Need for cost-benefit analysis, productivity and efficiency in education has actually been x-rayed systematically, the various key words were precisely explained for a layman to understand. The social aspect of cost-benefit analysis, measurement of productivity, issues connected with productivity and efficiency, link between productivity and efficiency, low external productivity in the face of high internal efficiency and relationship between external productivity and cost benefit ratio were highlighted. Finally, conclusion and recommendations were made.

This Paper focused on management of diversification at the senior secondary education level in Nigeria. Secondary education has been described as the second in the tripot of education. It serves as a bridge between the primary education and tertiary education. The two major aims of secondary education are: preparing the recipients for higher education and preparing the recipients for useful living within the society. The paper went further to x-ray some diversifications that could be explored in order to achieve fully the aims of senior secondary education to include: full utilization of the available human resources; provision and full utilization of financial resources; provision and full utilization of material resources; full and proper use of time resource full utilization of alternative sources of funds, provision of adequate instructional and personnel supervision, strict adherence to adoption of the principle of division of labour and specialization, adoption of the principle of leadership by example, adoption of the principle of reward and punishment moral-re-orientation, curriculum expansion and implementation. The paper finally concludes a wholesale adoption of the discussed diversifications for easy achievement of the aims of secondary education.

This qualitative research is grounded by the phenomenon found on the field developed by using deep and natural understanding while involving the whole parts of the context and the collected data from the participant. Phenomenology and ethnography are realized as the models of qualitative study. These are designed based on the context of the phenomena experienced directly by the subject of the research.

Background: More than ever before, school principals are dealing with stress and burnout, resulting from increasing role demands and decreasing decision latitude and autonomy. Following the Demand–Support–Constraints model, reasons for stress and burnout can be found in the lack of social support in the environment.Purpose: This longitudinal study investigates whether changes in social support from colleagues, supervisors and/or the broader community affect levels of principal stress and burnout.Sample: Approximately 26% of Australia’s school principals took part (N = 3572): primary (n = 2660) and secondary (n = 912) spread across all Australian states and territories. Age ranged between 46 and 55 years, and mean leadership experience was 12 years.Design and methods: Since stress and burnout are psychological phenomena that develop over time, a longitudinal approach was adopted. Data were collected across four waves, spread over four years, from 2011 to 2014.Results: It was found that social support predicts decreased stress and in turn burnout in school principals, however differences were found according to the type of social support. The data provide strong evidence for a positive effect of stress on burnout (e.g. the more stress at time 2, the more burnout in principals at time 3) and partial support for indirect negative effects of social support on burnout (e.g. the more support from colleagues at time 2, the less burnout in principals at time 3). However, we also found two instances of positive effects of social support from the broader community on burnout. This suggests that the more support principals receive from the broader community, the more likely they are to show burnout symptoms. This might be explained as the ‘the downside of empathy’, where principals who are strongly supported by their community might also feel more connected to that community. When their community is struggling, they are probably struggling as well.Conclusions: The findings highlight the positive impact the wider school community can play in providing supplementary professional support to the principal. Unbundling or repackaging the job responsibilities with an administrative team that shares the leadership of the school, could be part of the solution.

Background: The relationship between attitudes and behaviour has led to a focus on the role played by attitudes in the teaching and learning of mathematics.Purpose: This paper reports on an investigation into student teachers’ self-reported attitudes towards mathematics in the context of a mathematics education programme. The programme had been developed by the authors in response to a new, reformed four-year undergraduate initial teacher education (ITE) for primary teachers in Ireland. The authors aimed to use the feedback to evaluate and develop the course further.Sample: We report on the attitudes of 345 pre-service primary teachers enrolled in a four-year undergraduate ITE programme. 281 of these participants had matched survey data before and after participating in the mathematics education programme.Method and Design: Four evaluation criteria were used as a conceptual framework for the evaluation of the mathematics education programme. A multi-method approach was taken in investigating the students’ attitudes to mathematics by using a scale as a quantitative measure of attitude alongside open-ended survey items that provided qualitative insights into changes in attitudes.Results and conclusions: Results from the survey data suggested overall that the participants’ attitudes towards mathematics were more positive after they had experienced the mathematics education programme. Overall, the written responses suggested that according to self-reportage, participants perceived that participation in the mathematics education programme had affected their attitudes towards mathematics positively. Comments indicated that the ‘small group’ tutorial structure was particularly well received and was associated with opportunities to actively engage, explore, interact and reflect. Suggestions offered by the participants will be used to inform planning and development of the mathematics programme.