This paper attempts to explore and identify the characteristics of an effective teacher who teaches English as a second language to 10 year old students from different ethnics, various social economic background and multi-level language ability, at a private primary school in Malaysia. The study focused on classroom management using a case study methodology where data was collected using both interviews and classroom observations. The findings concur with previous literature reviews on effective teacher models whilst providing in-depth details on what transpires during classroom activities, thus clarifying further the meaning of effective classroom management. The implications of this study suggest the need to include six new classroom management behaviours of an effective teacher. Further research is warranted to help policy makers and school administrators in identifying the significance of these behaviours for the selection and training of future teachers.

Mentoring and coaching seem to have taken over many other forms of job embedded professional development programmes across the globe. Mentoring involves providing professional and personal guidance to an assigned mentee. Coaching involves providing focused career assistance to a coachee. This paper focuses on sharing current mentoring and coaching services provided particularly for beginner teachers. Beginner teachers face variety of issues and challenges in their early years of teaching. These initial experiences determine the new teachers' sustainability, teaching quality and students' performance. Effective beginner teacher mentoring and coaching includes guidance in areas of professional (career, skills and expertise) and personal (work/life balance, self-confidence, self-perception, and personal influences) development. This concept paper presents an overview of current mentoring and coaching practices for beginner teachers. The study further implies the need for providing mentors with mentor coaching skills training and principals support based on the Kansas Coaching Model underpinning the principles of Adult Learning Theory to improve current mentoring and coaching practices.

School leaders face challenges in using technology to upgrade teaching and learning processes in the twenty-first century as they must also become role models in its usage. Thus technology must be used not only for teaching and learning processes, but also in their organisational management. The aim of this research is first, to identify the level of technology leadership and competency in curriculum activity management among secondary school principals in Malaysia; second, to determine if technology leadership practices and curriculum activity management differ based on school location; third, to analyse if there is a correlation between technology leadership and competency of curriculum activity management. This quantitative style research used questionnaire for data collection involving 341 randomly selected Malaysian principals. Data collected was then analysed using descriptive and inference analysis. Findings show that Malaysian principals practice technology leadership at a very high level, and are also very competent at managing curriculum activity. T-test analysis found that urban principals' technology leadership practices are significantly higher than their rural counterparts, but their curriculum management competencies are at the same level. Findings also show that there is a low yet significant correlation between technology leadership and curriculum management competencies. In light of this information, we recommend further in-depth studies to explore the rural-urban gap technology leadership scenario, thus finding possible solutions in narrowing the academic achievement gap between rural and urban schools.

In a world of global market competition, the secondary level education has become a part of basic education. Secondary schools are vested with the responsibility of imparting knowledge, skills and attitudes essential for individuals to fit into society and be able to contribute fruitfully to its development. This article analyses the development of secondary education in Bangladesh in different period of time, socio-political context. Therefore, a general overview of secondary education is provided which is followed by historical evolution of secondary education in the British and Pakistani rule over Bangladesh. In conjunction with primary and mass educa­tion, secondary education was revised with great emphasis on the development of an all-round individual, female education, the acquisition of quality education, and the inculcation of technical and science education. A good number of commissions and committee were formed in different time to make changes in educational arena. Following the recommendations, the system of educational administration has been decentralised to promote school-based management and teacher empowerment. Furthermore, the non-government schools have been always encouraged to play an active role in providing secondary level education. A new education policy for Bangladesh has been tabled in September, 2009 after restoration of democratic process. At secondary education level a broad-based change in educational objectives, structure and system, curriculum have been proposed which is under public scrutiny.

ABSTRAK Kajian-kajian lalu menunjukkan pemimpin adalah penyumbang utama kepada kecemerlangan organisasi. Hanya pemimpin yang kompeten dapat mengurus organisasinya dengan berkesan. Tujuan kajian ini adalah untuk mengenal pasti kompetensi yang diperlukan untuk memimpin institusi pendidikan dengan berkesan. Seramai 24 informan dipilih secara bertujuan yang terdiri daripada pelbagai peringkat kepimpinan dan pengalaman. Kajian ini adalah kajian kualitatif di mana data diperoleh secara temu bual bersemuka. Data dianalisis dengan pembinaan tema-tema dan dengan melakukan teknik analisis perbandingan berterusan. Kajian ini telah mengenal pasti lima kompetensi utama yang perlu ada pada pemimpin berkualiti iaitu berpengetahuan, berkemahiran, berkeperibadian positif, menyumbang kepada organisasi, dan kesanggupan memimpin. Hasil kajian ini memberi implikasi pada model kompetensi kepimpinan berkualiti. Dapatan kajian ini dicadangkan digunakan sebagai asas bagi pemilihan dan pembentukan pemimpin berkualiti.