Impact on students

Given the pivotal position of students, their learning and achievement in the whole education system, the impact of the change programme on students was also probed with the institutional heads. Change initiatives in education ultimately focus on students and seek to secure an improvement in their learning and attainment. When respondents were invited to reflect upon the impact of the change initiative on the learning and achievement of students, they dealt with this from different standpoints. A number of themes emerged and these varied perspectives were grouped into clusters of ideas. These categories and the number of responses that emerged from data are given below:

Table 5.3 Categories indicating the impact of the change initiative on students

Category No of scripts evident in

Reaction of students 6

Demands on students 7

Benefits for students 8

Tensions 10

Demographic factors 4

In describing the reaction of the students, the respondents mentioned their initial difficulty in adjusting to the new system. This is a commonly observed phenomenon with any change initiative (Carnall, 1999; Lumby, 1998) and can cause difficulty for students to perform.

Some responses linked the reaction of students to the attitude of teachers towards the change initiative. ‘Students take the new thing as the teachers take it. It is mainly teachers’ attitude and how they implement and convey a thing that matters’ (R14). One respondent noted the

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non-acceptance of change by students: ‘Students have not accepted this change and reason is that they are not ready to understand’ (R9) while some others stated that students were comfortable with the new system and had adjusted well: ‘Students are comfortable with the changed system’ (R18). There was no consensual point of convergence on the issue of students’ reaction to change. A number of respondents linked this issue of the students’

reaction with the ability level, geographic and demographic location of the students. Thus in their view, change was received well by pupils with high ability level and further, the initiative did not pose much problem for students in major cities, in elite institutions and belonging to educated, well-off families: ‘Good students were very happy with this as there were more prospects for them. They had better chances and they could excel the students of lesser ability’ (R5).

In analysing the impact of change on the students, respondents described quite clearly, what the new demands on the students were now. The main impact for students was seen as their changed role as a learner related to the change in pedagogy. Different pedagogic issues made demands on pupils particularly:

Achieving a comprehensive understanding of the content

Achieving clarity of concepts

Developing critical and analytical perspectives

Developing greater creativity

As one principal commented: ‘Now the concepts and thinking of students are to be better developed and they have to see things critically’ (R20). These new learning targets and outcomes demanded a different learning style or approach from the students going: ‘from a limited approach, they have been taken to a deeper approach’ (R10). Here there was a vast increase in content of learning and the application of this material in the examination. The establishment of the initiative required certain adjustments and a new habit formation on the part of pupils.

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Principals also described what they saw as some ensuing benefits of this initiative for students. The changed pedagogical demands and the new learning approaches were perceived to offer some benefits to students including:

Improved concept development

Intelligence testing and higher attainment

Critical understanding

Improved thinking ability

Better opportunities for good students to excel

These benefits were summed up typically as follows: ‘It has a positive effect as the thinking ability and concepts of students have improved. Now students have a critical understanding of the topics’ (R20).

The view that there had been benefits to students was not universal as a number of factors were noted by the respondents as sources of tension, which limited the potential benefits of the change programme for students. Tensions were related to gaps in the existing ability level of students and the ability level demanded in the new system. Some principals also saw a gap between the training provided to students in the junior levels and skills needed now at the higher secondary level because of these reforms. These gaps were mentioned by a majority of respondents and they were concerned about the abrupt introduction of change at the secondary and higher secondary level of education without considering the gaps in the orientation, training, skills and ability level of the students. The principals were of the view that the reform programme should have been introduced at the junior levels and gradually brought through to the senior levels so that students would be better prepared for the new demands at this level.

Another source of tension pointed out by the interviewees was the grades oriented system and examination focused learning which had not changed in the new system but was, in their view, strengthened by it. The principals were concerned about the over emphasis on the grades of the public examination, which had limited the learning of students: ‘our system is not talent oriented rather it is grades oriented. Therefore, the focus of students as well as

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teachers is to gain good marks and grades’ R (13). A reduced chance of improvement and achievement for weaker students was also a concern of some respondents. Specific demographics were cited by four principals as a source of tension. These demographic factors are what students bring with them and so are beyond the control of the institutions but they have an effect on the learning and achievement of the students. The factors mentioned by participants were low socio-economic background, rural background and uneducated parents.

The impact of these factors particularly where there was the missing familial and background support, could make it difficult for some students to adjust to, adopt and perform in the new system: ‘Most of the parents are not educated as we have children from villages and lower socio economic groups so their support is missing’(R9).

The views of the principals related to the impact of the change programme on students covered the issues of demands, challenges and benefits for student. There were differing views on the acceptance of the change initiative by students and it was noted positively for students with better academic and socioeconomic backgrounds and also for those studying in major cities. It was stated that the change demanded a conceptual and analytical approach to learning, which was considered beneficial for students. At the same time, this new approach was challenging for students due to of the gaps in their present ability level, the training from the junior levels of education and the examination focused learning.