-primary to primary school? To answer these questions a representative from the Early Childhood Commission, 13 parents and 16 Grade 1 teachers from 12 schools across the island of Jamaica were interviewed. Findings reveal that student transitions from pre-primary to primary school need systematic attention particularly in light of how this impacts on student success, not only in primary school, but in their secondary years as well. The data also reveal that a major issue affecting student transitions is the quality of pre-primary education and parenting practices in the early years. Also highlighted are the differing perspectives of teachers and parents on the skills needed for success in primary school. Parenting programmes and professional development for both parents and teachers, respectively, are critical if strides are to be made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between education and economic development is believed to be significant and positive (Psacharapoulos & Woodhall 1985). This suggests that one potent strategy for economic development is to pursue educational development. In the case of Jamaica, annually, a relatively sizable proportion of gross domestic product is reinvested in educational development but the returns in output growth remain, as measured by GDP growth, is modest. In this study the relationship between education, economic growth and economic development in Jamaica is explored since Independence in 1962. A mixed method was used in the study. Qualitative data on education sector plans, programmes, policies and reports were reviewed in conjunction with economic development plans. In addition to this, quantitative data on select indicators of education and economic growth were used. The findings suggest that whereas economic growth has produced developments in education, educational development has not resulted in sustained economic growth which is essential for economic development. The data was presented using graphs and tables to allow the researcher to identify trends and patterns in the variables employed in the study. Also, a timeline of educational development was traced and considered against the background of output and productivity growths over the decades. These findings lend itself to further questions on the quality and type of developments that have taken place in the education system and the level of complementarity between the economic and social development goals in post independence Jamaica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article outlines an assessment of the impact of information literacy (IL) instruction on grade six students' information-seeking skills. It was the view of the researcher that if students were actively taught IL at the early stages of their natural and cognitive development, they would acquire skills that would not only be fruitful but life-changing. The quasi-experimental method was used in carrying out this research. The findings presented were those of a pre-test and then a post-test done after intense IL instructions were given to grade six students (children aged 11- 12 years). The results showed that there were marked improvements in the quasi-experimental group's use of reference resources and in their overall research skills. The recommendation is made that greater emphasis should be placed on IL instruction at the primary level in Jamaica in order for students to be more efficient information-seekers as they move up the education system within the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the political career of the African-Jamaican Dr. Oswald E. Anderson from his entry into local politics in 1919 till his defeat in the first election under universal suffrage in 1944. It will demonstrate that Anderson differed from other black politicians at the time because of his criticism of Crown Colony government, commitment to the welfare of the masses, nationalist fervour and above all his outspokenness about racial discrimination. In addition to describing and explaining why Anderson was such a 'true maverick', the article will also demonstrate that Anderson was a highly ambiguous politician. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author discusses the 2025 vision of American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the capstone design project at the University of the West Indies (UWI) in Mona, Jamaica. He states that ASCE's vision is underpinned by several learning outcomes including master builders, managers of risk and uncertainty, and leaders in forming public policy. He mentions that the project accounts for 20% of the total weighted grade point average (GPA) of the bachelor of science (BSc) program.

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Background: HIV/AIDS is a problem in developing countries including Jamaica. There are several studies dealing with HIV/AIDS in Jamaica but given the increasing rate of the infection, ongoing studies are necessary. Aim: This study examines the sexual behavior and attitude of non-HIV testers in Jamaica in order to provide research evidence that will direct public health policies and interventions. Patients and Methods: This study extracts a sample of 1,192 participants who indicated not having done a HIV test from 1,800 respondents from a 2004 HIV/AIDS/STD National KABP Survey. A detailed questionnaire was developed and used to collect data from people ages 15-49 years old. Results: Some 20.3 % of the variances, which is self reported positive HIV test results, are a function of relationship status, using protection against HIV, having sex with a commercial sex worker, having STIs, the age at which the participant first had sex and age at last birthday. These findings hold across gender, occupational status and education. The majority (87.9%) of the participants said they had little or no chance of getting HIV, and 59.7% did not want to know their HIV status. However, 46.6% did not wear a condom the first time they had sex with current partner, 32% do not wear a condom with their current partner and 16.3% reported having had STIs. Conclusion: The existing HIV prevention programs need to be expanded and fortified to target young Jamaicans, particularly those who do not engage in safe sexual practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: On examination of the literature in Latin America and the Caribbean, and in particular Jamaica, no study could be found that investigated the health and health care-seeking behaviour of uninsured people. This study bridges the gap in the literature by evaluating uninsured Jamaicans' medical care-seeking behaviour and good health status. Material & Method: The study extracted a sample of 5,203 uninsured respondents 15 years and older from a national probability cross-sectional survey of 6,782 Jamaicans. Descriptive statistics were used to provide background information on the sample; cross-tabulations evaluated bivariate analyses, and logistic regression was used to model health and medical care-seeking behaviour. Results: Good health of uninsured Jamaicans is correlated -reported biological condition (OR =0.114, 95% CI = 0.090 -0 .145) followed by age (OR =0.952, 95% CI = 0.946- 0.959); gender (OR = 1.501, 95% CI = 1.221-1.845); consumption (OR = 1.000, 95% CI = 1.000-1.000); social class (upper class OR = 0.563, 95% CI = 0.357-0.888); education (secondary and above OR = 0.622, 95%CI = 0.402-0.963), and area of residence (other towns OR = 1.351, 95% CI = 1.026-1.778). Medical care-seeking behaviour is associated with age (OR = 1.020, 95% CI = 1.006 - 1.033); poor health status (OR = 2.303, 95% CI = 1.533-3.461), and marital status (married OR = 0.518, 95% CI = 0.325-0.824). Conclusion: The findings are far reaching and provide an understanding of the uninsured, and the information can be used to aid public health intervention and education programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing research in Jamaica on children and families has focused on family structure and function. The recent worldwide focus on the rights of children, particularly young children, has highlighted the absence of research on child rights in Jamaica. This article explores the implementation of protection and participation rights within the family, with a specific focus on protection from harsh punishment and abuse, including harsh work. Six child focus groups with 60 children and eight parent focus groups with 44 adults were held, with focus groups being socio-demographically representative of urban inner-city, urban middle-class and rural groups. Children were between 7 and 12 years and parents between 24 and 45 years. The children described a wide range of family structures. Harsh discipline was more common than demonstrated affection and approval, and levels of meaningful child participation were low across classes. The majority of parents believed in exercising strong authority, valued obedience and manners in their children, and defended the use of corporal punishment. Many parents described the interventions to amend their own life scripts in the ways they raised their children. This resulted in parental attention to children's education and economic advancement, provision of physical comforts and emotional support, altered approaches to corporal punishment and guidance on relationships. Using reflections of their own childhood, the development of amended scripts for parents is recommended as a powerful tool to encourage greater participatory rights for children and improve protection rights by reducing the use of harsh disciplinary measures and requirements for adult forms of work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]