Papers by Iris BenDavid Hadar
Does Home Schooling Improve Creative Thinking and Social Competencies among Children? Home Schooling in Israel
Journal of School Choice, 2021
ABSTRACT Homeschooling is on the rise in many Western countries, reflecting families’ growing pre... more ABSTRACT Homeschooling is on the rise in many Western countries, reflecting families’ growing preference for teaching their children at home, in a family environment. This increasing trend has a social derivative, as learning at home may develop alternative competencies. The objective of this research is to examine the effectiveness of homeschooling by analyzing the levels of creative thinking and social competencies among homeschoolers and by comparing these abilities to those of traditional learners. Participants included 549 schoolchildren between the ages of 8 and 12 (280 homeschoolers and 269 public school students). The participants were asked to fill in two questionnaires: 1) the Creative Thinking Drawing Production (TCT-DP) questionnaire to evaluate their creative thinking, and 2) the Social Competencies Rating System (SSRS) questionnaire to evaluate their social competences. The findings of the multiple regression analyses indicate that homeschoolers exhibit higher level of creative thinking and higher social competencies than traditional learners. Policy implications highlight the need to develop creative thinking and social competencies among traditional learners.
Choice and Efficiency in Education: New Perspective on the Tiebout Model
Education, Equity, Economy, 2018
The aspiration to achieve universal access to quality education for all is often accompanied by t... more The aspiration to achieve universal access to quality education for all is often accompanied by the challenge of efficiency. Commonly, public good provision (e.g., education) is perceived as less efficient than private markets (Samuelson PA, Rev Econ Stat 36:387–389, 1954).
The Economics of MOOCs and Their Interrelationship to Competitiveness and Cohesiveness: The Case of Israel
Higher Education Review, 2015
From Equitable Funding to Equality of Educational Opportunity: The Israeli Case
Journal of Education Finance, 2018
abstract:The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between the distribution of ed... more abstract:The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between the distribution of educational funds allocated by the central government and the educational achievement distribution (EAD) at the primary school level. To this end, the extent of equity in education funding, and the extent of the equality of educational opportunity (EEO) in the EAD is analyzed. Finally, the relationships between equitable funding and EEO are investigated.Regression models (for the overall population, the Hebrew-speaking schools, and the Arabic-speaking schools) were used to analyze equity. The Ministry-of-Education data sets consist of national examination scores and funds allocated by the central government, the background characteristics of fifth grade students in Israel, were matched at the school level.Findings reveal resources are allocated more equitably to the Hebrew-speaking schools compared with Arabic-speaking schools. Additionally, a low extent of EEO in the EAD of the entire stu...
Journal of Education Finance, 2014
Child poverty is a growing problem that adversely affects both future society and the poor childr... more Child poverty is a growing problem that adversely affects both future society and the poor children themselves. This paper’s purpose is to investigate the intergenerational links between education and poverty. Israel serves as an interesting case study because it has exhibited an incremental trend in child poverty between 1980 and 2010 (from 5% to 35%). Regression analyses were conducted to measure the effect of the current generation’s features (i.e., education, income, and household investment in education) and of the state’s school finance policy on the next generation’s cognitive development. These analyses reveal that at the upper secondary school level, the education level, the income level, and the extent of household investment in education of the current generation of students in Hebrew-speaking schools have a high and positive effect on the next generation’s cognitive development in terms of high school matriculation eligibility. At the lower secondary level, school financ...
The Politics and Policies of School Finance: The Israeli Case
Management in Education, 2021
We examined the relationship between the school principal's leadership style, as perceived by... more We examined the relationship between the school principal's leadership style, as perceived by the school teachers, and improvement in the performance of students with special education needs enrolled in specialized schools for students with conduct disorders. Our motivation originates in the increasing trend in their share within the general population and the premise that this unique population may respond differently to school principal leadership style. Datasets on students’ previous performance, students’ background characteristics, teacher profiles, and school features were collected. In addition, a questionnaire on teachers’ perceptions of their school principal's leadership style was distributed. Datasets were collected from 92 teachers who worked in special education needs public schools that specialized in conduct disorders. Using STATA software, we measured multilevel fixed-effects models. We found that the more the school principal is perceived as a transformation...
Does university attendance impact students' political tolerance and open-mindedness: the atypical case of Israel?
Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, 2021
PurposeA major justification for the state subsidy of university education at public institutions... more PurposeA major justification for the state subsidy of university education at public institutions (and, in some countries, of private universities too) is the economic and social benefits accruing to society as whole from a significantly university-educated workforce and citizenship. Based upon a broad range of research findings, a particular societal benefit emanating from higher education relates to good citizenship: that it leads to more open mindedness and tolerant political attitudes. We examined these issues using a representative sample of students from Israeli universities to clarify the extent to which these outcomes would be paralleled in the Israeli setting, where the university experience differs markedly from that found typically in the West.Design/methodology/approachThe research is based on a comparison of political tolerance levels between first- and final-year students enrolled in regular undergraduate study programs (of four days a week or more). However since a ch...
The Right to Education
Third International Handbook of Globalisation, Education and Policy Research, 2021
The Relationships Between Income, Academic Education, and Financial Literacy: The Case of the Ultra-Orthodox in Israel
Education and Society, 2018
Economics and Finance of Education: Review of Developments, Trends, and Challenges
Annual Review of Comparative and International Education 2019, 2020
Does education affect economic outcomes, and if so, how? Does education finance interact with pub... more Does education affect economic outcomes, and if so, how? Does education finance interact with public policy? And how does education finance policy contribute to the development of a new strategic planning for the next generation, if at all? This chapter reviews recent conceptual and methodological developments in the field of economics and finance of education. The review covers these two major topics and is divided into three sections. First is an overview of the field, including current trends in economics of education in both developed and developing countries. This section incorporates themes such as returns to investment in education, costs of education, education and economic growth, and education market, choice, and incentives. The second section focuses on finance of education and current debates on equality, equity, and efficiency in educational finances. The third section presents summary and discussion. The discussion will bring to light the issues, challenges, opportunities, and future directions of the field. Where appropriate, examples and empirical evidence from both developing and developed countries are presented.
Measuring (In) Equality in Education
Education, Equity, Economy, 2018
Educational inequality is a key factor leading to future social and economic inequality, suppress... more Educational inequality is a key factor leading to future social and economic inequality, suppressing social mobility and accelerating the trend of future poverty. The consequences of educational inequality are key issues in many social and economic aspects, and therefore, highlight the importance of our research.
International Journal of Educational Management, 2019
Purpose The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it examines the extent of equity in the acad... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it examines the extent of equity in the academic achievement distribution by analyzing Israeli students’ high school matriculation scores, controlling for background characteristics (e.g. parental education) and for previous achievement. Second, it analyzes the trends in equity during the examined period from 2001 to 2011. Design/methodology/approach Nationwide extensive data sets, at the student level, of 11 cohorts are analyzed using logistic regression models. Findings Major findings reveal that the odds ratios (ORs) are in favor of students from families with a high level of parental education (an increment of one year of parental education increases the odds of student’s success by 3 percent). In addition, the ORs are less favorable for Arab students (30 percent lower). Furthermore, a high previous achievement level increases the odds of success (an increment of 1 percent in achievement increases the odds by 6 percent). In ad...
Funding education: developing a method of allocation for improvement
International Journal of Educational Management, 2018
PurposeResource allocation is a key policy instrument that affects the educational achievement di... more PurposeResource allocation is a key policy instrument that affects the educational achievement distribution (EAD). The literature on methods of allocation is focused mainly on equity issues. The purpose of this paper is to develop a composite funding formula, which adds to the equity-based element (i.e. a needs-based element compensating for students’ low starting points), an element of rewarding improvement in schools’ educational achievement distribution (IEAD) (i.e. raising the overall level of achievement and narrowing the achievement gap).Design/methodology/approachThis formula is developed using advanced regression models as well as integrating further policy considerations. The data sets are comprised of nation-wide student-level information on longitudinal students’ achievements (8th graders of 2006, and four years later 12th graders 2010), as well as student background characteristics, and teacher profiles and school features. The Israel data serve as an interesting case st...
International Journal of Educational Management, 2019
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between education and competenc... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between education and competencies from a comparative view, while controlling for background characteristics (e.g. parental education), home features (e.g. income) and country fixed effect. Design/methodology/approach This paper utilises an international data sets of 12 Belt and Road (B&R) countries participating in the PIAAC survey. Data are examined using regression models with “REPSET” Stata code. The focus on B&R countries is interesting as this recent economic and strategic development alliance might transform the contemporary global balance of power. Therefore, examining its educational development is important. Findings Findings reveal the higher the level of education, the higher the competency level in numeracy and literacy. Age was found to be negatively related to competencies, and gender was found to be dually significant. Among the examined B&R countries, Slovenia, Russia and Israel contribute the most to...
Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 2017
Educational Considerations, 2014
Education for All: The Israeli Ultra-Orthodox Schools
Educational Practice and Theory, 2016
Human Rights Education: Refugees and Asylum Seekers’ Right to Education
Globalisation, Human Rights Education and Reforms, 2016
The global era is characterized by large and increasing migration waves. The reasons for migratio... more The global era is characterized by large and increasing migration waves. The reasons for migration vary tremendously (e.g., political instability of the origin country’s regime, rapid technological changes, poverty, war, and extreme climate changes). Globalization and information and communications technology facilitate larger and increasing migration waves, as people are better able to receive and share up-to-date, detailed, and relevant information on potential destination countries, whether official or unofficial. This chapter is focused on a special group of migrants, whose decision to leave their countries was not based on their own choice or preferences, but was rather based on constraints and compulsion—refugees and asylum seekers. More specifically, this chapter is focused on the right to education of the children of refugees and asylum seekers. This chapter examines the right to education of school-aged children of refugees and asylum seekers from African countries who reside in Israel. The research is focused in the following questions: who are the main actors shaping the education finance policy, and what are their voices expressed in it? To what extent, if at all, are the de-facto and de-jure education finance policies in harmony? And, to what extent is the right to education accessible and secured? Qualitative policy analysis is conducted, using national policy documents, relevant laws and litigations, and interviews with local policy makers. Results reveal disharmony in the composition of policy actors’ voices. Local authorities, who are dominant actors, differ in the extent to which they secure these children’s right to education. Asylum seeker and refugees’ children’s access to adequate and equitable education is related to the financial ability of each local unit. The study concludes that a cross-localities collaboration might secure these children right to education at the national level.
School finance policy and social justice
International Journal of Educational Development, 2016
This paper examines the relationships between funding principles and theories of justice. Additio... more This paper examines the relationships between funding principles and theories of justice. Additionally, it analyses the effect of school finance policy (SFP) on improving equality of educational opportunity (EEO), using logistic regression on Israeli data in the years 1999–2007.
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Papers by Iris BenDavid Hadar