Impact Of Current Advancements In The Educational Field To Improve The Quality Of Education In Maldives Essay.

Discuss about the  Impact of Current Advancements in the Educational Field to Improve the Quality of Education in Maldives

Quality in education is a concept that holds mostly the multifaceted and complex characterization. Maldives, being one of the smallest countries in Asia, has been facing the geographical challenges in a significant manner (Marope, Chakroun & Holmes, 2015). However, in the post globalization era, the advancements took place even in the education field. The Ministry of Education has adopted the advancements to contribute growth to the schools and educational institutes. The strong growth in the tourism sector has been contributing to the economy of this country. However, currently, the country is also focusing on the improvement in the educational field. The study would thus highlight the impacts of the current advancements on the educational quality in Maldives. The use of the appropriate literature and methodological process would help in structuring the entire research in a systematic way.

The current advancements in the educational institutes have transformed the quality parameter of the educational resources. The advanced method of classroom training is quite opportunistic for the students to improve their knowledge (Ali & Male, 2016). Maldives Government has currently achieved access to the basic education by expanding the primary-level enrollment rapidly and improved the educational quality. However, Maxwell et al., (2015) argued that that there is the limited access to the good quality tertiary, vocational, and secondary education across the atolls still persists. The high level of the unemployment rate is quite recognisabble among the younger labor force, which is highlighting the lack of qualified and skilled workforce skills. However, currently, the Ministry of Education is mostly concentrating on the betterment of the quality in the secondary, tertiary, and vocational levels (Gupta, 2017). The regular reviews of the curriculums are quite helpful in this context to bring such international practices in education.

The research is mainly focusing on the current advancements brought to the educational institutions to improve the quality of education in Maldives. It has been observed that currently Maldives has captured the leading position in the tourism sector that contributes to the growing economy of the country (El-Horr & Pande, 2016). The Ministry of Education is now focusing on improving the educational quality to increase the employment rate of the qualified and skilled workforce. However, it has been observed that the limited access to the vocational and secondary training process and lack of teachers’ competency levels are the major barriers for improving the educational background.

The issue mostly arises due to the lack of the continuous monitoring, regular reviews, and adequate investments in the education. It is notified that both the training and teaching contents are needed to the closely aligned with the projected skill requirements of the labor market. In 2014, the comprehensive teacher training and development program was started that is needed to be continued till date even (Rasheed, 2015). It is noticeable that the lack of the higher secondary school infrastructure is also creating the significant barriers to develop quality.

Rationale of the Research

The current advancements in the world seek the better knowledge of the workforce. Maldives is one of the most visited tourism places in the world. The lack of proper infrastructure for the education in universities and schools is still a major area of concern in Maldives. However, recent approaches from government are quite useful for facilitating more advanced methods in the educational field (Ibe.unesco.org. 2018). The improvement in the educational quality is thus necessary for the population to develop highly improved work skills (Arain, 2017). The research would shed lights on such impacts occurred on the educational quality due to the current advancements. The identification of the significant changes in the educational level would help in identifying the impacts in a clarified manner.

The aim of the research is to identify the significant impacts of the current advancements that are improving the educational quality in Maldives. The study also attempts to identify the necessity of improving the educational quality for the future prospects.

• To identify the requirements of developing educational quality in Maldives
• To investigate the impacts of the current advancements on improving educational quality in Maldives
• To critically analyze the barriers of improving educational quality in Maldives
• To present the preferable recommendations to overcome these barriers

The ideas obtained from the literature section of the study would reflect on the educational practices necessary for improving the quality. However, the lack of upgraded information can be a considerable limitation in this context. Moreover, the time constraint is another most significant barrier of this study. It is noticeable that the ministry of education is contributing to the better opportunities in educational field to improve the quality of education. However, the majority of the controversies arise in identifying the availability of the specific resources. In spite of the initiatives undertaken by the educational ministry, the question is still pointing out on the facilities and infrastructure to implement the improvement plans. However, the argumentative discussion would be presented in the further section of the study.

H₀: Current advancements in the educational field does not impact on improving the education quality

H₁: Current advancements in the educational field impacts on improving the education quality

The literature review provides the underlying theoretical evaluation of the subject matter. In this section of the study, the contextual and theoretical analysis of the subject would be presented. The study provides the insights of the current advancements that are impacting on the educational quality in Maldives (Hasan & McDonald, 2015). The literature would provide the enriched ideas about the procedures of developing educational quality and developing the skills and competency level of the workforce for the betterment of future. The argumentative discussion would also be presented in this section of the study.

Research Aim

Quality improvement in Education

At the higher education level, the improvement of the quality parameter depends on the higher competency level of the teachers and the adequate supports and resources for the students. According to Adam and Wright (2014), improvement of the educational quality is essential for the youth to develop a better future ahead. Quality improvement in educational field holds a significant approach to develop the knowledge for the future developments. It has been observed that the considerable consensus is identified around the basic dimensions of educational quality. It generally includes:

• Learners who are well-nourished and ready to participate in the learning programs
• The safe, healthy, and supportive environment is necessary to develop the education quality (Hasan & Hynds, 2014).
• Relevant contents and materials for acquiring literacy and basic skills for knowledge are required.
• The appropriate process through which the skilled and trained teachers would teach the innovative method of classroom learning with the skillful assessment.
• The fruitful outcomes that encompass the skills, knowledge, and attitudes are aligned to the national education goals for positive participation in society.

Apparently, education is conceptualized as a complex system embedded in cultural, political, and economic context. However, the use of the advanced ideas can bring the changes and reduce the complexity level to develop the high quality education for the people (Zlatkin-Troitschanskaia, Shavelson & Kuhn, 2015). For example, Maldives Government has currently achieved access to the basic education by expanding the primary-level enrollment rapidly and improved the educational quality. On the other hand, National University of Maldives is also developing the classroom learning with the advanced method of education (Brown et al., 2017). The governmental supports and access to these educational resources are thus necessary. Most of the unemployment takes place due to the lack of qualified work forces.

Theoretical Conceptualization of Quality Improvement in Education

The quality improvement in the higher education level is defined in multiple ways. The concentration on the theoretical analysis, it has been observed that quality of the education depends on the learning parameter of the students. Supporting such statement Yamada, Fujikawa & Pangeni (2015) defined that the development of the educational quality highly depends on the adequate resources and supports. However, Di Biase (2018) argued that academic staffs are more concerned about the resources for improving educational quality than the performance of the individuals. In order to improve the educational quality, it is essential to assess the learning parameter and monitor the skill improvement process on a regular basis. However, it is also essential to align the necessary resources required for bringing innovations to the classroom learning techniques. On the other hand, Tay (2015) explained that the improper coordination can become the major obstruction and it requires establishing the specific institutional goals. The further researches on this context develop the ideas about the classifications, which are as follows:

• First is ‘transcendent quality’, which implies the result of expertise and reputation of the academic staffs (Ali & Male, 2016).
• Second is ‘manufacturing based quality’, which is accepted as the service that conforms to specifications and used in a manner for which it was designed (Carrington et al., 2017).
• Third is ‘product based quality’, which is improved by the increasing level of the students programs and the associations of the academic staffs.
• Fourth is ‘value based quality’, which depends on the acceptable performance at an affordable price (Meierkord, 2017).
• Fifth is ‘user based quality’ that depends on the needs, wants and preferences of the students.

The classifications off these conceptual ideas determine the necessity of the adequate supports and resources for developing the higher quality education. However, the role of the government is much significant in this context. Selby & Kagawa (2018) commented that the high standardized education is possible if the government gains access to the necessary resources for the education. The country would be developed in educational aspects by maintaining the standards, which would contribute to the high employment rate in future. Opposing such statement, Bray, Kwo and Joki? (2016) implied that the improvement in the educational quality is necessary for the population to develop highly improved work skills. Without the appropriate infrastructure, it would be quite difficult.

Research Objectives

Factors affecting quality in education

The education quality depends on the both the teachers and the learners. The extensive competency skills of the teachers are necessary. In majority of the cases, it has been observed that the quality of education is hampered due to following reasons.

• The lack of teachers’ efficiency in treating students can discourage them to improve their learning practices. The lack of adequate knowledge is the major determinants in improving the education quality (Ali & Male, 2016).
• The lack of the proper teacher training center is also another major obstacle in improving the educational quality. If the teachers receive the proper training for the higher education courses or programs with the advanced methods of education, it would be beneficial for them to improve their efficiency (Zlatkin-Troitschanskaia, Shavelson & Kuhn, 2015). The lack of training thus can create the obligation in improving the educational quality.
• The lack of adequate resources is quite a significant factor that affects the quality improvement in education. The classroom learning is currently influenced by greater advancements and digital technologies. The lack of adequate resources would thus prevent the students from learning these advancements that can improve their education quality.
• The lack of support from Ministry of Education or the Government is a major factor that affects the educational quality. Government plays a major role in adjusting the educational policies and implementing the advanced techniques in education. If the government do not support the educational institutes with all these necessary requirements, it would be quite difficult to bring improvements in the education quality.

Therefore, it is essential to pay attention towards the necessary factors for improving the educational quality. However, it is also noticed that the current advancements in the digital classrooms and technologies have brought much changes in the educational process. Especially, in the developing countries like Maldives, these advancements are required to be supported by the government. The high qualified labor would be skilled enough to perform the business functionalities for the betterment of the future. Al Helal (2012) argued that if the government does not concentrate on developing the educational infrastructure in higher secondary schools and universities, the problems would remain as the same. Moreover, the developing tourism sector also requires the high qualified workforce to contribute more on the economy parameter. Therefore, it is much necessary to establish the better centers for the students with the advanced classroom training. The practical knowledge derived from these practices would be much helpful for them to gather the insights about high standard education.

Current advancements in educational field impacting on education quality in Maldives

In the post era of globalization, the political, cultural, social, and technological scenario has become much advanced. In a country like Maldives, three major streams are observed in the modern-day education. First is informal training in which the children receive education from the family and the communities in the island (Alphin Jr, Chan & Lavine, 2017). Second is Islamic religious instruction, which is generally provided through the private tutoring. Third is face-to-face learning, which is provided to the students for meeting the increasing development needs of the country. The advanced method of classroom training is quite opportunistic for the students to improve their knowledge (Zlatkin-Troitschanskaia, Shavelson & Kuhn, 2015). However, current developments in the educational field are introducing the innovative procedures of classroom learning. Di Biase (2018) implied that the quality of the education can be improved if the students receive high end supports from the government, skilled teachers and adequate infrastructure.

Maldives Government has currently achieved access to the basic education by expanding the primary-level enrollment rapidly and improved the educational quality. The governmental supports and access to these educational resources are thus necessary. Most of the unemployment takes place due to the lack of qualified work forces. However, recent approaches from government are quite useful for facilitating more advanced methods in the educational field. It is notified that both the training and teaching contents are needed to the closely aligned with the projected skill requirements of the labor market. In 2014, the comprehensive teacher training and development program was started that is needed to be continued till date even (Al Helal, 2012). It would be even beneficial to increase employment rate of the qualified workers for the future prospects. The lack of proper infrastructure for the education in universities and schools is still a major area of concern in Maldives. However, recent approaches from government are quite useful for facilitating more advanced methods in the educational field (Ibe.unesco.org. 2018).

Literature Limitations and areas of controversies

Relevancy and Appropriateness of the aims and literature approach

The literature study is widely focusing on the underlying conceptual analysis of the subject matter. It explores the conceptual ideas about the quality in education and the associated classifications defined by the previous researchers. The aim of the study is to identify the impacts of the current advancements in the educational field for improving quality (Akareem & Hossain 2012). It has been observed that the secondary information obtained from the secondary sources is explained to achieve this aim. It provides the considerable knowledge about the innovative classroom learning and the competency skills of the teachers to develop the high standard education for the students. It is also proclaimed that the development of the continuous reviewing and monitoring of the students skills and quality development program would be much beneficial for improving the quality level (Hill, 2014). Obtaining ideas on these aspects is thus achieving the aims of the research. The further section of the study would provide the knowledge about the appropriate methodological use for completing the entire research.

Research methodology is conceptualized as the systematic approach undertaken for conducting any particular research study. The use of the appropriate research methodology helps in identifying the area of concerns and the necessary recommendations to overcome the barriers (Taylor, Bogdan & DeVault, 2015). The study is widely focusing on the impacts of the current advancements on improving the quality of the education in Maldives. Maldives Government has currently achieved access to the basic education by expanding the primary-level enrollment rapidly and improved the educational quality (Reynolds et al., 2014). It is essential to explore the initiatives and the advancements visible in the educational institutes of Maldives in order to improve the quality of the education. Observing these necessities, the study would conduct the secondary data analysis method. In this process, the information would be collected from the secondary data sources and would be analyzed the information by concentrating on the subject area.

Research Design 

The use of the interpretivism philosophy would be helpful for the study to develop the interpretive understanding of the information collected from the secondary sources. The use of the inductive approach would examine the existing research and develop the insightful ideas about the subject matter. The study is mainly based on the secondary analysis in which the theme based approaches would be used. The information about the current practices and the analysis of the extracted data would be presented in a systematic form.

Research Hypothesis

Data Collection and Analysis

The sources would be used for extracting information about the specific subject area are needed to be authentic and validated. The research would use the upgraded information from the current journals, articles, and websites. The secondary data collection techniques mainly concentrate on the published information that is quite updated. Therefore, the research would be performed by gathering knowledge about the government initiatives and current advancements brought to the educational institutes of Maldives. Accordingly, the analysis of the statistics information would also be provided to understand the effectiveness of these advancements that brought changes to the educational quality. In the net section of the study, the discussion would be based on the information collected from the secondary sources. The ideas obtained from the secondary analysis would be linked to the literature review to meet the objectives of the research.

Timeline

Table 3.1: Timeframe

(Source: Created by the Author)

The advanced method of classroom training is quite opportunistic for the students to improve their knowledge. Maldives Government has currently achieved access to the basic education by expanding the primary-level enrollment rapidly. The government has recognized that the training and teaching contents are needed to the closely aligned with the projected skill requirements of the labor market. The Ministry of Education is now focusing on improving the educational quality to increase the employment rate of the qualified and skilled workforce (Lu & Liu, 2015). However, it has been observed that the limited access to the vocational and secondary training process and lack of teachers’ competency levels are the major barriers for improving the educational background. Moreover, the lack of proper infrastructure for the education in universities and schools is still a major area of concern in Maldives. However, recent approaches from government are quite useful for facilitating more advanced methods in the educational field (Ibe.unesco.org. 2018). Maldives has captured the leading position in the tourism sector that contributes to the growing economy of the country (Bacca et al., 2014).

The Ministry of Education is now focusing on improving the educational quality to increase the employment rate of the qualified and skilled workforce. In this section of the study, the standardized development of the education quality in Maldives would be discussed. The population is also influenced by the advancements took place in the educational field in Maldives. It can be stated that the encouragement from the teaching staffs and their commendable attributes in teaching the students would influence the people to take interests in learning. In order to improve the educational quality, it is essential to assess the learning parameter and monitor the skill improvement process on a regular basis. However, it is also essential to align the necessary resources required for bringing innovations to the classroom learning techniques. On the other hand, Tay (2015) explained that the improper coordination can become the major obstruction and it requires establishing the specific institutional goals.

Literature Review

The major obstacle is found in Maldives was the lack of proper educational infrastructure and the lack of proper resources. In 2009, Maldives educational ministry spent almost 7.8%, which is a larger amount of the entire GDP. This ratio is quite higher than the spending in 2008. However, in the year of 2011, there was the significant downfall noticed in the public expenditure on education. It was almost 12% that was nearly 1,098 Million Rufiyaa (Maldivesresearch.org. 2018). This downfall was quite significant in posing challenges in the higher secondary education level. Quality improvement in educational field holds a significant approach to develop the knowledge for the future developments.

Maldives Government and the universities have been taking the hands-on approach in developing the educational courses for the teaching staffs. It has been observed that the limited access to the vocational and secondary training process and lack of teachers’ competency levels are the major barriers for improving the educational background. In the year of 2010, the Maldives College of Higher Education and Faculty of Education were offering the teachers a diploma course in teaching. Apart from this course, the teachers in Maldives receive many other courses to improve their knowledge in education. The professional development or the professional advancements are conceptualized for ensuring the individual achievements on the basis of Professional Development Policy of Education (Ibe.unesco.org. 2018). 

The teachers even attend the seminars, workshops, and digital classes to improve their knowledge in the advanced education areas. The policy aims to focus on the establishment, planning, and executing the professional development that is required for the professionals in order to improve their efficiency. They can even convey them the regulations that are set to hold the high standardized educational programs. The execution of the Teachers Resource Centre (TRC) in the atoll is also quite beneficial in advancing the educational practices.  The policy also stipulates that each professional of the school would participate in a professional development activity that would be continuing for 15 long hours in every academic year. Three days are allocated for every academic calendar year of Ministry of Education. The initiative was quite beneficial to bring more advancement in the educational field and improve the quality of the education. It is also essential to align the necessary resources required for bringing innovations to the classroom learning techniques. The teachers would thus be able to contribute effectively on the classroom training for the betterment of the educational quality.

Quality improvement in Education

The educational challenges faced by the educational institutes in Maldives were quite some concerned areas. It is noticeable that the ministry of education is contributing to the better opportunities in educational field to improve the quality of education. It has been observed that the limited access to the vocational and secondary training process and lack of teachers’ competency levels are the major barriers for improving the educational background. In order to address such challenges with the advancements in the education, the Ministry of Education and UNICEF together created the national tsunami recovery program that focuses on building the development bridge to the future. It is notified that both the training and teaching contents are needed to the closely aligned with the projected skill requirements of the labor market. In 2014, the comprehensive teacher training and development program was started that is needed to be continued till date. The major aims of this initiative were to raise the educational standards throughout Maldives and integrating the isolated and distant islands. They have even concentrated on leveling the national inequalities through the following achievements:

• The program would focus on developing 20 Teacher Resource Centers (TRCs). The teachers would be able to use the broadband internet and well-developed websites. These websites would include the teaching and learning tools to integrate the teachers into global and national learning communities that are sharing the best practices (org. 2018).
• The program is also aiming to develop the child-friendly schools that would encourage more participation, creative sense of mind, proactive and flexible learning.
• The program would ensure the active involvement of the caregivers for delivering more fruitful education to their children.
• It is also attempting to revise the curriculums for ensuring the relevancy of the national development priorities (Reynolds et al., 2014).
• Finally, it focuses on the collaborative, sustainable, and continuous review and knowledge sharing system at the atoll and national levels.

These initiatives are quite helpful in developing the high standardized educational quality in Maldives. However, the cooperation from the teachers would e necessary.

The above explanation provides the ideas about the advancements that are creating impacts on the educational quality in Maldives. Maldives Government has currently achieved access to the basic education by expanding the primary-level enrollment rapidly and improved the educational quality. The governmental supports and access to these educational resources are thus necessary (Alphin Jr, Chan & Lavine, 2017). Most of the unemployment takes place due to the lack of qualified work forces. However, recent approaches from government are quite useful for facilitating more advanced methods in the educational field. if the government does not concentrate on developing the educational infrastructure in higher secondary schools and universities, the problems would remain as the same. Moreover, the developing tourism sector also requires the high qualified workforce to contribute more on the economy parameter.

The literature study also provides the idea about the necessity of improving quality. Most of the unemployment takes place due to the lack of qualified work forces. The lack of adequate knowledge is the major determinants in improving the education quality. Therefore, the ministry of education has undertaken the hands-on approach to improve the teachers’ skills for increasing their efficiency level. It can interpreted that though the training centers are beneficial for improving the knowledge of the associated teaching staffs, it is still necessary for the government to develop the classrooms. The lack of proper infrastructure for the education in universities and schools is still a major area of concern in Maldives. However, recent approaches from government are quite useful for facilitating more advanced methods in the educational field (Ibe.unesco.org. 2018). In order to improve the educational quality, it is essential to assess the learning parameter and monitor the skill improvement process on a regular basis. However, it is also essential to align the necessary resources required for bringing innovations to the classroom learning techniques. On the other hand, it can be explained that the improper coordination can become the major obstruction and it requires establishing the specific institutional goals. It is notified that both the training and teaching contents are needed to the closely aligned with the projected skill requirements of the labor market. Therefore, it can be implied that if the educational institutes would reform as per the initiatives undertaken by the ministry of Education and UNICEF, it would be beneficial in developing the qualified workers for the future prospects.

Theoretical Conceptualization of Quality Improvement in Education

Conclusion

The study develops the enriched ideas about the impacts of the current advancements on the educational quality in Maldives. The advanced method of classroom training is quite opportunistic for the students to improve their knowledge. Maldives Government has currently achieved access to the basic education by expanding the primary-level enrollment rapidly and improved the educational quality. Maldives Government has currently achieved access to the basic education by expanding the primary-level enrollment rapidly and improved the educational quality. It is noticeable that the ministry of education is contributing to the better opportunities in educational field to improve the quality of education. However, the lack of upgraded information can be a considerable limitation in this context. Moreover, the time constraint is another most significant barrier of this study.

It is notified that both the training and teaching contents are needed to the closely aligned with the projected skill requirements of the labor market. Maldives has captured the leading position in the tourism sector that contributes to the growing economy of the country. The Ministry of Education is now focusing on improving the educational quality to increase the employment rate of the qualified and skilled workforce. The execution of the Teachers Resource Centre (TRC) in the atoll is also quite beneficial in advancing the educational practices.The professional development or the professional advancements are conceptualized for ensuring the individual achievements on the basis of Professional Development Policy of Education. Therefore, it is observed that the study clearly addresses the determined aims and objectives. The policy development is aiming to focus on improving the quality of education with the help of advanced techniques. In order to maintain the consistency and improve the infrastructure of the educational schools, the necessary implications are provided further.

The future recommendation for the educational quality improvement depends on the coordination and supportiveness of the associated stakeholders. Starting from the governmental figures to teaching associates need to be quite cooperative to drive such initiatives for the future. The TRCs are designed to ensure the low and high cost output information sharing. The help from the competent teachers would be helpful to run these centers. On the other hand, it can be recommended that adopting the child-friendly teaching methods would be much beneficial in encouraging the youth to learn the innovative process of education. It would even help in expand the participatory programs in future as well. 

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