The school improvement policy context in Trinidad and Tobago

Abstract

There have been appeals within the educational change (EC) and school improvement (SI) literature for research to explore more non-westernized and developing country contexts (Dimmock, 2000; Harris, 2009; Harris & Chrispeels, 2006; McMahon, 2006). This article is a response to those appeals. The study maps the SI educational policy contexts of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T), a developing country in the Caribbean from 1850 to 2010. Literature on EC and SI within this country and region is sparse. This article illuminates on research which reviewed the development of SI particularly in the secondary school sector. It identifies distinct phases of SI in T&T and proposes that these phases are linked to significant educational policy development eras within the country. A documentary-based research approach was employed. This investigation is significant because it documents the SI movement in T&T and provides an understanding of how the country experienced educational change.

Keywords:

• school improvement
• Trinidad and Tobago
• school improvement phases
• educational policy

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Freddy James

Dr. Freddy James is a lecturer in the area of educational leadership at the University of the West Indies St. Augustine (UWI). Dr. James is the president of The Trinidad and Tobago Educational Leadership Management and Administration Society (TELMAS), the local affiliate of the Commonwealth Council for Educational Administration and Management. She is a University of Warwick Postgraduate Research Fellowship scholar and former lecturer at the Warwick Institute of Education. She has extensive professional experience in Trinidad and Tobago, as a teacher, middle manager, and UWI lecturer. She has an undergraduate degree and a postgraduate diploma in education from UWI, as well as a master’s degree and PhD from the University of Warwick. She has published articles in international refereed journals; presented at a number of international conferences, including the International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement (ICSEI) and the European Educational Research Association (EERA). She is a member of three major international educational research bodies and is a reviewer for the School Leadership & Management journal and the Educational Management Administration & Leadership journal. She has worked on international projects including a project to assess the impact of postgraduate professional development funded by the United Kingdom Government.