Intra-generational education: Imagining a post-age pedagogy

This article discusses the idea of intra-generational education. Drawing on Braidotti’s nomadic subject and Barad’s conception of agency, we consider what intra-generational education might look like ontologically, in the light of critical posthumanism, in terms of natureculture world, nomadism and a vibrant indeterminacy of knowing subjects. In order to explore the idea of intra-generationalism and its pedagogical implications, we introduce four concepts: homelessness, agelessness, playfulness and wakefulness. These may appear improbable in the context of education policy-making today, but they are born of theorising our practices in the age-transgressive field of Philosophy with Children. We argue that these concepts help to reconfigure intra-generational relations, ways of being and becoming. They express the longing, corporeality and visionary epistemology of nomadic enquiry. These inventions express a non-hierarchical philosophy of immanence. We draw some tentative conclusions about educational practices more generally.     

(Re)Positioning the Child in the Policy/Politics of Early Childhood

How a community constructs the notion of childhood and the child is fundamentally implicated in the practices and policies of that community. This article explores the positioning of the child in historical, contemporary and emerging trends in the provision and practices of Australian early childhood education and care. It argues that if left uncontested, emerging contemporary constructions have the potential to normalise policies, practices and pedagogies derived from a commercialised view of childhood. Drawing on the experiences and practices of early childhood pedagogues and policy actors both in Australia and overseas the authors posit an alternative construction of the child as citizen and the possibility of the early childhood field as a site for the practice of democracy.     

No time to think: policy,pedagogy and professional learning

In this study, we seek to illuminate the effects of the global policy convergence in education through a close study of its enactment within an Australian Teacher Education course. Building on an examination of the changing priorities of a cohort of pre-service teachers over a short space of time, we argue that the enactment of New Public Management approaches to the governance of teaching in Australia is having adverse effects on the professional learning of new teachers, defeating the policy goals. Previous studies have investigated the affective impact of current global policy formations on teachers. Building on that work, this study considers the impacts that the teacher policy emphasis on ‘performance’ has had on professional learning processes, which are understood with reference to Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory. The study is undertaken using an interpretative phenomenographic approach and informed by the related methods of discursive psychology, which positions discourse as a discursive practice to achieve specific goals in specific contexts.     

Early childhood education for all: a mixed-methods study of the global policy agenda in Tanzania

This study considers the extent to which access to basic education and student learning outcomes have become more equalized or more disparate in Tanzania following the implementation of the international Education for All (EFA) initiative, and whether early childhood education access and performance follow similar patterns. To answer these questions, we apply a mixed-methods research design, which includes a longitudinal analysis of changes in educational opportunity and a critical discourse analysis (CDA) of key education policy documents in Tanzania. Findings from our quantitative analysis suggest that social inequality is persistent across time and consistent across access and learning outcomes at the early childhood and basic education levels. The implication is that, to date, the EFA agenda has only served to reproduce social inequalities in Tanzania, with the exception of increased opportunity for girls. These results align with CDA findings assessing the global and national policy discourse, which find educational inequalities to be prioritized in language but not adequately in final targets and strategies. Given the resiliency of such education inequalities, it would appear that policy capable of removing social barriers to educational opportunity requires more attention to specific at-risk student populations.     

Meritocracy,policy and pedagogy: culture and the politics of recognition and redistribution in Singapore

ABSTRACT

Ideas about merit and the associated notion of a meritocracy have long been drawn upon to frame and understand a range of issues central to education policy. Little attention, however, is given to how in practice and through the workings of policy, meritocracy functions as an ideology that is struggled over by various social groups and pedagogic agents. Focusing on classroom pedagogic practices in Singapore, this article explores the ways in which in an ostensibly meritocratic education system, teachers interpret and negotiate ideas about culture to engage their students in the system’s low-progress tracks. We argue that these teachers are creatively resisting, even challenging official discourses of meritocracy and engaging in what Nancy Fraser calls struggles over recognition and redistribution.     

Exploring the policy implementation paradox: using the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (fCUBE) policy in Ghana as an exemplar

This paper uses the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (fCUBE) policy implementation in Ghana as an exemplar to explore the apparent disjuncture between policy intentions in theory and outcomes of implementation tasks in practice. Through the critical discourse analysis of a range of policy documents complemented by the analysis of interviews with Ghanaian education officials, the paper investigates the extent to which the ‘free’, ‘compulsory’, ‘universal’ and ‘basic education’ components claimed in the fCUBE policy title are reflected in the implementation process. Owing to its commitment to enhancing the educational opportunities and outcomes of the educationally disadvantaged, the fCUBE policy is viewed as a ‘rights-based policy’ deeply rooted in social democratic values. However, the advent of neo-liberal ideological rhetoric of ‘skills for the world of work’ has triggered the neutralisation of these progressive ideals. This, the paper argues, has led to a significant discursive shift in policy direction and language of implementing the policy.     

Finnish ECEC policy: interpretations,implementations and implications

This article examines the complex development and contradictory current state of affairs of early childhood education and care (ECEC) in Finland. Rather than presenting a harmonious picture of the Finnish ECEC system, the authors have chosen to look at the problematic way in which national policies concerning ECEC have been interpreted and implemented. The road from legislation and national regulations (e.g. the National Curriculum Guidelines) on ECEC in Finland to implementation has been a convoluted one and the implementations may vary remarkably according to how the documents have been interpreted. Several results of this can be seen as less than favourable. For example, due to attempts to enlarge the scope of Finnish ECEC, its primary task – promoting the well‐being, development and learning of the child – has gradually been obscured. In addition, a number of ‘external’ factors such as rivalry between professional groups have influenced the shaping of the ECEC field more than one would like to admit. A more analytical approach to ECEC is called for in order to avoid new misinterpretations of the national policies and consequent adverse policy effects.     

Using evidence and implementation experience for advocacy and policy influence: the Rwanda Emergent Literacy and Maths Initiative (ELMI) case study

This paper discusses applied research initiatives led by Save the Children in Rwanda that were used to inform advocacy and policy efforts surrounding the expansion of high quality early childhood education (ECE) services in Rwanda. Qualitative and quantitative studies were carried out around a new program focused on improving early literacy and math competencies (the Emergent Literacy and Maths Initiative (ELMI)) from 2013–2017. They include a Political Economy Analysis in 2013–2014 and longitudinal impact evaluations in 2014–2015 and 2015–2016. Together, the mixed-methods data helped to identify strengths and gaps in the Rwandan education system, potential solutions to improving ECE for all children in the country, and insights into best practices for taking successful pilot programs to scale in a low-income country. Changes in national policy and ECE service provision are discussed.     

Playing for position: education policy,Physical Education and nationalism in Wales

This paper explores the connections between Physical Education, nationalism and citizenship in England and Wales focusing upon how education legislation, in particular the National Curriculum (NC) and Local Management of Schools (LMS), are implicated in the cultural production of ideational differences between and amongst the peoples of England and Wales. As our previous research has centred heavily on the making and implementation of education policy and PE in England, we take this opportunity to adjust our gaze and focus squarely on issues of cultural production in Wales, particularly relationships between the construction of images of Welsh identity and education policy and practice relating to PE and sport in schools. The analysis highlights that tendencies towards a narrow, conservative, cultural restoration are as evident in Wales as they are in England and obstruct progression towards more innovative and progressive ideals.     

英国学前教育督导的内容、特点及启示

英国《学前教育督导手册》作为督导工作的重要文件依据,规定了英国学前教育督导的指标、等级、组织及实施等内容,从督导前、督导中、督导后三个阶段阐述了督导人员及学前教育机构的职责。文章尝试对最新版本的内容与特点进行分析,突出改进重点,把握督导理念,旨在为我国学前教育相关工作提供借鉴与启示。     

Crossing cultures: US student teacher observations of pedagogy,learning, and practice in Plymouth,UK schools

International internships can assist pre-service teachers in beginning to build a repository of successful strategies for learning and becoming members of the global educational community. These include school settings and scheduling; use of curriculum and resources; instructional skills and strategies, including lesson planning; and classroom management, including management of student behaviours. The current study examines the reflections of 56 undergraduate teacher education students from Florida who took part in a three-week international internship in Plymouth, UK. The primary purpose of the study was to determine the areas in which the experience had an impact on their pedagogical awareness. Specifically, the research question was: ‘How does the short-term study abroad internship impact pre-service teachers' perceptions or understanding of: professional school relationships, and classroom management and structure?'     

Re-imagining the (un)familiar: feminist pedagogy in rural spaces

Little attention has been directed towards post-secondary education in rural spaces, instead conceptualising university study primarily as an urban phenomenon. Challenging dominant conceptions of rural areas as backwards, conservative, poverty stricken and isolated, this article investigates the unique opportunities associated with rural universities. Exploring the impact of feminist pedagogy in a rural context from the perspective of critical scholars teaching in rural spaces, the analysis contends that these sites provide a unique position from which to begin tackling complex rural social issues. Adopting an intersectional approach is integral to assisting rural women to theorise the complexity of their lives, both locally and globally. Such teaching is especially significant for rural women, who otherwise may find academia inaccessible and disconnected from their lived reality.     

美、英、印三国学前教育财政投入的保障机制特点分析

对美国、英国和印度三国学前教育财政投入的法律和政策保障进行了分析,认为其表现出两个特点:通过刚性立法或国家政策保障学前教育财政预算的实现;依托项目保证学前教育预算不断增加并向弱势群体倾斜。我国应借鉴三国的经验,将完善的教育财政立法作为保障学前教育发展的重要手段;并注重以实施大型项目的手段加强对弱势群体的资助,促进学前教育事业的长期稳定与公平发展。     

Meeting in the circle: examining identity,attitudes, and pedagogy in the context of an early childhood teacher education program in the United States

As a team of teacher educators at a university in the United States, we engage in participatory action research to reflect on how reflective tools which we design engage teacher candidates (TCs) in their reflecting on teaching. In this paper, we describe how we invite TCs to write in-class reflections, respond to self-assessment probes, and practice problem-solving processes. We critically analyze our approaches and identify further intentional approaches to promote university students’ understandings of (1) links between the self and working with children and families and (2) connections between attitudes and pedagogy towards social justice and inclusion. We conclude that we must continue to explore how the teaching practices we use affect students’ understandings of social justice in education. Doing so demands our focus on examining attitudes through self-reflection among and between faculty and university students so that identity, relationships, attitudes, inclusion, and social justice are prioritized as pillars of curriculum in early childhood education at all levels of schooling.     

Policy enactments in the UK secondary school: examining policy,practice and school positioning

This paper presents a first attempt in an ongoing research study of the policy environments in four UK secondary schools to examine policy enactment, where ‘enactment’ refers to an understanding that policies are interpreted and ‘translated’ by diverse policy actors in the school environment, rather than simply implemented. The paper is divided into two parts. The first part presents an audit of the policies encountered in four case study schools in the south‐east of England. The second part looks at one current English government policy, namely personal learning and thinking skills, and how this is taken up in two of the case study schools. In this way, the paper not just explores why a policy is adopted but also illustrates the capacity for school‐based policy elaboration, where schools produce their own ‘take’ on policy, drawing on aspects of their culture or ethos, as well as on the situated necessities.     

Promotion,Persuasion and Class-taste: Marketing (in) the UK post-compulsory sector

Post-16 providers in the UK now offer a wide range of courses and training in order to respond to the expanded, diversified and 'non-traditional' post-16 market. School leavers are invited to 'choose' from a range of courses and pathways which are being provided in a variety of post-16 educational institutions. These providing institutions are in competition with one another and 'need' the students as their funds are contingent upon successful recruitment (and retention). As a result, many post-16 providers are turning to aspects of marketing in order to publicise their courses and maintain or increase their share of the market. This paper examines two major tactics in the promotion and marketing of post-16 provision-brochures and open days-in relation to issues such as access, targeting, response to 'difference' in the client group/market segment and 'professionalism' of approach. The paper argues that market tactics do semiotic 'work' as class-taste markers.