Literature Review

Wwrite an assignment about the cooperation among organisation in education sector.

In the modern-day competitive scenario, there has been an increased demand for establishment of strategic partnerships amongst organizations. Partnership is considered as an agreement wherein two or more than two parties work together towards the accomplishment of mutual partnerships. Strategic partnerships have further played a key role in the educational sector, which is characterized by cooperation amongst organizations. Educational partnerships are considered as a situation that is characterized by two or more parties coming together towards ensuring common good of schools as well as increase the level of student learning. The partners associated with forming educational partnerships might include anyone concerned with providing an enriching educational experience to the students, schools and community. In this regard; it is worth mentioning that strategic partnerships are at the forefront of place-based education efforts. Hence, it is vital to develop an understanding of forming partnerships in education (Kiely & Nielson, 2003). In this context, there is a need to develop an understanding of the importance of forming partnerships in education, particularly in the context of place-based education. In addition to critiquing the role of partnerships in education, the essay highlights some of the recommendations for successful partnership and sustainability.

Educational Partnerships

Education partnerships have played a key role in the development of children as well as schools that aim towards enhancing the growth opportunities for their students. Herein, it must be noted that education partnerships are directed towards providing the children with best possible level of education at all the levels. In addition, there is a need to emphasize on the fact that educational partnerships are created in order to foster public relations, working towards accomplishment of a specific goal, overcoming educational challenges and seeking additional funds, amongst others. Several school districts are associated with creating partnerships with their communities or family members with respect to their educational goals (Education Scotland, 2016).  

Partnership in education offers a number of benefits to the people and enables providing better educational possibilities for the children. Specifically mentioning, the partnerships are directed towards benefitting the school, community, teachers, family members as well as administrators. Partnerships in education provides benefits to the school in the form of enhancing communication amongst all the involved parties, enhanced level of discipline, lower amount of violence, proper working conditions, acceptance of diverse students, development of interpersonal relationships, increased family participation and increased level of communication amongst students, teachers and family members. In addition to providing benefits to school, partnership in education further offers benefits to families by providing them with enhanced understanding regarding education, establishment of closer relationships, foster community support, provide better communication facilities and ensuring high level of knowledge regarding the manner in which children can learn. In addition, partnerships in education further provide the benefit of better understanding pertaining to instructions and curriculum. Correspondingly, it enables creating better opportunities to work in close coordination with the teachers, wider access to community resources and empowerment to take decisions, apart from creation of creation of better expectations pertaining to home learning practices (Victoria State Government, n.d.).

Educational Partnerships

Partnerships in education further offer numerous benefits to the students. Emphasis needs to be placed on the fact that partnerships in schools offer children with high level of motivation and achievement to learn, creation of a positive attitude towards school, foster higher quality homework and strong attendance rates, lower level of discipline problems, higher level of self-confidence and positive family relationships. With regards to benefitting teachers, it must be noted that partnerships in education offer a number of benefits such as improving the level of morale, enhancing positive teacher experiences, provide increased levels of support as well as appreciation from the family members and reduced discipline problems (Obrien, 2012).

Correspondingly, partnerships in education further provides the benefits underlying lower levels of stress and frustration, higher level of awareness regarding stereotyping, stronger relationship with the students and higher level of expectations. Administrators further benefit from the partnerships in education through focusing upon establishment of better partnerships with the children, teachers and family, lower level of complaints, making proper use of resources, enhanced communication with the family members and fostering community and family support. Partnership in education further offers numerous benefits to the community since it enables students to work in collaboration as members associated with the society, fostering relationship with families who provide education development along with benefitting the schools that are associated with working over a broader community (Powers, 2004).  

There are a number of partnerships in schools that are determined on the basis of needs of the students. Although, educational professionals and families play a key role in establishment of partnerships in education, it must be noted that partnerships can also be formed with broader communities such as sports teams, media agencies, local corporations and citizens. Furthermore, there is a need to highlight the fact that schools and teachers must engage them in working in close association with the partners in order to focus on determination of goals, assessment of time required to implement a partnership and areas pertaining to the curriculum that aim towards taking advantage of partnerships. Community partnerships, family-school partnerships and professional education partnerships might be considered as some of the forms of partnerships in education (Smith & Sobel, 2014). A number of characteristics can further be noted with regards to establishment of effective strategic partnerships in education. In this regard, due consideration needs to be placed on the fact that effective educational partnerships encompass characteristics such as respect, common goals, commitment, leadership, meaningful goals, linguistic differences and accountability, amongst others. Partnerships in education are created based on a mutual understanding, communication, respect and trust among all the involved parties. Cultural relevance and appropriateness of educational partnerships can play an important role in facilitating lifelong learning amongst the children (Crown, 2016).  

Benefits of Partnership in Education

A partnership is regarded as the agreement amongst two or more individuals, which might be implicit or explicit in nature. In case of schools, it must be noted that the partnerships amongst communities as well as family members is considered explicit in nature. Specifically mentioning, partnerships in educations can be categorized into explicit, implicit and null partnerships. In case of explicit partnerships, the partners such as communities, schools and families focus upon explicitly highlighting strategies, written goals and outcomes that are associated with increasing the level of education amongst the children. Correspondingly, in case of implicit partnerships, communities, schools and family members are associated with establishing conversation with each other regarding common goals. However, there does not exist any specific outcome, goal or strategy. In relation to null partnerships, it must be noted that groups as well as individuals are associated with occupying the same place; however, there does not exist any specific communication pertaining to specific strategies, goals and outcomes pertaining to the partnerships (Roberts, Downes, Cook, Heiner & Caffery, 2014).

It must further be noted that such types of partnerships in education results in the development of various types of collaborations that can be categorized into no-collaboration collaboration, one-time collaboration, arms-length collaboration, arm-in-arm collaboration and hand-in-hand collaboration. In case of no-collaboration collaboration, there is an agreement amongst two parties who are concerned with the accomplishment of individual wants, and hence, is also regarded as a partnership underlying convenience. In case of one-time collaboration, it must be noted that such type of collaboration is considered as a service offered for the rendering of similar services. These partnerships are short-lived and encompass limited amount of communication. Correspondingly, the arms-length collaboration is associated with ensuring that each of the involved parties in the partnership has some amount of contribution that needs to be offered. This type of collaboration further aims at creation of shared values amongst the partners (Rural Schools Collaborative, n.d.).

The arm-in-arm collaboration is yet another significant collaboration wherein, the involved parties are associated with bringing and making use of complimentary resources that is further directed towards value creation. In this type of collaboration, there is an ongoing commitment with regards to development of a common goal wherein all the engaged parties consider that working together enables meeting mutual needs of the partners, rather than self-interests. Finally, the hand-in-hand collaboration is yet another important type of collaboration underlying partnership in education that is associated with focusing upon creation of shared products and values rather than emphasizing on the self-interests of each of the involved parties. It is further based on characteristics such as trust and respect that are considered ongoing for a continued period of time (Smith, 2002).

Examples of Partnerships in Education

Partnerships have an important role to play in creation of awareness in schools that enables them to showcase a creative approach towards teaching and become innovative learning centers. It further incorporates participation from the parents, apart from highlighting education as the top priority. Teachers benefit from extending themselves in creating learning opportunities in classrooms, and are further able to gain appreciation with respect to rewards of teaching. Correspondingly, students benefit from learning that the community is aware about their education as well as their academic success. In addition to extending the classrooms, partnerships play a key role in bringing human and financial resources to schools that possess the capability of enhancing the ability of schools to offer quality education. Even if partnerships are not associated with the financial component, it must be noted that funding is considered as an important part of the partnership program. In addition, partnerships for learning further play an important role in offering personalized experiences to young people and children. Partnerships in education further have an important role to play in engaging parents and families in making positive decisions, creation of successful partnerships, develop partnerships at the community levels, school-college partnerships and offer support materials (Parker & Vernet, 2009).

In Australia, the Australian Council for Education Research published a report with regards to evidence base for National Australia Bank’s Schools First Awards. It provided an understanding of the fact that educational partnerships were capable of playing an important role in benefitting the children by making enhancements in academic accomplishments, development of reading skills, lower levels of drop-out rates, enhancement in student’s readiness to learn and increased levels of transition, development of learning opportunities, better access to targeted support and development of opportunities directed towards decision-making experiences. Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs) can further play an imperative role in the development of relationships amongst schools. MATs enable sharing the most appropriate teaching practices and economies of scale. Additionally, flexible staffing arrangements, retaining of most appropriate school teachers and development of school leadership roles further play an important role in development of school leaderships (Smith, 2013).

Place-based education enables associating students with the local experiences, culture, heritage and landscape that act as a foundation for the development of language arts, science and mathematics, along with other subjects. Specifically mentioning, place-based education plays an important role in providing encouragement to students regarding use of public lands, schoolyards and community, along with other special places that are aimed towards turning communities in classrooms. Place-based education has an important role to play in energizing teachers. Teachers are able to develop their leadership skills and confidence, apart from gaining a better understanding of the local community scenario. In addition, place-based education has a vital role to play in bringing transformations pertaining to school culture through integrating local nature centre and schoolyards with the classrooms. Students are further motivated to asking critical questions and develop new learning experiences. It further enables the students to learn and make association with their environment with regards to incorporating new experiences. Establishing connection between communities and schools is yet another significant role underlying partnerships in education (Sobel, 2004).

Educational Partnerships and its Types

In addition, place-based education partnerships further play an important role in enhancing students to become environmental stewards, apart from enabling students to become active citizens. Place-based education efforts are further based on a number of principles that are associated with fostering child education in classrooms. Herein, emphasis needs to be placed on the fact that partnerships in education are able to create a shared vision as well as accountability for results, strong partnerships, high expectations, develop community strengths and foster respect for diversity and decision-making. In addition, the benefits underlying place-based education encompasses development of community connections that enables involvement of parents in decision-making as well as share their experiences. Additionally, it creates a positive impact with respect to student learning since students feel more concerned regarding their feeling towards the community (Potapchuk, 2013).  

In addition to providing several benefits, place-based education encompasses a number of challenges that can be categorized into internal and external challenges. Herein, there is a need to note that teachers do not consider responding to changes and hence resist changes. In addition, the external challenge pertaining to place-based education includes an increased amount of risks since classes are operated outside the classrooms (Green, Somerville & Potts, 2013). Another significant challenge underlying place-based education can be associated with absence of a set-structure. Parent backlash can be considered as another important challenge facing place-based education. Negative student behavior, weather and influence of outsiders can be considered as yet another significant factor underlying negative influence of place-based education. Improper implementation of student ideas and lack of time that can be devoted to implement changes in curriculum can be considered as other challenges faced with respect to place-based education (Hall, 2015).

Schools face the challenge of enacting such partnerships in the long-term scenario. Moreover, there is a need to develop an understanding of the fact that in several situations, there has been a negative influence upon educational partnership as a result of disconnection amongst teachers and parents, existence of stress pertaining to standardized testing, apart from negative information that is showcased in media sources. Arguably, miscommunication and lack of experience are considered some of the factors associated with hindering the establishment of strategic partnerships in schools. On a similar note, the diverse cultural beliefs pertaining to families and teachers, work obligations along with lack of time with respect to busy daily schedules further have created a negative impact on the establishment of strategic partnerships (Qiu, 2015).

Argument of Place Based and Standard Based Education 

For certain time, rural school supporters and investigators have pronounced anxieties over standards based education and place based education in schools. Most of the critique do not concentrate on setting severe ideals for students or even make schools liable for reaching rigours standards in education (Kannapel, 2000). Rather the critiques concentrate on the body that define standards and the way they are evaluated. Issues about who determine standards are dual. Some critiques fear that externally developed standards corrode local control and reject the society the prospect to define which the students should learn. The procedure of establishing standards in local society, make the objective of schools explicit and enhance the possibility of society members to a mutual comprehension of those objectives. The other critiques are concerned with the fact that externally resulting standards reduce local requirements and interests, and as they frequently request that tutors cover a widespread level of education component, they also force out whatever locally derivative curriculum teachers formerly have utilised (Jennings, 2000). Anxieties regarding the objectives of standard based improvements worry that state standards homogenise what gets taught in schools and focus a curriculum geared toward educating students what they know learn and be capable of competing in the international field, rather than local stadium (Kannapel & DeYoung, 1999).                                    

Although placed based education is not an exceptionally rural school occurrence, it is at the core of many rural school improvements. Since the year 1950, rural school have confronted persistent risk of closure and alliance. A closed school is frequently the first phase in society’s demise, thus it is comprehensible the reason a curriculum which highpoints the significance of local school to its position and highlights for students the significance of supporting the local communities. Given the manners in which various rural education advocates and researchers define place based education, there is conflict with standard based education. The Rural School and Community Trust (2004) depicts the idea of place based education as the learning which is entrenched in local, unique history, environment, culture, economy, literature and art of specific place. The society provides the setting for learning, student performance concentrates on community requirements and interests and societal members act as resources and associates in every facet of education and knowledge. Theobald (1997) states that place based education assist students to observe the interdependence of their lives and their societies and situations. The objective of place based education is to enhance student’s gratitude of their local environments with an ultimate objective of assisting students to study means to withstand their local atmosphere. Thus the students learning in different places will possess diverse characteristics and different intentions as the background of learning varies. The primary objective of place based education rests in the way it serves to strengthen children’s association to others and to the regions in which they live. By re-joining rather than unravelling children from the world, place based education serves both people and societies, assisting individuals to experience the value they hold for others and permitting societies to obtain advantage from the obligation and involvement of their members. In this perspective, place based education not only utilises place as a background for education, but has the provision and sustainability of place as an objective.  Given this aspect, state standards and evaluations are almost by definition adversative to place based curriculum (Jennings & et. Al., 2005).

Although place is a core idea of geography and omnipresent in geography education, its meaning is disputed in the academic area (Major, 2010). On the basis of geographic encouragement, the description attributed to place can be extensively different. Massey (1994) frequently describe place as not territorially restricted, but open and absorbent. Place do not have sole identities; rather it has manifold, variable and contested identities. Place is not something static, but it is dynamic and always changing. She suggested that place should not be observed as points or areas in a geographical map, rather it is regarded as incorporations of space and time. There is no denying that place has certain significance and uniqueness. She argues that particularity of place depends in a mix of associations to that which lies beyond. In other words, places are determined by other places, developed out of a specific group of social relations, meetings and interlacing together, at a particular locus. An additional component of specificity of place is the added history of place, the outcome of layer upon layer of diverse set of connections, both local and to the broader world. Hence, the accumulation of procedures and connexions that build places, spread beyond the local, frequently at locations far detached in time and place (McInerney & et. al., 2011).

The conceptualisation of place is vital for comprehending place based education. It frequently signify local place as standardised, static and restricted; as leftovers of the past (Israel, 2012). Gruenewald & Smith (2008) situate place based education as a portion of local movement to mitigate against the possibly damaging influence of globalisation. This critiques points out that every place has separate blend of extensive and more local social relationship that places are created by the network of power association and the uneven distribution of resources within and across places. However, McInerney & et. al., (2011) pointed out that many urban and rural environments are far from pleasant places for students. It is easy to have feeling of strong sense of attachment to an appealingly lovely place, but it can be insecure for education, particularly which is broken by social, economic and racial divisions. From this viewpoint, location based education can attend to an international sense of place and an understanding that place is both, internally manifold and a product of relationships which spread out way beyond it (Preston, 2015).

It is evident from the researches and various voiceprints that there is increasing attention, curiously and critiques on placed based education. Many researchers claim that place based education lack precise theoretical tradition due to its wider application to numerous fields of study. Place based education is regarded to not passably make link between the global and the local. However, this link observed to be indispensable if observing place based education as a reaction to existing economic, social and environmental concerns (Gruenewald, 2003). This argument and a distinguished lack of critical viewpoints in place based education are pooled by various academics. In the light of every aspect which has been introduced in the issues created by low level of clear definition for place based education, certain features are evident. Place based education do not appear like conventional education. In this kind of education, students act and converse in groups and habitually leave the school itself, to involve in acts in the area of society. And the teachers do not focus on drilling students for high stakes examination, depending instead on forms of comprehension and knowledge which appear more progressively by actual life examinations and problem solving (Smith, 2007). It is characterised by interconnectedness of students, tutors, schools, society and local resources. It is chastised in resources, issues and values of the local society, designed to inspire school and society partnerships, which include environmental, cultural, social, economic and political viewpoints in formal and informal manners (Powers, 2004).    

The review of literature have influenced that education should be undertaken as isolated effort, rather in order to make it sustainable, there is need to develop infrastructure comprising partnership between school and community. Thus, it is recommended that

• The trust should enthusiastically hold an incorporated model of place based education as one of the most powerful approach for nurturing in students the knowledge, feeling of personal liability, connectedness to society and readiness to perform that characterise efficient environmental factors
• There is need to make sure that place based education initiative reflect plans to establish reliability in local schools. Acceptance by the schools in the initial phase of application and institutionalisation. In order to be accepted by schools, particularly in the existing environment of high-stakes, consistent evaluation, place based education must be appropriately associated to specific learning goals within classroom and the school’s over bending prospectus.
• There is need to make sure that the influence of place based education on student’s knowledge, approaches and activities is considerately evaluated and given the objective of increasing environmental stewards, that the portion of such an assessment explicitly addresses the influence of stewardship. Accountability in the form of thorough and thoughtful assessment will act to improve the trustworthiness of place based initiative. Trustworthiness makes it possible for a school to accept place based education as an instructional model. In order to sustain place based education, it necessitates bigger obligation on the portion of school.
• It is also recommended that the trust should make sure that the design of place based education acknowledges the significance of school culture and supports its development. A supporting school culture is geared to students who are active and intrusive learners, teachers, having access to proper resources and professional development and administrators who value pertinent, actual world learning and comprehend that societies are partners, rather than opponents in the delicate procedure of educating students. Culture in school is determined by rules, guidelines and relationship sand these aspects have significant influence on place based education.
• In particular, professional development and continuing support of participating teachers is crucial to the long run effectiveness of place based education. In this vein, it is recommended that there is need to ensure the design of place based education comprise a synchronised plan for the professional development of every involved teachers in participating schools. Such a plan must address the duties of the employees, leaders and administrators who work at local schools and the participating teachers
• Tutor who holds the place based education as instructional approach; require a specific kind of professional development. Thus, it is recommended that the professional development for tutors in support of place based education should be observed as a constant attempt which establishes their content information, skill in enabling students’ question and the capability to perform collaboratively and efficiently with society. There are various examples of efficient programs of professional development which methodically attend to many components of teachers’ practice. Leaders of place based learning face particular challenge as they require to address the aspects of tutors, students and the societies.             

Conclusion

Partnerships in education have a key role to play in the development of students, schools, administrators and community. It aims at enhancing the level of learning and educational opportunities in schools. It further offers benefits such as overcoming educational challenges, accomplishment of a specific goal and seek additional funds, enhanced understanding regarding education, establishment of closer relationships, foster community support and provide better communication facilities. The study further highlighted partnerships that can be categorized into community partnerships, family-school partnerships and professional education partnerships. Partnerships in education have several characteristics such as respect, common goals, commitment, leadership, meaningful goals, linguistic differences and accountability. In addition, there are a number of challenges in place-based education such as miscommunication, lack of experience, absence of a set-structure, lack of time and lack of implementation pertaining to student ideas.  

References 

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Gruenewald, D., (2003). The Best of both worlds: A critical pedagogy of Place. Educational Researcher, 32(4), 3-12.

Green, M., Somerville, M., & Potts, M. (2013). Place-based Education for Sustainability in Gippsland Schools: A Report for Participating Schools and the Wider School Communities in Australia about the Implementation of Place-based Sustainability Curriculum: March 2013. 

Israel, A. L., (2012). Putting geography education into place: What geography educators can learn from place-based education, and vice versa. Journal of Geography, 111( 2), 76–81.

Jennings, N., (2000). Standards and Local Curriculum: A Zero-Sum Game? Journal of Research in Rural Education, 16, 193–201.

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McInerney, P., & et. Al., (2011). Coming to a place near you? The politics and possibilities of a critical pedagogy of placebased education. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education,  39(1), 3–16.

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