This paper aims to report a study that develops knowledge of the geographic periphery as architecture for leadership practices by principals in small primary schools with no more than four teachers. The geographic periphery has different prerequisites from geographic centers. Sweden is a rural country that also has large cities which attract…

A teacher competency instrument was developed to determine the level of teacher competency in small schools in Peninsular Malaysia. This study was conducted in Perak and Negeri Sembilan to determine the instrument's reliability and validity. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and item reliability analysis were used to determine the questionnaire's…

This paper employs Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) as an analytical heuristic in exploring the internationally prevalent situation of teaching out-of-field. Drawing on interview transcripts, we use CHAT to frame the activity of a young teacher teaching mathematics out-of-field in a small rural K-12 school in Australia. We identify and…

The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant disruptions in the educational system, placing a substantial burden on teachers. Since the onset of the pandemic, ample quantitative research has been conducted, documenting increased rates of anxiety, stress, and burnout among teachers. However, these rates do not provide an explanation for why teachers…

We evaluate the impacts of small high schools on youth risky behaviors and mental health in New York City, using a two-sample-instrumental-variable approach to address endogenous school enrollment. We find heterogeneous effects. School size, overall, has little effect. Among "students" most likely to attend small schools opened…

Seismic shifts are shaking the landscape of K-12 education. Public school districts across the US have lost over a million students since 2020. Meanwhile, novel educational models--such as microschools and hybrid homeschooling--have more than doubled their enrollments. This paper explores what's driving families to seek these new learning…

This paper reports on the perspectives and operational practices of teachers implementing interdisciplinary units in five International Baccalaureate schools in Norway and Denmark with fewer than 100 students in their Middle Years Programme. The results help explain why interdisciplinary practice in secondary schools is relatively rare. The…

Small rural schools have often been characterised as being at the heart of their communities. However, there is no clarity on what that means nor on the perceived meaning of 'community' within this context. The findings of the Small School Rural Community Study focused on the relationship between small rural schools and the communities they serve…

Previous studies suggest that small rural schools experience a range of challenges relating to their size, financial difficulties and geographical isolation, as well as potential opportunities relating to their position within their communities. In Northern Ireland, these schools are situated within the comparatively rare context of a religiously…

This article details the demise of a small multicultural and democratic school in a large urban district. After a successful 25-year run, a public school built on principles of progressive and democratic education was dismantled and destroyed. The article attempts to expose the contradictions and untruths in the story of Mission Hill School's…

The research aimed to examine the components of effective academic administration involving collaborative participation from parents and the local community in small-sized schools under the authority of the Basic Education Commission. The study employed a mixed-method research approach, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative…

The objective of this study is twofold: 1) To examine the current situations, desired conditions, and requirements for participation in quality assurance efforts of small schools under the Office of the Basic Education Commission; 2) To explore developmental guidelines for enhancing the quality assurance practices of these educational…

Racial microaggressions are at the center of a debate on experimental vs. experiential reality. This issue might come down to epistemological differences, but we must continue to amass evidence of the existence of these harmful phenomena if they indeed exist. The current study uses interpretative phenomenological analysis with a small sample of…

The objectives of this research were to: 1) exploring the components and indicators of stakeholder participation in quality assurance practices of small schools under the supervision of the Basic Education Commission, and 2) evaluating and validating these components and indicators. The research consisted of two phases: 1) conducting a theoretical…

This article reports on the design of interdisciplinary units in five International Baccalaureate schools in Norway and Denmark, each with fewer than 100 students in their Middle Years Programme. The mixed methods study describes subject combinations and time frames of 37 enacted units and 111 hypothetical interdisciplinary units, and the…