Exploring the process of educational change in English medium senior secondary school Assessment in Vanuatu

Abstract

Educational change is ongoing. It is generally aimed at improving teaching and learning, but usually comes with challenges. Scholars have devoted a great deal of research to minimise the challenges faced by implementers of change, but there is no one method that fits all situations. A method that works in a particular country may not suit other countries. Vanuatu has experienced numerous educational changes since attaining political independence in 1980. However, official reports show that educational standards in Vanuatu are declining, which suggests that some recent educational changes may not have contributed to the enhancement of teaching and learning. This is therefore a concern that needs to be addressed. This study sets out to explore this issue by investigating the process of educational change management in Vanuatu through the experiences, perceptions and expectations of Ministry of Education (MoE) officials, head of schools, and teachers, with specific reference to the change in the English medium senior secondary school assessment process. While a small amount of research has been done on some aspects of educational change in Vanuatu, none had been carried out specifically on the implementation of the recent change to senior school assessment. As well as contextualising the process of educational change within the Vanuatu education system, this study also examined educational change management from a global perspective in order to identify ways to improve such processes for the Vanuatu education system. The research data for this study were gathered by means of a qualitative case study approach which used individual semi-structured interviews and document analysis. Participants included two Ministry of Education officials, two heads of senior secondary schools and four senior secondary teachers. The heads of schools and teachers included in this study were from urban centre senior secondary schools in Port Vila, Vanuatu. The data were collected within the month of November, 2012 and were analysed using thematic analysis. The key findings reveal that the participants welcomed the change to the English medium senior secondary school assessment process, as it enables Vanuatu to have its own national certificate at this level. However, the study also identified several factors that appeared to have hindered the implementation process. Hence, participants’ experiences, perceptions, and expectations were used to develop a proposed change management process framework for the Vanuatu education system, and to develop recommendations for improving the implementation of future educational changes in Vanuatu.