Joaquín Gairín

Safety in schools: an integral approach

The present paper summarizes a research project into integral safety in schools. The aims of this particular research are, firstly, to evaluate the degree of integral safety in schools, secondly, to propose means for improving prevention and integral safety systems and thirdly, to identify the characteristics of safety culture. The field work was undertaken in 20 schools in the Barcelona metropolitan area. Two instruments were applied: questionnaires and the focus group, with a methodological orientation of a qualitative nature. Results show that safety issues involve a high degree of responsibility on which management personnel spend a considerable amount of time, stating that they were less aware of the importance of the issue until they had been involved in school management for several years. Schools address safety issues in a reactive and anything but preventive way, for the most part designing involvement protocols in those schools that have already experienced accidents previously. The results obtained open up new possibilities for examination and should shape perceptions in schools by relating and incorporating the management of integral safety procedures, interpersonal relationships and the training of school managers.

Agents and Processes in Knowledge Creation and Management in Educational Organisations

Today’s society has enshrined knowledge and worker training as strategic elements in organisations, viewing individual and collective intellectual capital as one of the main resources available to them in achieving their mission. In this context, organisations are seeking new strategies that enable their employees to share experiences, impressions and knowledge, aware that what makes an organisation competitive is its ability to develop the human capital it has at its disposal. Isolated professionals that interact solely with themselves or with their materials no longer make sense; rather what truly matters is the configuration of human groups that are in constant interaction through networks or communities. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that organisations are determinedly seeking how to foster collaborative processes and the development of the environments that facilitate them (Gairin, 2011). Education professionals and school networks are an excellent tool to instigate improvements in the educational systems. These networks can be established between professionals at the same schools, between schools and education and social services from a same town, between educational and professional centres from different towns and communities or even between professionals from different countries. The information and communication technologies can be an opportunity and a powerful weapon when setting up a new collaborative professional culture, which is so necessary in our day. First, they open up and improve the possibilities for collaboration, which is further enhanced with the implementation and gradual development of tools related to the concept of Web 2.0; secondly, when used properly, ICTs help to systematise the processes of knowledge exchange, creation and management that take place. The desirable knowledgebased organisation which not only stimulates the creation and management of knowledge but also fosters its transfer and support in diverse media is becoming more of a reality to us. The new forms of work based on the virtual network, such as virtual communities, remote networks and collaborative work environments thus fulfil their objective with the aid of technology, which becomes a fundamental tool for the exchange of information, knowledge, learning and experiences and for the creation of new knowledge. Several studies and publications confirm that the establishment of networks and communities encourages knowledge creation and professional development processes (Aubusson et al., 2007; Dering, Cunningham & Whitby, 2006; Kimmble & Hildreth, 2005;

Understanding Catalan university dropout from a cross-national approach

The dropout rate is an indicator of complex analysis and there is no consensus on its significance. Universities lack systematized, univocal methods for collecting student dropout data, making measurement problematic. In consequence, the formulas applied to analyze this phenomenon differ between countries and it is therefore an immense challenge to perform comparative studies. The aim of this paper is to provide a general overview of student dropout in Spain and in Catalonia compared to other international university contexts. Compiled data come from several reports produced by national and international organizations as well as by a research project funded by the Catalan University Quality Assurance Agency (AQU). The perspective provided on how this phenomenon is being studied and dealt with in several contexts may help design actions to increase student retention and performance in higher education institutions (HEIs).

Unravelling knowledge creation and management in educational organisations: barriers and enablers

Knowledge Creation and Management (KCM) is one of the main strategies for fostering improvement in any kind of organisation, including educational organisations, on which this paper is focused. While KCM is being widely studied, little attention has been given to KCM in organisations supplying education, training and/or assessment services to learners (i.e., primary and secondary schools or higher education institutions, among others). From an educational management approach, the aim of this paper is to describe and analyse the factors that foster or inhibit KCM processes conducted within educational organisations. Professionals (n=84), moderators and managers or institutional leaders of four selected cases were surveyed and interviewed. Results show the importance of the main organisational and procedural factors (i.e., organisational values and goals, leadership, structure, culture, dynamics, Information and Communications Technologies, KCM processes and people) to improve KCM results in educational organisations.

Student dropout rates in Catalan universities: profile and motives for disengagement

Data from over 21,600 students who left Catalan higher education institutions during the academic years 2000–2001 and 2001–2002 have been analysed in order to describe the academic and personal profiles of university dropouts. Additionally, a telephone survey and face-to-face interviews with a pilot group of leavers were conducted to gather additional qualitative information about the reasons for their decision. The influences on non-completion can be reduced to three main factors, among which dissatisfaction with the quality of the students’ experience, family and work responsibilities as well as economic difficulties, are prominent. Analysis conducted showed no significant differences between Catalan higher education institutions, with dropout percentages ranging from 28% to 33%. These rates should be understood within a context of broad access to higher education. Within the European Higher Education Area scenario, the findings have triggered institutional endeavours to improve the quality of the students’ and teachers’ experience.

They have gone, and now what? Understanding re-enrolment patterns in the Catalan public higher education system

ABSTRACT Studies of student re-enrolment patterns in higher education constitute, along with traditional studies of persistence and dropout, a key element for improving the quality of higher education institutions. However, these studies tend to be limited as they are centred on a single institution, due to the lack of national-scale data sets for monitoring students between different institutions. Using a longitudinal population-based data set provided by the Catalan University Assurance Agency (AQU), which includes information records on 21,473 undergraduate students, this paper aims to develop and test an exploratory model of student re-enrolment, specifically in the Catalan public university system. We are not only interested in student re-enrolment, but also in whether they do so during the first year after dropout or in the same area of knowledge. Results from logistic regression analysis revealed that although most students return to the university system in the first year after dropout, many of these change to a different area of knowledge, which is clear evidence of dysfunctional and inefficient guidance systems and university entrance. Findings provide a more accurate and complete picture of student re-enrolment behaviour and suggest the need to develop targeted policies to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our university systems.

Institutional self-evaluation and change in educational centres

This paper is the synthesis of a study performed in educational centres in Uruguay whose focal point of research is processes of organizational self-evaluation, the logics that guide the records and their ties with the change processes promoted at these centres.Our examination of multiple case studies considers seven early childhood, primary and secondary education centres, both publicly and privately owned. Performed between 2009 and 2011, the use of the PRODESO Scale, interviews, focused discussions, document analysis, surveys and the researcher’s diary have enabled us to gather relevant information on aspects related to the instrumental, methodological and contextual domain of the self-evaluation performed.The results identify structural, operative and cultural conditions that either make possible or limit the usefulness of self-evaluation as an instrument of change. They also yield a classification of domains (instrumental, methodological and contextual) that may be useful for studying organizational realities and organizing intervention processes, as well as yielding several references on school leaders.

Leadership, Educational Development, and Social Development

The development of educational policies that contribute to substantial social improvements is still a major hurdle in the majority of democratic societies. Educational institutions and, particularly, school leaders, as the cornerstone for the improvement of disadvantaged schools, should face the challenges of education in the twenty-first century combining a fair balance of quality and equity.

Communities of Practice, Informal Learning and Impact in the Workplace: Catalan Public Administration Networks

In recent years, after confirming that knowledge and training are valuable assets of organizations, different models and strategies that permit professionals to exchange and create knowledge with the aim of improving their abilities and work, are being promoted and established. This article describes two implementation experiences of communities of practice (CoPs) in the Catalan public Administration, pursuing a double aim. On the one hand, identifying in which way CoPs contribute to knowledge acquisition in the professionals involved; and, on the other hand, going into detail about the impact of the knowledge generated on the workplace. Results stem from the application of a 53-item selfadministered questionnaire to 175 participants, 40 in-depth interviews, 2 discussion groups and documentary analysis. Results show that CoPs participants establish a professional proximity by conversing and solving, in a consensus, shared work-related difficulties. CoPs make it easier to work on topics linked to the course of their work practice and learn in an informal way. Also, matters are clarified so that there may be greater exploitation and impact of the knowledge acquired on the workplace.

Exclusion Factors in Latin American Higher Education: A Preliminary Analyze From University Governing Board Perspective.

Access to higher education has increased substantially in Latin America, but inequalities in access to and completion of higher education still remain. In this regard, identifying vulnerable groups and exclusion factors is a priority in Latin America’s university systems. The aim of this article is to understand in depth governing board perceptions of exclusion factors in higher education institutions in Latin America. The study has identified five key factors that help better understand exclusion from higher education in Latin America: (a) personal characteristics, (b) family situation, (c) institutional features, (d) public policies, and (e) phases of university students’ development.