Research Methods in Education - Essay Example

OF BATH DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Unit Assignment Cover Sheet This PAGE must form the first page of every unit of work submitted. All Assignments must be submitted with a completed Cover Sheet and submitted via Moodle NAME STROOP Roy Family Given UNIVERSITY REGISTRATION NO: 069096301 ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE 53/5 Lang Suan Soi 1 Lumpini, Pathumwan Bangkok, THAILAND 10330 EMAIL: chochies@hotmail.com Please state whether this is a DRAFT or FINAL submission Only assignments clearly designated ‘FINAL’ will be graded. Please make sure you keep an electronic of this assignment for your own records. DRAFT DECLARATION: Cheating and plagiarism statement By submitting this assignment for marking I certify that I have read and understood the entry on page 23 of the Full Time Handbook or page 16 of the Part Time (MAEC) Handbook on Cheating and Plagiarism, and that all material in this assignment is my own work, except where I have indicated with appropriate references. I agree that, in line with University Regulation 15.3(e), if requested I will submit an electronic copy of this work for submission to a Plagiarism Detection Service for quality assurance purposes. Title of Unit Research Methods in Education Unit Tutor Dr. David Skidmore Number of Words 4669 Where was unit the taught? Distance Learning / online When was the unit taught? March 2011 Date of submission 6 November 2011 Proposal of Research Project: Research Methods in Education Introduction Educators play a significant role in shaping society through their influence on the students they teach. Due to the importance of this role, it is vital that we ensure educators are well-equipped and capable of handling the tremendous responsibility they bear as teachers. In our constantly changing society with complex technological innovations regularly emerging, it remains a necessity for in-service teachers to receive current training so they are able to teach relevant material to their students. In addition, the high turnover rates that are a problematic trend in the teaching profession (Macbeath, Oduro, Jacka, and Hobby, 2006) may be directly related to the degree and extent of the pedagogical training that teachers receive. This assignment seeks to investigate whether and to what extent the provision of education incentives to further the pedagogical knowledge of teachers would help reduce the high incidences of turnover in a commercial international language school in Thailand. Context background Teachers, the most vital aspect of any educational program, differ in quality based on their qualifications, including the extent and duration of their pre-service field experience and the characteristics of their ongoing professional development (Decker, Decker, Freeman, and Knopf, 2009). In addition, teachers’ personal beliefs have an influential role in determining their professional behaviour, affecting not only their teaching, but also how they filter new information. This suggests major implications for the functioning of educational innovations and teacher development (Mohamed, 2006). The role of teachers in providing quality basic education for all children becomes increasingly pivotal in developing nations such as Thailand, which seek to achieve, consolidate, and sustain progress towards economic growth. It is estimated that 18 million additional teachers are required worldwide by 2015 in order to provide all children with access to a high-quality basic education (Mpokosa and Ndaruhutse, 2008). Furthermore, teacher qualifications, training, and motivation ensure that the system is staffed with competent and dedicated professionals (Mpokosa and Ndaruhutse, 2008). These elements have a significant impact on the quality of a program and are an important factor in determining the likelihood that the curriculum will contribute to children’s growth and development, as well as their success in school and beyond (Decker, Decker, Freeman, and Knopf, 2009). Labour is the most expensive aspect of any educational program; in a high-quality program, approximately 70% of the budget is comprised of teacher salaries and benefits (Decker, Decker, Freeman, and Knopf, 2009). For financially challenged programs, low wages result in less qualified employees at the point of entry, less incentive for employees to increase skills due to the lack of significant monetary compensation, and greater employee turnover rates (Decker, Decker, Freeman, and Knopf, 2009). Without adequate staff compensation linked to training and experience, early childhood programs will continue to be of mediocre quality and experience high staff turnover rates, which lead to increased recruitment costs (Odland and Ruzika, 2009). The result of low salaries and benefits is typically a low-quality program. However, research indicates that there is a positive relationship between program quality and budget allocations for teacher salaries and benefits, in that programs spending approximately two thirds of their budgets on salaries and staff benefits tended to be of higher quality, while quality diminished considerably in programs spending less than one half of their budgets on salaries and staff benefits (Decker, Decker, Freeman, and Knopf, 2009). In addition, providing professional development and technical assistance to all staff members is a means to increase their level of performance, professional standards, performance management, ongoing continuing professional development (CPD), and newly qualified teacher (NQT) induction (Walker et al., 2010). statement of problems The international language school (School X) in Thailand has 16 branches within metropolitan Bangkok and one branch located in a nearby city. The school also has a corporate training department. Each branch and the corporate training department has a Head Teacher (HT), who is responsible to both the Branch Manager (administrative) and the Director of Studies (curriculum). However, there is only one Director of Studies within the entire company. Employment trends over several years have revealed a high turnover rate for Head Teachers, which has been problematic as there has been great difficulty in filling vacant HT positions with appropriately qualified and experienced people. Although the company currently offers courses in Teaching English as a Second or Other Language (TESOL), Teaching English to Young Learners (TEYL), and Teaching Business English (TBE) at no cost to the teachers, graduates are contracted to teach for the company for a minimum of six months and/or 400 teaching periods. Should they fail to comply with their contractual agreement, these teachers will not receive their qualification certificate. Other courses, such as Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA), are also available; however, teachers are required to pay for these courses and must take one month off work in order to complete the certificate. This means that teachers must lose their income for one month in addition to paying for the cost of the course. Literature Review The current consensus is that the status of teachers in most countries, both developed and developing, has declined substantially in recent decades (Purdon, n.d.). However, the forces resulting in the ‘de-professionalization’ of teachers are probably more pronounced in low-income developing countries (LICs) such as Thailand, many of which still do not have enough teachers for their rapidly growing populations. These forces influencing the educational sector include protracted economic and social crises, the increasing diversification of the teaching force with increasing reliance on less well-educated and qualified teachers with lower job security, generally lower standards of teaching, and dramatic declines in the living standards of teachers (Bennell, 2004). These factors may influence the work motivation of teachers, which refers to the psychological processes that influence individual behaviour with respect to the attainment of workplace goals. In attempts to increase work motivation, occupational psychologists believe that ‘pay on its own does not increase motivation’ (Bennell, 2004). However, pecuniary motives are likely to be dominant among teachers in LICs such as Thailand, where pay and other material benefits are often not sufficient to meet individual and household survival needs. Incentives to perform well for teachers in the public education system are frequently weak and ineffective (VSO, 2002). Very low pay forces large numbers of teachers to seek secondary income sources through offering private tutoring. Poor human resource management also seriously de-motivates employees, and teacher management is inadequate in many countries. The specifics of the situation also impact on motivation levels; some employment conditions are likely to be more motivating to educational professionals than others. Being posted to a rural school is likely to de-motivate most teachers. Increasing hours of work, larger class sizes, more subjects, and constantly changing curricula are cited as major de-motivators in many countries (Bennell, 2004). The expectations placed on teachers (the ‘social contract’) are not realistic in many countries considering the lack of material rewards, heavy workloads, and poor work and living environments (VSO, 2002). In some countries, the shortfall of teachers is far beyond the capacity of traditional colleges to meet. The supply of teachers is also adversely affected in countries where retention rates are low for newly trained teachers, where the number of teachers is decreasing rapidly due to HIV-AIDS, or in rural areas that are struggling to recruit and retain teachers. Teacher quality is also an issue in most countries. Many teachers are untrained, underqualified, or required to teach subjects they do not have a thorough knowledge of (Perraton, 2010). In addition, teachers face increasing demands and are being asked to fill more and more roles. In many countries, teachers are being asked to take on more responsibilities in addition to traditional teaching requirements, including health and sex education, counselling, and community development (Bennell, 2004). National governments, international organisations, and changing circumstances continually set new goals, such as gender parity by 2005 and universal basic education by 2015, multi-grade teaching, increased accountability for achieving learning targets, the development of learners who are self-managing and independent, skilled in critical thinking and problem solving, and equipped with life-skills, and the expansion of teachers’ roles to include social work in communities where child-headed households and orphans are common as a result of HIV-AIDS (Perraton, Robinson, and Creed, 2001). In order to meet the heightened, multiple expectations now placed on schools, as well as to have more engaged teachers, it is argued that schools need to become learning organisations, consciously and continuously pursuing quality improvement (Silins, Zarins, and Mulford, 2002). Schools that are learning organisations tend to produce new types of relationships between students, teachers, and leaders based around a reasonably common set of characteristics that include a trusting and collaborative climate, a shared and monitored mission, taking initiatives and risks, and ongoing, relevant professional development (Silins, Zarins, and Mulford, 2002). The key relationships in the ways school leaders strengthen teacher recruitment, development, and retention were shown to include factors such as teacher satisfaction, school effectiveness, improvement, capacity, teacher leadership, distributive leadership, organisational learning, and development (Silins, Zarins, and Mulford, 2002). Those in positions of authority in schools, such as Head Teachers, can be a major influence on these school-level factors and help buffer against the excesses of the mounting and sometimes contradictory external pressures that can lead to high turnover rates. A skilled and well-supported leadership team in schools can help foster a sense of ownership and purpose in the way that teachers approach their jobs. Conferring professional autonomy to teachers will enhance the attractiveness of the profession as a career choice and will improve the quality of classroom teaching practice. Teachers who work together in a meaningful and purposeful way have been found to be more likely to remain in their positions for longer time periods because they feel valued and supported in their work (Mulford, 2003). Research Question To what extent would offering incentives of further training to educational professionals and Head Teachers reduce turnover rates and increase the number of qualified and competent applicants for vacant HT positions within the context of a commercial international language school in Thailand? Research Strategy The research strategy for this dissertation will assume both qualitative and quantitative methods to determine whether offering incentives of additional training to educational professionals is likely to lead to an increase in qualified applicants and diminish high turnover rates. Yin (2003, p.13) defines the case study as “an empirical inquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context, especially when the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clearly evident.” Although this enquiry will be predominantly empirical and quantitative, I will also be referring to extensive international literature in this area, specifically literature that relates to education centres in Thailand and other LICs, and conducting qualitative interpretation of some of the research issues. Much of the research data will be collected through observations, self-administered questionnaires, interviews, and discussions with willing participants. The questionnaire instructions will be explicit and the interview details will be thoroughly explained to establish the rapport necessary to conduct a smooth interview (Oppenheim, 1992). A questionnaire will be given to existing Head Teachers within the school and to existing teachers who have been working within the company for a minimum of one year, as this will allow them to have sufficient experience in the teaching environment as to answer the questions. In addition, interviews will be conducted with the current Director of Studies as well as the General Manager. Interviews will also be conducted with each participant who returns a valid questionnaire in order to gather additional data (This will allow respondents to explain some of their questionnaire answers more in-depth and elaborate on their opinions). Additional information will be collected through data analysis of correlating studies and the trends observed therein. For the purpose of this examination, the following operational definitions will apply: Incentives shall be defined as pedagogical training for educational professionals in the most current methods applicable to the specific field of education. Educational professionals will include teachers, head teachers, Directors of Studies, and the General Manager. Turnover rates will apply to educational professionals who remain in their positions for less than two years. The term appropriate applicants will apply to any probable candidates who have sufficient educational training for the position they are applying for. The data for analysis will consist of questionnaire and interview results completed in accordance with the instructions provided, as well as relevant information associated with the research question acquired from an exhaustive literature review. This is an appropriate method to answer the research question because taking a qualitative approach will allow me to determine the underlying meanings behind the results of the analysis, while quantitative analysis will reveal the relational patterns that may exist between the trends apparent in the examination and the impressions of the respondents, which can be compared with the data obtained in other research studies found during my literature examination. As the basic objective of this research is to determine the extent of the efficacy of supportive training measures on job retention, qualitatively analysing the feelings and experiences of the respondents will supply valuable understanding of the topic at hand. Research design In compiling the data, I will fulfil the role of objective researcher and disregard my personal opinions about the implications presented in the data. Details regarding the performance of educational personnel who receive supportive training as opposed to those who do not partake of supportive training will be collected through interviews and analysed in accordance with the methods indicated above. This research will encompass a case study design since only respondents from one school will be considered for inclusion. The surveys, a sample of which is contained in the appendix, will contain only closed-ended questions, as the responses much be coded into categories for analysis and comparison (Oppenheim, 1992). Respondents will answer each question on Likert scales ranging from one to five, with one representing strong disagreement, three representing no strong opinion, and five representing strong agreement. Double-barrelled questions will be meticulously avoided, as will confusing word choice and concepts, and all questions will have direct relevance to the specifics of the research question (Babbie, 2007). Negative and biased terminology will also be excluded from the questionnaire to avoid misinterpretations or biased results. The draft questionnaire attached in the appendix will be further developed after a small pilot trial has been carried out to identify any gaps in the scope of the questions and determine whether the questionnaire and interview questions are appropriate for gathering evidence to answer the research question. The questionnaire will assume a general format and contain some basic questions about the research topic. In addition to the self-administered questionnaires, the respondents will also be interviewed by a proxy examiner whose impartiality will allow the interviews to be as objective as possible. These interviews will be used to expand on the answers given to the questionnaire. Qualitative interviews are typically based on a group of established topics that will be analysed in greater depth (Babbie, 2007). The interviews will contain contingency questions based on the length of consistent employment at the target school with the brunt of questioning aimed at extracting employment details from long-term employees (Babbie, 2007). The interview format will be constructed using easily interpreted open-ended questions that allow respondents to express their personal views, allowing me to gain insight into their subjective experiences. The qualitative use of surveys and interviews will be used to gain an in-depth understanding regarding the perspective of each participant. The subjects for the study will be selected from the pool of Head Teachers, long-term teachers, Directors of Studies, and the General Manager at the international language school School X, which is the focus of this case study. The specificity of this sample will limit the maximum possible sample size to 16 respondents, assuming that all the invited participants elect to participate in the analysis. This narrow sampling frame allows for increased experimental control, although it also decreases the representativeness of the sample for the wider population of educational professionals such as administrative staff, and is location-specific. Since there are only 16 existing head teachers and long-term teachers who will be completing the questionnaire sections, which is not a large sample for a questionnaire-based case study, chi-squares will not be used to analyse the data. However, testing methods like graphing and drawing charts will be used to present the gathered information in a manner that is easier to decipher and quantify. Using proxies to conduct the interviews will enhance my attempts to keep the research as unobtrusive as possible and allow me to remain objective. As I am also a Head Teacher, using a proxy to conduct the interviews will prevent the information gathered from being tainted by any personal biases (Bell, 2005). I will make sure to keep an open mind when collecting and deciphering the data gathered to allow for correct and unbiased interpretation. The basic principles of the research question will be scrutinised with specific care to remain objectively non-judgmental and present only the facts as they are gathered through the research. This will allow the research to be ethically conscientious and ensure that it will not have detrimental effects on any of the participants. The responses will be compared to the results drawn from existing literature relative to the subject matter to provide additional reliability to the research conducted. Since quantitative analysis deals primarily with statistical analysis, quantitative methods can be employed for the data analysis. These methods will be implemented in the codification of the data to be analysed, particularly the responses from the questionnaires, which are closed questions rated on Likert scales. The key variables will be relative to indicators that denote the reduction of turnover rates, the value of supportive training incentives, and the perceived benefits of such training. The usual method of qualitative analysis is to code the raw information such as interview transcripts, field notes from observations, and questionnaires by identifying similar phenomena and grouping them into initial codes under thematic headings, allowing the evidence to be organised in relation to the research question (Kane, 2008). The purpose of the data analysis will be to find correlations between the research variables: supportive training, increase in qualified HT applicants, and reduction in turnover rates. Responses from the participant interviews and questionnaires will be coded to represent these three primary variables in order to reach conclusive inferences that will provide coherent answers to the research question. The specifications of the questions asked through the surveys and proxy discussions will give a direct indication of the actual perceptions of the participant Head Teachers and long-term teachers in School X and will allow for real-time qualitative relational inferences to be noted (Reid and Gough, 2000). The measurements ascertained through the case study will be compared to the determinations quantified in similar studies. Peer-reviewed and scholastic studies will be reviewed to extrapolate empirical data that will support or refute the findings of this research study. Performing quantitative and qualitative analyses of the data will give the research additional reliability despite the small sample size used, as comparisons will be made between my own data and the information gathered from the available literature. The questionnaire surveys will be made available for respondents to take and return anonymously, and the interviews will be distinguished using numbers in order to maintain this anonymity. Using empirical methods to conduct this research in addition to literary study presents a more complete inquiry regarding the determination of the research question. Stringent identification of the research variables will allow me to detect patterns in the responses of the participants that present a concise picture of the relationships between the variables. Although an ethnographic study, such as that conducted by Babbie (2007), would also be an appropriate method for conducting this analysis, it is more explicitly detailed than is necessary and the focus is rather limited in scope, which would necessitate the elimination of at least one variable. For this reason, the survey approach is more appropriate as it allows me to collect various forms of data using an assortment of questions. The analytical depth of the survey is dependent upon the type and number of questions asked and whether they are open-ended or closed-ended questions. Since the research question requires the examination of more than one variable and the determination of the impact of variables on each other, the survey and interviews let a critical view be taken of each variable independently and associatively to determine the variable interactivity. Validity and reliability Throughout the course of this research project, steps will be taken to ensure that readers can be confident that the findings of this study are accurate, and not the product of prejudice or bias. All the questionnaires will contain the same questions worded identically, which will maintain construct validity and ensure that the methods are repeatable, while the interviews will be less structured to allow participants to freely share their subjective experiences, which can then be qualitatively evaluated to develop understanding of the subject. The small size and lack of random selection of the sample group may reduce the generalizability of the conclusions drawn from this research, as the sample may or may not be fully representative of the wider population of educators. The size of the sample group warrants further research (Coleman and Briggs, 2007). However, the substantive data collected through a review of literature may support the initial hypothesis and present findings that can be repeated. Although this study is not primarily observational, observations will be collected through field notes and coded into the data stream for interpretation in conjunction with the responses gathered from the empirical, quantitative data in order to present a more accurate illustration of the information and increase the dependability of the findings. Primarily, the concept of reliability usually applies to quantitative methods and refers to whether an instrument gives accurate readings on repeated measurements under similar conditions (Coleman and Briggs, 2007). However, some investigators prefer to use the terms ‘confirmability’ and ‘trustworthiness’ when referring to the findings of qualitative studies. Ethics Ethical considerations will be a central part of the research process. The planned enquiry will be conducted in accordance with all ethical standards. This includes everything from the purpose of the research and how the research will benefit those who are being researched, to issues of confidentiality and anonymity during the writing up process (British Educational Research Association, 2011). The questionnaires and interviews will be conducted via proxy and no names or other personal information will appear on the transcripts. For the interviews conducted according to tenure, a simple gauge will be used, such as ‘five years plus’ or ‘less than five years,’ to make sure the tenure is noted when relevant. This will ensure anonymity is maintained. Only subjects who are willing to participate will be interviewed or given a questionnaire to answer, as this will ensure that no coercion is used to obtain results (British Educational Research Association, 2011). In addition, matters drawn from other sources, such as the literature review, will be incorporated in a factual manner, without drawing any inferences or conclusions from the data and reporting only the empirically obtained facts. Timetable Once the official proposal is approved, the entire research project will be conducted within a time span of twelve months. The first two months will be spent reviewing and collecting literature sources using online databases to gather educational reviews, inter-library services, and personal contacts with colleagues in the field. This search and analysis will be used to sort out the useful results of our research. This procedure may take approximately two additional months. The results of previous studies and the new results obtained through my research will provide the basis of the investigation. The process of interpreting the data may take approximately four months. During the final stages, the empirical data will be presented to give a realistic perspective, which may take approximately one month. Transcribing the material and composing the dissertation may require up to two months. The additional time will remain as a cushion to ensure that all segments of the study remain within their allotted timeframes. Significance of the study The Relevance and Importance of the Enquiry to my Professional Context: The primary relevance of this enquiry is to retain experienced and competent Head Teachers within this school in Thailand. In-service training is already a part of the role of Head Teachers within the organization; however, many Head Teachers are not qualified, experienced, confident, or motivated enough to carry out this task. As such, the secondary relevance lies with raising the level of academic qualification of those in Head Teacher positions, from which would flow an increase in professionalism and skill within the teacher pool through the dissemination of information and in-service training. This would also lead to the student’s educational needs being met far more effectively and efficiently. In turn, the school’s reputation within the Thai international language school market could be expected to improve dramatically. The school development plan for School X identifies the introduction of regular peer observation of teaching as a target for 2010. The action research study described above fits well with this planned future development. Establishing an environment of collaboration is optimal when seeking to create a supportive environment for staff members. A teacher or Head Teacher looking to focus his or her skills will need support in the form of advice from colleagues, access to specialists, and available assistance on the premises to help the teacher through programs designed to facilitate active learning, reflective practice, and individualized activities (Decker, Decker, Freeman, & Knorpf, 2009). Seasoned teachers should attend professional conferences and seek additional training by furthering their education and learning new techniques and methods for educating students. Hosting workshops at the facility to provide supplementary training, new techniques, and ideas for curriculum and classroom activities will help seasoned teachers stay up-to-date on their techniques. As a program overseer, it is important to try to encourage your staff members and make sure that supportive services are available. Attending seminars, workshops, and other types of informative venues will keep educational professionals skills honed and make sure they are aware of the most up-to-date techniques and available services, which will allow them to bring the best educational experience to the classroom. Should educators seek to specialise their services, further education and seminars will help them to focus on developing their skills in a selected category. It is also the duty of those in positions of authority to help teachers seeking to focus their expertise to gain access to supportive services that will allow them to do so. Excessively high rates of employee turnover are a major concern for many companies, detrimentally so in a large majority of service-related industries. As indicated by Fahey and Lack (2006), employee retention has historically been a major concern within numerous markets and, as indicated by Owens (2006), is still an issue that confounds human resources personnel worldwide. References Babbie, E., 2007. The practice of social research (11th ed.). California: The Thomas Wadsworth Corporation. Bell, J., 2005. Doing your research project: A guide for first-time researchers in education and social science (4th ed.). Bennell, P., 2004. Teacher motivation and incentives in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Brighton: Knowledge and Skills for Development. British Educational Research Association, 2011. Ethical guidelines for educational research. London: BERA. Coleman, M. & Briggs, A.J. (eds), 2007. Research Methods in Educational Leadership and Management (2nd ed.). London: Sage. Decker, C., Decker, J., Freeman, N., and Knopf, H. (2009). Planning and administering early childhood programs (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Fahey, C. and Lack, J., 2006. Working at Sunshine: A case study of the recruitment, retention and management of labour in a Melbourne Manufacturing Enterprise, 1946-63. Australian Society for the Study of Labour History, May, 90, pp. 95-117. Kane, R.G., 2008. Perceptions of teachers and teaching: A focus on early childhood education. New Zealand: Report to the Ministry of Education MacBeath, J., Oduro, G., Jacka, J., and Hobby, R., 2006. Leading appointments: The selection and appointment of head teachers and senior leaders: A review of the literature. Mohamed, N., 2006. An exploratory study of the interplay between teachers’ beliefs, instructional practices & professional development: A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Language Teaching and Learning, The University of Auckland. Mpokosa, C. and Ndaruhutse, S., 2008. Managing teachers. CfBT and VSO. Mulford, B., 2003. School leaders: Changing roles and impact on teacher and school effectiveness. Education and Training Policy Division, OECD, for the Activity Attracting, Developing and Retaining Effective Teachers. Odland, G., and Ruzika, M., 2009. An investigation into teacher turnover in international schools. Journal of Research in International Education, 8(1), pp. 5-29. Oppenheim, A.N. (1992) Questionnaire Design, Interviewing and Attitude Measurement. London: Continuum. Owens, P.L. Jr., 2006. One more reason not to cut your training budget: The relationship between training and organizational outcomes. Public Personnel Management, 35(2), pp.163-171. Perraton, H., 2010. Teacher education: The role of open and distance learning. Commonwealth of Learning. Perraton, H., Robinson, B., and Creed, C., 2001. Teacher education through distance learning. UNESCO. Purdon, A., n.d. New teacher’s perspectives on continuing professional development: Accountability or professional growth? Reid, A., and Gough, S., 2000. Guidelines for Reporting and Evaluating Qualitative Research: what are the alternatives? Environmental Education Research, 6(1), pp. 59 – 91. Silins, H., Zarins, S., and Mulford, B., 2002. What characteristics and processes define a school as a learning organisation? Is this a useful concept to apply to schools? International Education Journal, 3(1). VSO, 2002. What makes teachers tick? A policy research report on teachers’ motivation in developing countries. Walker, M. et al., 2010. Making the links between teachers professional standards, induction, performance management and continuing professional development. National Foundation for Educational Research. Appendix Questionnaire for Head Teachers and long-term teachers How long have you been in your current position? 1 2 3 4 5+ (years) Are you satisfied with your current position? 1 2 3 4 5 No Average Very Are you satisfied with your current working conditions? 1 2 3 4 5 No Average Very Do you struggle to complete your job requirements due to a lack of training? 1 2 3 4 5 No Not really Yes Do you feel that those in positions of authority in School X offer you the support you require to fulfil your role as teacher/Head Teacher? 1 2 3 4 5 No Not really Yes Would you describe the working environment in School X as collaborative? 1 2 3 4 5 No Not really Yes If offered additional training free of charge, would you be interesting in improving your skills? 1 2 3 4 5 No Maybe Definitely Interviews for Directors of Studies and General Manager How long have you been working at School X? What made you decide to accept a position at this school as opposed to another school? How long do you intend to remain in your current position? What factors influence your decision to remain in your current position at School X? Do you feel satisfied in your current position? If no, why not? Do you feel sufficiently prepared for this position? Are there any areas you would like to improve in that would help you perform your roles more effectively? Do you feel that the staff members under your authority are satisfied with their working conditions? How do you think the situations of teachers and Head Teachers in your school could be improved? If you were to receive further training free of charge, what types of training would you find most helpful? Read More