Adequacy, efficiency and equity of higher education financing: The case of Egypt

To meet its future challenges in financing higher education, Egypt has no option but to search for alternative funding arrangements. This article considers the question of how to do so, keeping in mind the need to ensure equitable access to good quality education for those who cannot afford it. To this end, the article begins by assessing public expenditure on higher education in Egypt, with respect to its adequacy, efficiency, and equity. Next, it analyzes the impacts that demographic changes, the demand for quality education, and the transition to private provision of education will have on the nature of financing higher education in the future. It concludes by suggesting alternative strategies to address the problem of financing higher education in Egypt.     

Turkish elementary student teachers’ epistemological beliefs and moral reasoning

The purpose of the present study was to explore the relationships among Turkish elementary student teachers’ epistemological beliefs and moral reasoning, and to determine which types of epistemological beliefs elementary student teachers exhibit. The findings of the present study demonstrated that epistemological beliefs did not make a unique contribution to moral reasoning and student teachers’ epistemological beliefs developed as more or less independent beliefs. The factor analyses results suggest that multidimensional theory is more appropriate than unidimensional theory in explaining student teachers’ epistemological beliefs.     

Digital Technology Usage of Young Children: Screen Time and Families

Early Childhood Education Journal - This study aimed to explore the digital environments of 3–6-year-old children within the home setting. A total of 537 children aged...     

Cultural and socio-political influences on counseling and career guidance: The case of Arabs in the Jewish State

Conclusion Counseling in Arab schools in Israel is part and parcel of the whole Arab educationsystem. Like the system itself, counseling is also an object of many socio-politicalfactors which influence it negatively in such a status of affairs. However, unlikeother components of the system and due to its very nature, it is more susceptibleto these influences superimposed upon it. Its weakness is readily observable, morethan that of any other educational delivery service This weakness is due to itshigh level of susceptibility stemming from its nature as a reflector of both themacro and micro problems of education and society, to its being an object ofdifferent factors of cultural restraints since it is a super modern service plantedinto a traditional setting, to the lack of strong leadership and backing, and finally,at as due to the tact that at is at the cross-roads of conflicting political forces stemmingfrom the authonty's expectations on the one hand and from the community onthe other.Even though counseling and career guidance are found to be under varyingcultural and socio-political constraints in the Arab educational system in Israel,it is nonetheless a most meaningful educational service. Its meaningfulness isrecognized beyond its micro level of functioning (i e helping students in personalproblems, family issues and learning difficulties and/or guiding a student more orless successfully into a suitable career ). Its meaningfulness is notable also inthe following contributions.Firstly, it has a modernizing effect on the total educational system. It is aninnovation which Arab schools have had to cope with as they absorbed it. It createdpositive orientation towards innovations, especially those aiming at the well-beingof students. Secondly, counseling as a reflector of micro and macro problems hasuncovered those problems and brought them to the attention of students, teachers,authorities and communities. Thirdly, the introduction of counseling services intoArab schools opened a whole new path of vocational choice in that it familiarizedArab youth with a new area of vocations, namely the helping services in theirmodern sense. Finally, its introduction into the Arab educational system hassensitized students in particular, and the wider community an general, to look forprofessional help. Especially under conditions of cultural transition, this contributionis of special significance. Traditional ways of providing help to people haveeither vanished or become outdated and unsatisfactory.     

Microbial control of diamondback moth,Plutella xylostella L. (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae) using bacteria (Xenorhabdus nematophila) and its metabolites from the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae

Cells and cell-free solutions of the culture filtrate of the bacterial symbiont, Xenorhabdus nematophila taken from the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae in aqueous broth suspensions were lethal to larvae of the diamondback moth Plutella xylostella. Their application on leaves of Chinese cabbage indicated that the cells can penetrate into the insects in the absence of the nematode vector. Cell-free solutions containing metabolites were also proved as effective as bacterial cells suspension. The application of aqueous suspensions of cells of X. nematophila or solutions containing its toxic metabolites to the leaves represents a possible new strategy for controlling insect pests on foliage.     

Dimensions of learning process over global environmental problems： An evaluation of roger conceptual learning method regarding Turkish undergraduate students

The main objectives of the study have been testing Roger conceptual learning method with regard to Turkish students and to investigate the applicability of the method on graduate students. The experimental group was formed by l0 volunteer students. The study lasted 16 weeks according to group discussion method. In this period, global environmental problems were handled under 8 headings. The research data was gathered from students＇ diaries or through semi-structured group interviews. The data was evaluated using the content analysis method. In the results of analysis, it was achieved that first three dimensions of Roger model were formed in most students and the last two dimensions were significant in some students. Therefore, it might be stated that Roger conceptual learning method handled in the study, not only with its conceptual but also emotional and pedagogic dimensions, functions similarly on Turkish graduate students as well.     

Investigating the Relationships Among Elementary School Students’ Epistemological Beliefs, Metacognition, and Constructivist Science Learning Environment

The research questions addressed in this study were: what types of epistemological beliefs do elementary students have; what types of metacognition do elementary students have; and what are the relationships among students’ perceived characteristics of constructivist learning environment, metacognition, and epistemological beliefs. A total of 626 students enrolled in sixth, seventh, and eight grades of nine elementary public schools located in Ankara, Turkey constituted the participants of this study. Constructivist learning environment survey (CLES), Junior metacognitive awareness inventory (Jr. MAI), and Schommer epistemological belief questionnaire (EB) were administered to students. Factor Analysis of Jr. MAI revealed both knowledge of cognition and regulation of cognition items were loaded into one factor. Confirmatory factor analysis of EB revealed a four factor structure namely innate ability, quick learning, omniscient authority, and certain knowledge. Regression analyses revealed that metacognition and omniscient authority were significant predictors of personal relevance dimension of CLES. Metacognition was found as the only predictor of the student negotiation. Innate ability and metacognition significantly contributed to uncertainty. This study revealed that the elementary students with different mastery levels hold different epistemological beliefs and multi-faceted nature of elementary school students’ metacognition was seemed to be supported with this study. It was found that metacognition contributed to model more than epistemological beliefs for all three dimensions of CLES.     

The classroom observation protocol for socioscientific issue-based instruction: development and implementation of a new research tool

Background: For the past decade, science educators have been exploring the use of Socio-scientific Issues (SSI) as contexts for science teaching and learning, and research indicates that doing so can support significant learning gains. However, research related to how teachers take up the practice of SSI-based instruction is far more limited, due in part to a lack of tools for use in this kind of research.

Purpose: The focus of this research is development and testing of a new classroom observation protocol specifically designed for SSI-based instructional contexts.

Design and methods: Development of this SSI-Observation Protocol (SSI-OP) took place in four distinct phases: review of existing protocols and SSI-based instruction frameworks, writing and revision of protocol items, initial testing of the draft protocol, and soliciting feedback from SSI experts.

Sample: Following the four stages of SSI-OP development, we progressed to a series of field tests. The field tests were conducted with three different samples. The first sample was an experienced (10 + years) high school biology teacher and one of her honors biology classes. The second sample consisted of seven Turkish Pre-service Science Teachers (PST) participating in a science methods course. The third sample included two Thai PST from a field experience course embedded within a teacher education program.

Results: The final version of the protocol addressed five dimensions of SSI-based instructional activities: focus of instruction, teaching moves, role of teacher, role of students, and classroom environment.

Conclusions: The SSI-OP could be used in a variety of ways for research including documentation of current practices, impacts of professional development and/or curricula on teaching practices, and changes in teaching over time. We offer the SSI-OP as a new tool with the potential to contribute to science teacher education and research that may advance the teaching and learning of science through SSI.