Leveraging Globalization as a Policy Paradigm for Higher Education

While globalization poses challenges, it also offers powerful opportunities for the higher education community to play a key role in shaping the future. This article explores globalization as a policy paradigm, both from international and local (Australian) perspectives. It first looks broadly at various strands of globalization - economic, political, cultural, technological - and suggests how each may relate to higher education. The specific example of Australia is then used to illustrate how one government is currently addressing globalization issues of particular concern to it: the promotion, protection, and quality assurance of education as an international enterprise. The government has used concerns about globalization as a "lever" to introduce new legislation extending control over the higher education sector. The author concludes by arguing that, like governments and other bodies, the higher education community can "leverage" globalization to judiciously move debate and shape future policy directions.     

Universities,medical education and women: Birmingham in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries

Examining the evolution of medical education for women in a major city, this paper details the combination of private and public initiative, and the role of nonconformist denominational networks in Birmingham, one of the largest industrial and commercial centres of the British Empire. From the 1880s women gradually gained access to both higher education and professional training in medicine. This was necessarily underpinned by the growth of school science for girls. In this, the role of the new endowed and proprietary schools for girls was very significant in Birmingham but that of the School Board and LEA was also important, not least in demonstrating class and gendered attitudes in education and medicine. In theory from the 1880s and 1890s it was possible even for girls from elementary schools to proceed by way of scholarship both to secondary school and to university. Such educational opportunities expanded in early twentieth-century Birmingham yet always remained slimmer for girls. From 1900 the new university ostensibly gave equal rights to women in medical education as in all other studies. The university itself had grown out of local interests and patronage and saw itself as serving the local community. Birmingham’s liberal leaders believed in scientific education and social reform, including greater equality between the sexes, although contemporary cultural and social currents could militate against such high aspirations. Nevertheless, the university did take a lead in opening up medicine to women, allowing participation in professional life, for some at the highest levels, and serving the local city and regional community.     

Urban youths’ hybrid positioning in science practices at the margin: a look inside a school–museum–scientist partnership project and an after-school science program

In what ways do urban youths’ hybridity constitute positioning and engagement in science-as-practice? In what ways are they “hybridizing” and hence surviving in a system that positions them as certain types of learners and within which they come to position themselves often as other than envisioned? To answer these questions, I draw from two ethnographic case studies, one a scientist–museum–school partnership initiative, and the other, an after-school science program for girls only, both serving poor, ethnically and linguistically diverse youth in Montreal, Canada. Through a study of the micro dialectics from the perspective of youth, I show what we can learn from examples of doing science in a formal and informal educational context supportive of marginalized science practices resembling in part, at least, science-as-practice. Through an integration of the findings with current discourses of relevance in science education such as funds of knowledge and youth centered, co-opted science, I contribute to the formulation of a global pedagogy of science education and in particular, what such may imply in the eyes of youth in French Canada.     

Regional Governance in Education: A Case Study of the Metro Area Learning Community in Omaha,Nebraska

This article examines the first regional governance reform in public education, created in the Omaha, Nebraska metropolitan area in 2007. The legislation creating this regional reform, which is called the Learning Community, established a regional governing body, the Learning Community Coordinating Council, consisting of an elected 21-member board. The board oversees a tax-sharing plan that redistributes general revenue, an interdistrict diversity transfer program, and programming aimed at enhancing early childhood and after-school opportunities for low-income students. In this article, we examine the implementation of the Learning Community, evaluating the extent to which the regional governing body has been able to advance the regional goals with which it has been charged. This article also illustrates how, as a result of the regional governance reforms, school districts within the Omaha metropolitan area are reevaluating the very definition of “local community.”     

Advocating for equitable science‐learning opportunities for girls in an urban city youth club and the roadblocks faced by women science educators*

This article reports on a study that examined the obstacles women science educators faced as they facilitated Explorers, an after‐school science program for girls aged 6–12. The program aimed to provide girls with opportunities to legitimately participate in science activity. Explorers was one of several programs offered by the Foothills City Youth Club (FCYC) in a racially diverse urban center in the Southwestern United States. The youth club was meant to serve the needs of children and youth in that community. Through analysis of field notes, interviews, and documents, the social structures and forces that impeded the implementation of practices and the acquisition of capital are described. They include: (a) inadequate funding and community support, (b) conflicting beliefs between FCYC leaders and community leaders about the needs of boys and girls, and 3) inequitable decision‐making structures of the community. Underlying beliefs, structures, and practices within the community weakened the FCYC in many ways, interrupted the leadership's attempts to meet their goals as they worked with the community's children, and brought to the surface issues of bias and oppression. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 39: 151‐163, 2002     

Girls and Primary-School Science Education: Sexism,Stereotypes, and Remedies

Most research and the development of curriculum interventions relating to girls' opportunities in science education have concerned secondary and tertiary levels. Increasingly, however, evidence and opinions are being reported to the effect that differences between the sexes which appear to be associated with girls' opting out of science already exist when pupils enter secondary education. The encouragement of science and technology in primary schools is frequently proposed as a likely remedy for inequality between the sexes in science education [29, p. 287]. But is this necessarily so? The science education girls now receive leads the vast majority of them to reject it. We must ask what kind of science experience is likely to help and what kind likely to hinder the equal success of girls and boys. We need to know what evidence there is as to the effect of various types of science education and what are the possibilities of expanding access to the better models.     

挽救放学后的童年——解析美国中小学课外计划

美国青少年课后生活的＂家长缺席＂现象愈发严重,使得他们面临空前的成长危机。为此,美国教育部门提出中小学课外计划,旨在保障学生的学业进步、安全和健康,促进家庭与社区的参与。计划的主要形式包括日间看护项目、21世纪社区学习中心以及其他种类的活动。虽然计划已经取得巨大进展,但仍然存在一些障碍。将学生课外生活纳入教育体系中是我国亟待解决的问题,美国的经验对能够为我国提供一些启示。     

The impact of attending after-school care schemes on science achievement in primary school: A Norwegian study

Accompanying the rise in the number of working parents is a growing demand for after-school care schemes for children. After-school care schemes, in addition to school, provide pupils with more learning opportunities than the experiences that school provides. The hypothesis is that after-school care schemes offer a better knowledge-basis for learning science than the school and home environments only. This article investigates how after-school care schemes affect learning in grades 5 and 8. While taking into account the socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds of pupils, results indicate that after-school care is of significance. The influence of after-school care is roughly explained by the increased number of learning opportunities. We discuss the implications for research and the limitations of this survey.     

“Yo soy indígena”: identifying and using traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) to make the teaching of science culturally responsive for Maya girls

This study examines how traditional ecological knowledge—TEK—can be identified and utilized to create culturally responsive science learning opportunities for Maya girls from a community in the Guatemalan highlands. Maya girls are situated in a complex socio-historical and political context rooted in racism and sexism. This study contextualizes the current situation of Maya women and girls in Guatemala and emphasizes the important need for educators to create science-learning opportunities that are culturally congruent. The author posits that when considering how to make the teaching and learning of science culturally responsive for Maya girls, educators must begin with the scientific knowledge inherent within Maya communities. Indigenous communities have a wealth of TEK that can be used to contextualize science curricula that can be purposely designed to meet the nuanced cultural needs of traditional Maya girls within and outside Guatemala.     

Changes in Social Capital and Networks: A Study of Community-Based Environmental Management Through a School-Centered Research Program

Social network analysis (SNA) is a social science research tool that has not been applied to educational programs. This analysis is critical to documenting the changes in social capital and networks that result from community based K-12 educational collaborations. We review SNA and show an application of this technique in a school-centered, community based environmental monitoring research (CBEMR) program. This CBEMR employs K-12 students, state and local government employees, environmental organization representatives, local businesses, colleges, and community volunteers. As citizen scientists and researchers, collaborators create a database of local groundwater quality to use as a baseline for long-term environmental health management and public education. Past studies have evaluated the reliability of data generated by students acting as scientists, but there have been few studies relating to power dynamics, social capital, and resilience in school-centered CBEMR programs. We use qualitative and quantitative data gathered from a science education program conducted in five states in the northeastern United States. SPSS and NVivo data were derived from semi-structured interviews with thirty-nine participants before and after their participation in the CBEMR. Pajek software was used to determine participant centralities and power brokers within networks. Results indicate that there were statistically significant increases in social capital and resilience in social networks after participation in the school-centered CBEMR program leading to an increased community involvement in environmental health management. Limiting factors to the CBMER were based on the educator/administration relationship.     

The effectiveness of take-home science kits at the elementary level

A major reason for the lack of scientific and technological literacy in this country is the lack of emphasis on high-quality science education at the elementary school level. The National Science Board Commission on Precollege Education in Mathematics, Science, and Technology states in its report (1983) that formal study of science must be reinforced by a wide range of activities outside the school. Learning in the home appears to be an excellent way to enhance elementary school science programs. Students who study with their parents or whose parents are involved in school activities achieve more in school. This study describes and presents evaluation data for a program that encourages elementary school students and their parents to study science topics in a hands-on, inquiry fashion in their own homes. The analyses of the data indicate that the program is viewed very positively by both the students and their parents, that there are gender and grade-level differences in the students, and that the program seems to be more effective for girls, a group at risk for continuing in science.     

Engaging youth of color in applied science education and public health promotion

Participation in inquiry-based science education, which focuses on student-constructed learning, has been linked to academic success. Whereas the benefits of this type of science education are evident, access to such high-quality science curriculum and programming is not equitable. Black and Latino students in particular have less access to supplementary science programming, and fewer opportunities to engage in inquiry-based education. This paper describes outcomes associated with an inquiry-based out-of-school time science education program, Nuestro Futuro: Applied Science Education to Engage Black and Latino Youth (NFASE), which sought to build the capacity of middle school students of color to ‘think’ like health scientists from diverse disciplinary perspectives. The program was designed with the intent of (1) improving student attitudes toward and motivation for science and (2) increasing active and engaged citizenship (AEC). NFASE students explored health inequity and the social determinants of health locally and engaged in developing health promotion, outreach and education efforts targeted to their peers, parents/families, and community. Interest in the program was high overall, but implementation was not without challenges. Although evaluation outcomes indicate that there were no statistically significant changes in science-related attitudes or motivation, students reported significant increases in neighborhood social connection, as well as overall AEC.     

Innovations in science education: infusing social emotional principles into early STEM learning

We report on the development of an after-school and summer-based science, technology, engineering, and mathematics curriculum infused with the arts and social emotional learning content (STEAM SEL). Its design was motivated by theory and research that suggest that STEM education is well-suited for teaching empathy and other emotion-related skills. In this paper, we describe the activities associated with the development and design of the program and the curriculum. We provide expert-ratings of the STEAM and social emotional elements of the program and present instructor and participant feedback about the program’s content and its delivery. Our results revealed that infusing the arts and social emotional learning content into science education created a holistic STEM-related curriculum that holds potential for enhancing young children’s interest in and appreciation for science and its applications. The data also suggested that the program was well-developed and, generally well-executed. However, experts rated the STEAM elements of the program more positively than the SEL elements, especially with regard to sequencing of lessons and integration among the lessons and hands-on activities, indicating that program revisions are warranted.     

Girls Helping Girls: Assessing the Influence of College Student Mentors in an Afterschool Engineering Program

Current data suggest fewer females than males continue to be interested in engineering and that this gender gap is first evidenced during middle school years. One might expect that female engineering role models would encourage adolescent girls to pursue future careers in engineering and thereby increase the girls’ interests in and attitudes towards science and mathematics. This study sought to correlate middle school girls’ overall confidence in science and mathematics with a year-long, afterschool mentoring program led by female engineering students from a local university. The results demonstrated that there was a significant correlation between the quality of the mentoring relationship and the girls’ confidence in mathematics. The relationship between female role models and young girls’ attitudes toward science and mathematics is discussed.     

课后服务的性质与课后服务的改进——基于我国小学“三点半难题”解决的思考

课后服务是为学生课后活动提供的服务,由政府经费补贴、学校酌情收费、教师获取适当劳酬的课后服务具有准公共产品属性。课后服务不仅具有解决小学“三点半难题”的本体价值,还具有预防校园欺凌、践行素质教育、保证教育公平的育人价值和增加人民幸福感、缓解社会矛盾的发展价值。我国已形成了学校、学校家委会、青少年校外教育场所和社区主导的四种课后服务基本方式,也存在部分地区未开展课后服务、服务性质定位不明确、服务主体权责不明、服务的教育功能彰显不够、课后服务配套缺失等问题。改进课后服务还需明确定性收费、建立公正合理的课后服务成本分担机制,重视发挥学校主渠道作用的同时积极鼓励社会力量参与,遵循自愿原则的同时对亟需服务群体给予优先保障,严格教育目标取向不断丰富课后服务内容与形式,加强课后服务过程管理与课后服务质量评估,健全课后服务统筹配套管理制度、整体联动化解课后服务难题。     

Education for girls in Ireland: secondary and vocational curricular provision 1930–1960

A challenge for historians of education is to explain the ways in which the development of education has been a gendered process. The literature tends to focus on primary and secondary schools; the role played by religious orders; the experiences of female teachers; ideological influences on curriculum; and the preparation of young girls for their role in society. Few historians, however, have examined vocational education and the impact of its ‘social efficiency’ orientation on girls. The literature that exists tends to treat both systems separately, and little effort has been made to compare the impact of both systems on girls’ opportunities within the society in which they lived. This omission in the literature is significant as such a comparison facilitates insights regarding state policies and priorities for the education of girls, the impact of social class, and national and local circumstances. This article compares both systems of education in Ireland and their impact on girls during the period 1930–1960.     

Developing science and engineering career opportunities for American Indians: Experiences and observations

This paper reports our experiences in working with precollege and undergraduate American Indian students. In 1990, we began a fourth-grade after-school science program for 30 American Indian students. At the present time the program, called Scientific Knowledge for Indian Learning and Leadership (SKILL), involves over 200 American Indian 4th-9th grade students in weekly science/mathematics activities, quarterly Saturday seminars, and summer science camps. We have collected data to try to determine factors that help to improve student attitudes towards mathematics and science. Conclusions are drawn from these analyses and from our own subjective observations. The development of American Indian involvement in undergraduate science and engineering education on our campus has been aided by the establishment of an American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) chapter and also by the promotion of collaborative learning. A comparison of our observations in the framework of other more well-established programs is given. Changes that have occurred as a result of both precollege and college activities are described and discussed. It appears that each of these activities has had beneficial influences on the other. We also report problems and concerns as well as recommendations to other groups or institutions who may be embarking on similar endeavors.     

The Single Sex Debate for Girls in Science: a Comparison Between Two Informal Science Programs on Middle School Students’ STEM Identity Formation

Currently, there are policy debates regarding the efficacy and legality of single sex formal and informal education programs. This issue is particularly poignant in science education due to the historical marginalization of women in these fields. This marginalization has resulted in women being positioned as a stigmatized group within many science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) related fields. Research points to adolescence as the age where this sense of marginalization begins to develop. As a result, policy responses have utilized various frameworks such as: increased access for women, changing pedagogy to address women’s learning styles, changing the language and culture of science to prevent marginalization of stigmatized groups, and finally exploring the role that individual identity plays in the marginalization of women. This study adds to the policy debate as it applies to single sex education by comparing middle school participants’ STEM identity formation during two informal science learning environments (an all girls’ STEM camp and a co-educational STEM camp). Additionally, this study focuses on the influence of camp activities within two informal science education programs: particularly the provision of role models and authentic STEM research activities, as means to improve STEM identity and make these fields relevant to the lives of middle school students. The results indicate that both camps improved girls’ STEM identities. These findings suggest that the single sex environment is not as important to STEM identity as the pedagogy used within the program.     

Metropolitan College: Building Community Value Through Education–Business Partnerships

Metropolitan College is a distinctive and innovative business–education partnership that provides educational opportunities to many Kentucky residents who would otherwise be unable to attend college. The program also provides significant, tangible benefits to the business and education partners, as well as to the local and statewide community. This article outlines the structure of the Metropolitan College, chronicles some measures of program impact, and briefly describes the values on which the program was founded and continues to operate.