Research Proposal. Reforms in the Field of Education

Organisational Change and Leadership

For many centuries, the world appeared so vast and the distances were infinite, as a result of humanity's “natural ignorance” certainly and the means of communication especially. Was not we believed that, during that time, the world was infinite? In the same way, won't we conclude one day in the future that the universe is a village? In addition, can't we conclude that in fact the means of communication reduce the distances and abolish religious/ethnicity/cultural barriers?

During the three last decades, the economy faced a major upheaval worldwide, generating new realities affecting various human aspects of life. New concepts and approaches of life have been introduced, which in turn requires continuous and in-depth reforms into education. Information and knowledge are considered as the “pillars” of any development policy while citizen constitutes its center of interest. Education represents the capital generated between the interaction of citizens from one side and information and knowledge from another side. Since its appearance, the Homo sapiens showed his intelligence, which was translated by his capacity to communicate and to immortalize it through times and distances. In addition, the traceability of his existence can be put forward, through his rupestral writings while passing by the papyruses and other supports, without forgetting the oral accounts of various civilizations to arrive at the paper, at the risk to give its place to the digital content support. This is making our contemporary achievements, that shape our culture, towards another method, or world, of the electronic culture. The net culture, the electronic content are transforming our thinking approach. Modern education must be based on modern tools such as mobiles, tablets, the internet, etc. without forgetting the classical tools like books and other supports content.

PHASE I- IDENTIFICATION OF THE PROBLEM

Since its independence from French colonization on July 5th, 1962, several reforms were proposed and applied in Algeria. Although the French educational model has been adopted in Algeria for few decades, but the level of pupils and students continues to decrease. All experts and specialists of education affirm the following:

• The level of pupils/students is getting worse even though the marks and grades are high, as well as the success is very much high,
• The lack of pedagogical training that has impacted the means of teaching because of the absence of specialized institutions along with the bad criteria in the recruitment procedure,
• The parents are more involved in their children program by helping them with homework or paying tuition than in the past, and the last the least
• The new programs are found to be more complicated compared to the level of pupils/students and are not easily accessible.

In such circumstances, is it that easy to identify the real problems in Algeria's education system at all levels. This research project aims to adequately assess the actual education policy and management in Algeria as well as establish a comparative study with other educational systems adopted in similar countries.

The parents are exasperated and feel they have put their child on a “short leash” at home and are looking for additional guidance from the school system. The teachers are worried and find themselves “missing” between different reform and new program contents, which is usually applied for a short period of time, which makes it impossible to establish real assessments and address the appropriate changes for improvements.

What can we do in the capacity of the national educational system to set up a universal level with an adaptable vision and system that can develop and progress with continuous and soft reforms?

The Algerian educational system is in the situation of the research of a better path to set up a strategy of soft reforms. By knowing and managing a vocational institution and education, we can at this stage identify the most known problems in the country such as:

• The process of recruitment and the level of teachers,
• The number of pupils/students per class and how bypassing the problem of the infrastructure,
• The adaptability of program content with national needs,
• The progress evaluation and the responsibility of teachers in pupils/students results,
• etc.

PHASE II- ACTION PLAN

This proposal draft will explain my plan of action for my EdD research project with the objective of NO FAIL REFORM in the future. If the engaged reforms do not bring the late assignment or the currently due assignment, then the reforms are on probation.

The final consequence for reforms that are still having trouble with targeting objectives will be corrected during summer (schools vacation) to prepare for the next school year. The reforms are engaged by the national educational authority and must have the maximum conviction and adhesion by teachers and administration at all levels.

Once the national authority and all its components observe that there is consistency and implementation of each consequence, I believe that all components of the educational system will begin choosing the right “item” by completing each and every assignment in the right way. This NO FAIL policy will make test amendments as a requirement for any reform engaged and have a level above the minimum of realization and adhesion.

Any assignment that does not meet such criteria receives a minimum level will be expected to complete the entire assignment again. This cannot be considered just as amendments, but the assignment must be totally “worked out” again. By implementing such policy, reforms will be very clear from the beginning thereby “guesses” are not always a successful route; to check over their implementation.

I believe that this kind of policy will hold the reforms and make the implementation accountable. For any assignment, the stakeholder has the choice to redo and propose a better assignment within a designed period of time. Any assignment that cannot meet 70% or above will follow the same consequences.

PHASE III- DATA COLLECTION

The data used for this research proposal will be the previous reforms implemented at the national level as well as district benchmark assessments during the last 50 years. This research will show the new approach along with a transparent scorecard with measurable and quantifiable impacts and outcomes. During the initial implementation, I should also track the over-achievement of the reform process and its path of progress.

PHASE IV- DATA ANALYSIS

Traditional reports will not reflect the real progress and achievements of the new policy. By analyzing and comparing impacts and outcomes data from the beginning of the year and the data after the implementation of the action plan, I believe that I will be able to observe an increase in achievements and progress since the new implementation of the reform and change, that in the past, had been allowed to fail. I also believe that improved performance equals improved confidence and enjoyment.

The tutoring log analysis will reveal areas of concern. By analyzing which concepts have worked on during tutoring, it will help to determine the concepts that seem to be causing the most difficulty and where the needs to tweak instructions for the present and the future. I believe that I will observe an increase in different participation and adhesion areas because of improved self-concept through confidence in concepts, although this would not be reflected in any data but certainly through impacts and outcomes.

I will also carefully check the data in order to see if the ability to rework any change or reform will put additional pressure on the compulsive high achievers and performance. This option may have to be revised in case it presents somehow a problem.

PHASE V- FUTURE ACTION PLAN

If I find that the “NO FAIL ZONE” is successful, then further corrections, updates, and organization are required for the implementation of this action plan will be cautious. However, if this is successful for one school or region, then it should be successful for every school all over the country.

Moreover, I would like to look at the entire educational system become a “NO FAIL ZONE” regarding change of organization and sharing the success stories as well as best practices. I believe by requiring all components of the educational system to perform all assigned tasks and to look critically at the importance of each assignment, our entire reform, and organizational change will be more successful academically and schools' attitudes become more positive with higher academic and outcomes success.

Finally, I also believe by requiring at least the minimum standards, we will increase participation in the reforms process along with comprehension and adhesion at all levels and all phases of implementation and obtaining more positive impacts and outcomes.

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