Conference Proceedings

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Browsing Conference Proceedings by Author "Anderson, Susan"

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    Causes of absenteeism at the secondary level in Jamaica: Parents' perspective [PowerPoint presentation]
    (2013-07-08) Jennings, Zellynne; Cook, Loraine D.; Anderson, Susan
    Inclusion has been broadly defined to include the elimination of social exclusion due to differences in social class and ability, inter alia. Chronic absenteeism occurs when a student is absent from school without reason 20 percent or more of school time. Students who are habitually absent from school will generally fall behind their classmates in their academic success. Research has underscored that low attendance and dropout rates are problematic in the Jamaican school system. This study sought to investigate parents' perspectives on the causes of student absenteeism at the secondary level. How their levels of education, their relationship with the school, and family background influenced their views on the causes of students' absenteeism were also examined. Using a convenience sample, a survey was carried out involving 227 parents in 10 secondary schools located in various parishes of Jamaica. The findings so far suggest that the factors influencing students' absenteeism are the home and family, and school factors
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    Changing landscapes in Caribbean education: Are our teachers being adequately prepared for this? [PowerPoint presentation]
    (2013-07-08) Jennings, Zellynne; Anderson, Susan
    Didacus Jules contends that we need to adopt a radical approach in rethinking education in the Caribbean to make learning fun, more closely related to the digital world, and more relevant to the social issues that beset schools today. This challenge was reiterated by Jessop (2012) who highlighted critical points on transforming education made at the 18th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers in Mauritius. Jessop noted that the current decline in Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) exam results is a signal that young people are leaving school unprepared for the job market-a trend that will have adverse effects on Caribbean economies. Among the suggestions for the way forward is the need to reassess teaching methods so they become more technology-driven and relevant to national development. This paper presents research that critically examines the effectiveness of the different models of teacher education used at The University of the West Indies over a 10-year period (1997-2007), drawing on the experiences of the graduates of the programme, current students, and other stakeholders. The findings point to crucial changes that need to be made if teachers are to be appropriately prepared for the challenges of today's classrooms